Love Lives Here
Faces Lyrics


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It's hard to believe
That this is the place
Where we were so happy all our lives
Now so empty inside
And feeling no pain
Waiting for a hammer, and a big ball and chain

They can tear it all down
And build something new
But only I remember what was here
Tomorrow comes easy
Just another day gone
How long will I have to keep returning?

Now, I look back
Think I've known all the time
I've been fighting myself for so long
All the vows that we made




Count for old bags of lumber
Disappear on the cart down the road

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Faces’s song Love Lives Here are charged with nostalgia and melancholy. The lead singer is reflecting on a place that used to bring them so much happiness but is now empty and devoid of any feeling. The “hammer and big ball and chain” appear to be a metaphor for the demolition of the physical space, but they also indicate a deeper emotional weight that this change carries with it. The singer is resigned to the fact that the place they loved is going to be destroyed, but it’s clear they don’t want to let it go.


The second verse tackles the theme of change and loss more directly. The singer acknowledges that the place they loved can be torn down and something new put in its place. However, what is gone can never truly be replaced, and the singer is the only one who can remember what was there. Time moves on, and tomorrow comes easily, but the memory of what was once there lingers on. The final lines of the song take on a more personal note, and the metaphorical language expands into a heartfelt meditation on the impermanence of life. As the singer looks back on their life, they realize that they have been fighting against themselves for too long. The vows they made, once so meaningful, now feel like “old bags of lumber” being carted away. It’s a bittersweet farewell to a place that was once important but now only exists in memory.


Line by Line Meaning

It's hard to believe
Expressing disbelief at the sad state of what once was a place of happiness and joy.


That this is the place
Acknowledging the fact that the place has been reduced to a sad and empty state.


Where we were so happy all our lives
Reflecting on the happy memories of the past that were made in this now empty place.


Now so empty inside
Describing the current state of the place as hollow and devoid of life.


And feeling no pain
Indicating the numbness that has set in after experiencing the loss and emptiness of the place.


Waiting for a hammer, and a big ball and chain
Feeling like the inevitable destruction of the place will be a mercy, and that it's better to start afresh.


They can tear it all down
Accepting that the only way to move forward is to let go of the past and start anew.


And build something new
Looking forward to the prospect of creating something new in place of the old.


But only I remember what was here
Acknowledging that despite the impending change, the songwriter will always hold dear the memories of what once stood here.


Tomorrow comes easy
Feeling unburdened by the prospect of starting a new day without the baggage of the past.


Just another day gone
Viewing each day as just another opportunity to put the past behind and move forward.


How long will I have to keep returning?
Expressing a desire to let go of the past and not have to look back anymore.


Now, I look back
Reflecting on the past and trying to make sense of how things ended up this way.


Think I've known all the time
Realizing that all along, the songwriter has been fighting with themselves and trying to move on from the past.


I've been fighting myself for so long
Acknowledging that the true obstacle to moving on has been the songwriter's own reluctance to let go of the past.


All the vows that we made
Remembering the promises made in the past that were eventually broken or rendered meaningless.


Count for old bags of lumber
Realizing that the promises have lost their value and no longer hold any significant meaning.


Disappear on the cart down the road
Accepting that the past, including the promises made, must be left behind and taken away on a figurative cart down the road.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROD STEWART, RONALD LANE, RON WOOD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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