What Now My Love
Frank Sinatra & Aretha Franklin Lyrics

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What now my love, now that you've left me
How can I live through another day
Watching my dreams turn to ashes
And my hopes turn to bits of clay?

Once I could see, once I could feel
Now I am numb, I've become unreal
I walk the night, without a goal

Stripped of my heart and my soul

What now my love, now that it's over?
I feel the world falling all around me
Here come the stars, tumbling around me
There's the sky, where that sea should be

What now my love, now that you're gone?
I'd be a fool to go on and on
No one would care, no one would cry
If I should live if I should live or die

What now my love, now there is nothing?
Only my last, my last good-bye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "What Now My Love" by Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin express the feeling of despair and emptiness after a failed relationship. The singer is left alone, bewildered, and unable to cope without their love. The song paints a vivid picture of the emotional war-torn landscape of a person who has lost their soulmate.

The first verse opens with the singer questioning how they can live after their love has left them. They describe watching their dreams turn into ashes and their hopes into bits of clay. This is a metaphor for their shattered life, where everything once so colorful and bright is now just a pile of cluttered debris. The second verse builds on this theme, emphasizing that the singer was once able to feel and see, but now they are numb and emotionally dead. The imagery of walking in the dark without a goal implies that the singer has lost their sense of direction.

The chorus then reinforces the idea that the world is crumbling around the singer. The stars tumble, the sky is blank where the sea used to be, and everything feels like it is falling apart. The final verse highlights the hopeless outlook the singer has in dealing with their loss, realizing that no one would care if they were to live or die.

In summary, "What Now My Love" illustrates the enduring pain of heartbreak and the confusion that follows when a relationship ends. The song serves as a melancholic meditation on the impossibility of moving forward.

Line by Line Meaning

What now my love, now that you've left me
The singer is wondering what to do now that the person they love has left them.

How can I live through another day
The singer is struggling to find a reason to continue living without their loved one.

Watching my dreams turn to ashes
The singer's dreams and aspirations have been destroyed by the departure of their loved one.

And my hopes turn to bits of clay?
The artist's hopes and expectations for the future have been shattered by their loved one leaving.

Once I could see, once I could feel
The artist used to be able to see and feel love, but now they are numb and emotionally distant.

Now I am numb, I've become unreal
The singer has become emotionally detached and feels like they are no longer a real person.

I walk the night, without a goal
The singer is lost and wandering aimlessly through life without a sense of purpose.

Stripped of my heart and my soul
The artist feels like they have lost their capacity to love and their emotional depth.

What now my love, now that it's over?
The artist is asking what to do now that their relationship is over.

I feel the world falling all around me
The artist feels like their world is collapsing and everything is falling apart.

Here come the stars, tumbling around me
The singer feels overwhelmed by their emotions and senses that everything in the universe is in chaos.

There's the sky, where that sea should be
The artist sees that the world is out of balance and the natural order of things has been disrupted.

What now my love, now that you're gone?
The singer is questioning what to do with their life now that their loved one has left.

I'd be a fool to go on and on
The singer feels like continuing to live without their loved one is futile and foolish.

No one would care, no one would cry
The singer feels like no one would notice or care if they were to die.

If I should live if I should live or die
The artist is questioning the value of their own life and whether or not they should continue to exist.

What now my love, now there is nothing?
The artist feels like there is nothing left for them now that their love is gone.

Only my last, my last good-bye
The only thing left for the singer to do is to say goodbye to their loved one for the last time.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Carl Sigman, Gilbert Becaud, Pierre Delanoe

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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