God Give Me Strength
Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I have nothing, so God give me strength
'Cause I'm weak in her [his] wake
And if I'm strong I might still break
And I don't have anything to share
That I won't throw away into the air
That song is sung out
[He] She was the light that I'd bless
[He] She took my last chance at happiness
So God give me strength, God give me strength
I can't hold onto [him] her, God give me strength
When the phone doesn't ring
And I'm lost in imagining
Everything that kind of love is worth
As I tumble back down to the earth
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
[He] She was the light that I'd bless
[He] She took my last chance at happiness
So God give me strength,
God if [he'd] she'd grant me [his] her indulgence and decline
I might as well wipe [him] her from my memory
Fracture the spell as [he] she becomes my enemy
Maybe I was washed out like a lip-print on his shirt
See, I'm only human, I want him to hurt
I want him
I want him to hurt
[instrumental]
Since I lost the power to pretend
That there could ever be a happy ending
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
[He] She was the light that I'd bless
[He] She took my last chance at happiness
So God give me strength, God give me strength
The lyrics of "God Give Me Strength" by Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach are a heart-wrenching portrait of a man who has lost the love of his life and is struggling to come to terms with his emotions. The character feels weak and vulnerable in the wake of the woman who has left him, and he fears that if he tries to be strong, he will only break. He acknowledges that he has nothing left to offer her, and that he is willing to throw away whatever he has left rather than share it with anyone else.
The character's pain is palpable as he describes his longing for the woman who has left him. He imagines what it would be like to hold onto her again, but he knows that it is not possible. He is lost in his imagination, dreaming of a love that was worth everything to him. Despite his despair, however, he still feels a glimmer of hope that God will give him strength to carry on.
The lyrics of "God Give Me Strength" tap into the universal experience of heartbreak and loss. Costello and Bacharach's collaboration on this song is a testament to their ability to create emotionally charged music that resonates with listeners. Through their poignant lyrics and haunting melody, they capture the raw emotions of a person grappling with the pain of lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I have nothing, so God give me strength
I'm feeling hopeless after losing everything, and I need the strength to go on.
'Cause I'm weak in her [his] wake
I'm vulnerable after [her] his departure.
And if I'm strong I might still break
Even if I try to be strong, I might still fall apart.
And I don't have anything to share
I'm left with nothing to offer.
That I won't throw away into the air
I have nothing left worth holding onto.
This bell is rung out
My hope for a future with [her] him is gone.
[He] She was the light that I'd bless
[He] She brought happiness into my life.
[He] She took my last chance at happiness
But [he] she also took away my last hope for happiness.
So God give me strength
I'm asking for divine strength to endure this heartbreak.
I can't hold onto [him] her, God give me strength
I can't bring [him] her back into my life, and I need strength to accept that.
When the phone doesn't ring
When [he] she doesn't call me back.
And I'm lost in imagining
I start to daydream and imagine a future that will never happen.
Everything that kind of love is worth
I'm left struggling to understand what the value of love really is.
As I tumble back down to the earth
As my hopes and dreams come crashing down around me.
God if [he'd] she'd grant me [his] her indulgence and decline
If [he] she would just give me closure and say definitively that it's over.
I might as well wipe [him] her from my memory
I need to forget about [him] her and move on.
Fracture the spell as [he] she becomes my enemy
I need to accept that [he] she is no longer my ally or friend.
Maybe I was washed out like a lip-print on his shirt
Maybe I was nothing more than a fleeting moment in [his] her life.
See, I'm only human, I want him to hurt
I'm feeling angry and hurt, and part of me wants [him] her to feel the same.
Since I lost the power to pretend
Since I can no longer pretend that things will work out between us.
That there could ever be a happy ending
That there could ever be a fairytale ending to our story.
Contributed by Penelope H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@robertnguyen1041
Now I have nothing
So God give me strength
'Cos I'm weak anyway
And if I'm strong i might still break
And I don't have anything to share
That I won't throw away into the air
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So god give me strength
God give me strength
I can't hold on to her
God give me strength
When the phone doesn't ring
And I'm lost in imagining
Everything that kind of love is worth
As I tumble back down to the Earth
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So God give me strength
God if she'd grant me her indulgence and decline
I might as well
Wipe her from my memory
Fracture the spell
As she becomes my enemy
Maybe I was washed out
Like a lip-print on his shirt
See, I'm only human
I want him to hurt
I want him
I want him to hurt
Since I lost the power to pretend
That there could ever be a happy ending
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So God give me strength
God give me strength
@Oliviacaptain
Now i have nothing, so god give me strength
'cause i'm weak in her wake
And if i'm strong i might still brea
And i don't have anything to share
That i won't throw away into the air
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that i'd bless
She took my last chance at happiness
So god give me strength, god give me strength
I can't hold onto her, god give me strength
When the phone doesn't ring
And i'm lost in imagining
Everything that kind of love is worth
As i tumble back down to the earth
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that i'd bless
She took my last chance at happiness
So god give me strength
(bridge)
God if she'd grant me her indulgence and decline
I might as well, wipe her from my memory
Fracture the spell, as she becomes my enemy
Maybe i was washed out like a lip-print on my shirt
See, i'm only human, i want her to hurt
I want her
I want her to hurt
[instrumental]
Since i lost the power to pretend
That there could ever be a happy ending
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that i'd bless
She took my last chance at happiness
So god give me strength, god give me strength
@slee520
Now I have nothing
So God give me strength
'Cos I'm weak anyway
And if I'm strong i might still break
And I don't have anything to share
That I won't throw away into the air
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So god give me strength
God give me strength
I can't hold on to her
God give me strength
When the phone doesn't ring
And I'm lost in imagining
Everything that kind of love is worth
As I tumble back down to the Earth
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So God give me strength
God if she'd grant me her indulgence and decline
I might as well
Wipe her from my memory
Fracture the spell
As she becomes my enemy
Maybe I was washed out
Like a lip-print on his shirt
See, I'm only human
I want him to hurt
I want him
I want him to hurt
Since I lost the power to pretend
That there could ever be a happy ending
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So God give me strength
God give me strength
@TheXynos7
Now I have nothing
So God give me strength
'Cos I'm weak anyway
And if I'm strong i might still break
And I don't have anything to share
That I won't throw away into the air
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So god give me strength
God give me strength
I can't hold on to her
God give me strength
When the phone doesn't ring
And I'm lost in imagining
Everything that kind of love is worth
As I tumble back down to the Earth
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So God give me strength
God if she'd grant me her indulgence and decline
I might as well
Wipe her from my memory
Fracture the spell
As she becomes my enemy
Maybe I was washed out
Like a lip-print on his shirt
See, I'm only human
I want him to hurt
I want him
I want him to hurt
Since I lost the power to pretend
That there could ever be a happy ending
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
She was the light that I'd bless
She took my last chance of happiness
So God give me strength
God give me strength
@seekthetruth1485
Elvis at his best...a soul ripped apart musically. RIP Burt my idol and my mentor.....My Daddy got me this CD...it is ALL pure magic.
@Chairmaniac
You see, I'm only human... I want him to hurt...
I'm an emotional wreck every time.
@gigicalcio
Burt Bacharach was magical❤
@chuckkirkpatrick6712
I cry every time I hear this song....maybe the most heart wrenching ever written.
@mizconti
I cry every time I play/ I hear this 😢RIP Burt Bacharach and goddamn Elvis Costello. What a voice. Could listen to this album on repeat for eternity. So underrated. ❤
@tonyajohnson2191
J cry too. I cry every time
@kasabwatsevilla
I do love this song and yes GODDAMN ELVIS COSTELLO brilliant voice. I wish I am too I'm a singer too bu5 far from being elvis C.
@kasabwatsevilla
I saw the movie also great movie.....
@Lorenzo1950
Every Bacharach song has dozens of small nuances like the beautiful notes from a trumpet. And the great bass line. The full orchestra enhances everything and Elvis sounds great too. And I think I hear a marimba.
@nickrider5220
Possibly my wife's favourite E.C. song, excellently performed, full of emotion...