It's Only Love
Herbert Rehbein And His Orchestra Lyrics


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Say, it's only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me

Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me

Without your love
It's a honky tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade

It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me

Say, it's only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me

Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me

Without your love
It's a honky-tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade

It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me

It's phony it's plain to see




How happy I would be
If you believed in me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Herbert Rehbein and His Orchestra's "It's Only Love" convey a message of the transformative power of love. The song compares the world to a cardboard sea, a muslin tree, and a canvas sky, which are all make-believe elements that only exist in our imagination. However, with the reinforcement of one's belief in their loved one, these make-believe elements become real. This is highlighted when the lyrics state, "But it wouldn't be make-believe if you believed in me."


The song also emphasizes the crucial role of love in one's life. The lyrics describe how without love, the world becomes a lonely and unfulfilling place, akin to a honky-tonk parade, or a melody played in a penny arcade. However, when love is present, the world becomes a more significant, joyful, and magical place. The lyrics express this idea when they state, "It's a Barnum and Bailey world, just as phony as can be. But it wouldn't be make-believe if you believed in me."


Line by Line Meaning

Say, it's only a paper moon
Let's acknowledge that the world can feel unreal at times


Sailing over a cardboard sea
It's as though we are living in a constructed reality


But it wouldn't be make-believe
Despite this, there are still real emotions at play


If you believed in me
But if we trust one another, we can create something genuine together


Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Even the sky can feel artificial to us


Hanging over a muslin tree
Yet still, the natural world persists amidst all the artifice


Without your love
It's easy for everything to feel meaningless


It's a honky-tonk parade
The world can devolve into a noisy mess


It's a melody played in a penny arcade
Where all we hear are cheap imitations of authentic music


It's a Barnum and Bailey world
The world starts to feel like a circus act


Just as phony as it can be
Where everything is fake, including our interactions


But it wouldn't be make-believe
Still, our relationships can extend beyond that fakeness


If you believed in me
If we trust and rely on one another for support


It's phony it's plain to see
We can recognize the fakeness around us


How happy I would be
And yet, there's still potential for happiness


If you believed in me
If we can connect and believe in one another's sincerity




Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Rose, E. Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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