Love of My Life
Helen Humes & Count Basie and His Orchestra Lyrics

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I reach for you like I'd reach for a star
Worshipping you from afar
Living with my silent love

I'm like a flame dying out in the rain
Only the ashes remain
Smoldering like my silent love

How I long to tell
All the things I have planned
Still, it's wrong to tell
You would not understand

You'll go along, never dreaming I care
Loving somebody, somewhere
Leaving me my silent love

You'll go along, never dreaming I care

Loving somebody, somewhere
Leaving me my silent love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Love of My Life" by Helen Humes & Count Basie and His Orchestra express the deep longing and unrequited love of the singer. The song begins with the singer reaching for their love interest as if reaching for a star, showing the intensity and admiration they feel for this person. However, they are unable to express their feelings openly and instead live with their silent love.

The next verse compares their love to a flame dying out in the rain, with only ashes remaining. This metaphor signifies the suppression of their emotions and the sense of hopelessness they feel. They describe their love as smoldering, indicating that it still lingers despite being hidden and unacknowledged.

The chorus reveals the desire to confess their feelings but also highlights the fear of rejection or misunderstanding. The singer longs to tell their love interest about their plans and intentions, but they believe it would be wrong since this person would not understand or reciprocate their affection.

The final lines emphasize the singer's resigned acceptance of their unrequited love. They realize that their love interest will continue with their life, oblivious to the singer's feelings, while the singer is left with their silent love as their only companion.

Overall, "Love of My Life" portrays the pain and frustration of unrequited love, highlighting the inner turmoil and longing of the singer for a love that may never be realized.

Line by Line Meaning

I reach for you like I'd reach for a star
I desire you with an immense longing, just as one would yearn for the unreachable beauty of a distant star

Worshipping you from afar
I hold you in such high regard, as if I were revering a deity from a great distance

Living with my silent love
Existing with an unspoken affection that dwells within me, never vocalized or acknowledged

I'm like a flame dying out in the rain
I feel like a flickering fire gradually losing its vitality and passion, extinguished by the relentless downpour of reality

Only the ashes remain
In the aftermath, all that remains is the remnants of what once burned brightly, reduced to mere ashes of what might have been

Smoldering like my silent love
Similar to smoldering embers, my hidden love quietly persists, displaying a hint of its presence without fully igniting

How I long to tell
The intense desire to express my feelings intensifies

All the things I have planned
The multitude of visions and dreams I have meticulously devised

Still, it's wrong to tell
Nevertheless, it feels morally incorrect to disclose these emotions

You would not understand
Deep down, I believe that you wouldn't comprehend the depth and sincerity of my affection

You'll go along, never dreaming I care
You will continue your journey, never suspecting that I actually harbor love for you

Loving somebody, somewhere
Engaging in affectionate relationships with someone, somewhere else, while remaining oblivious to my own feelings

Leaving me my silent love
Ultimately, you depart, leaving me to silently bear the weight of my unrequited love

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANA SUESSE, EDWARD HEYMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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