When You Love Somebody
James Smith Lyrics


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I had it all planned out, I had a big idea
Cause all the stars aligned, but now they've disappeared
Showed my cards to you
Guess when you win, you lose
My lessons learned
Sometimes it hurts

When you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough
You give it all you got and
they'll give you up
Give you up
No matter what you might see
some things aren't meant to be
When you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough

Maybe I went too fast, or did I wait too long
Did I slip out your hands, did I say something wrong
Cause it plays on my mind
and I cant think of a time
When you would hide it
but now I recognise that

When you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough
You give it all you got and
they'll give you up
Give you up
No matter what you might see
some things aren't meant to be
When you love somebody




It's not enough
It's not enough

Overall Meaning

James Smith's song, "When You Love Somebody," is a melancholic reflection on the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song appears to be a confessional account of a protagonist who had high hopes for his relationship with someone he loved but was eventually let down. The lyrics are filled with introspection, with lines like "My lessons learned / Sometimes it hurts," emphasizing the emotional weight that the singer is carrying as he navigates his heartbreak.


Throughout the song, there is a sense of the singer trying to understand where things went wrong. He seems to have thought he had the perfect plan but couldn't win even when he showed his cards. He wonders whether his mistakes might have to do with going too fast, waiting too long, or saying something wrong. The song's title phrase, "When you love somebody, it's not enough," is repeated in the chorus, emphasizing that no matter how much one tries, true love does not guarantee success in a relationship.


The singer's struggle to come to terms with his loss is what makes the lyrics of "When You Love Somebody" relatable. The song paints a picture of someone grappling to reconcile two diametrically opposed emotions - love and heartbreak. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer has come to an understanding; sometimes, love isn't enough, and things just weren't meant to be.


Line by Line Meaning

I had it all planned out, I had a big idea
I thought I had everything figured out, I had a grand plan in place


Cause all the stars aligned, but now they've disappeared
Everything seemed to be in my favor, but now it has all vanished


Showed my cards to you
I revealed my true feelings to you


Guess when you win, you lose
Sometimes, even when you think you've won, you've actually lost


My lessons learned
I have gained knowledge from my experiences


Sometimes it hurts
The lessons I learned can cause me pain


When you love somebody, It's not enough
Simply loving someone is not always sufficient


You give it all you got and they'll give you up, Give you up
Even if you give your all to a person, they may still abandon you


No matter what you might see, Some things aren't meant to be
Even if things seem perfect, they may not work out as planned


Maybe I went too fast, or did I wait too long
Perhaps I acted too quickly or waited too long to take action


Did I slip out your hands, did I say something wrong
Did I miss an opportunity or say something that caused the relationship to falter


Cause it plays on my mind and I can't think of a time when you would hide it but now I recognise that
It keeps bothering me, and I can't recall a time when you kept something from me, but now I understand things better




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jennifer Kimball, Tamara Walker, Thomas James, Tommy James

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Eva Peritogianni

I had it all planned out, I had a big idea
'Cause all the stars aligned, but now they've disappeared
Showed my cards to you
Guess when you win, you lose
My lesson's learned
Sometimes it hurts

When you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough
You give it all you got and
They'll give you up
They'll give you up
No matter what you might see
Some things aren't meant to be
'Cause when you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough

Maybe I went too fast, or did I wait too long?
Did I slip out your hands, did I say something wrong?
'Cause it plays on my mind
And I can't think of a time
When you would hide it
But now I recognize that

When you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough
You give it all you got and
They'll give you up
Give you up
No matter what you might see
Some things aren't meant to be
'Cause when you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough

When you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough
You give it all you got and
They'll give you up
They'll give you up

When you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough
You give it all you got and
They'll give you up
They'll give you up
No matter what you might see
Some things aren't meant to be
'Cause when you love somebody
It's not enough
It's not enough



All comments from YouTube:

James Smith

Hope you guys like it!! lemme know what you think!

eliif’s not feeling fabulous

This is so beautiful ❤️

Angèle

Love it!!❤ from France

Alyza Joyce Demillones

ur voice, ur words, the tune, is beautiful it hurts!! 😭💛💛
iloveyou

Monica

I love it so much! ❤️❤️

I.H

Love it ❤

41 More Replies...

Rohan Roy

Its crazy how underrated he is, anyone else just obsessed with him?

Angèle

yes😂

Andriy Tulle

Me

emma johnston

obsessed is an understatement

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