A Time For Love
Jamie Cullum Lyrics


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Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

My head's a TV
And you're on every channel
Did no one ever tell you bout the dirty truth?
We're all a bit mental
So write your history
As a pretty little work of fiction
So many bones rattlin' in the coffin of your youth
We'll exhume a fable

You can, you can, you can shut your mouth
You can, you can, you can shut your mouth
'Cause everybody's fighting battles
That you don't know anything about
Come on, come on, take a look in my house
Every time I touch the piano I'm just full of doubts
Just another bit of secrecy

Every time you feel like giving up
Every time you'd swear you'd had enough
Just remember what you're dreaming of
But when you do it, you do it for the love
Yeah, when you do it, you do it for the love

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

This old sweater
Holds a trace of the bonfire
We threw your teenage diaries on to the flames
Too sad to remember
A patient memory
And a single neon tear
Watch it dance like grass in a hurricane
Through another year

I tried to hide my feelings for too long
I just wanted everyone to get along
'Cause everybody's fighting battles
Underneath another thunderstorm
Come on, come on, don't you wanna be heard
Your savior's just somebody who's been under-researched
Not just another bit of secrecy

Every time you feel like giving up
Every time you'd swear you'd had enough
Just remember what you're dreaming of
But when you do it, you do it for the love
Yeah, when you do it, you do it for the love
Love, love





When you do it, you do it for the love
Yeah, when you do it, may as well do it for the love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "A Time For Love" by Jamie Cullum are a powerful message about the struggles and complexities of life, and the importance of perseverance for the things you love. The song begins with the metaphor of the head as a TV, with the person speaking watching every channel - this represents the overwhelming and all-consuming nature of negative thoughts and emotions. Yet despite this, the singer urges the listener to see beyond their own battles and take a look at others' struggles as well - to understand that everyone carries their own burdens.


The second verse sees the singer reflecting on past memories and emotions. They describe a sweater that holds a trace of a bonfire, where they threw teenage diaries onto the flames, representing the pain of letting go of the past. The final lines of the song reinforce the message of the power of perseverance - that even in the midst of hardship, it is important to remember what you're dreaming of and do it for the love of it.


The lyrics are accompanied by a beautiful and melancholic piano melody that fits perfectly with the introspective and emotional nature of the lyrics. The song was released in 2003 as part of Jamie Cullum's "Pointless Nostalgic" album.


Line by Line Meaning

My head's a TV
My thoughts are constantly racing and changing, coming at me like different channels on a TV


And you're on every channel
You're always on my mind, no matter what I'm thinking about


Did no one ever tell you bout the dirty truth?
Has no one ever warned you about how difficult life can be?


We're all a bit mental
We all have our own issues and quirks that can make us a little crazy


So write your history
Document your life and experiences in a way that's meaningful to you


As a pretty little work of fiction
Create a story about your past that's beautiful and idealized, even if it's not entirely accurate


So many bones rattlin' in the coffin of your youth
There are a lot of experiences and memories from your past that still have an impact on you, even if they're buried deep down


We'll exhume a fable
We'll revisit those memories and experiences, but instead of dwelling on the past, we'll construct a new story around them


You can, you can, you can shut your mouth
You have the choice to keep quiet when you don't want to share your struggles or experiences


Cause everybody's fighting battles
Everyone is struggling with their own challenges in life


That you don't know anything about
Even if someone seems fine on the surface, you don't necessarily know what they're dealing with behind closed doors


Come on, come on, take a look in my house
Take a closer look at my life and what I'm going through


Every time I touch the piano I'm just full of doubts
I doubt myself every time I sit down to play the piano, despite my talent and success


Just another bit of secrecy
Another thing I keep to myself instead of sharing with others


Every time you feel like giving up
Whenever you reach a low point and feel like quitting


Every time you'd swear you'd had enough
Whenever you feel like you can't handle any more struggles or obstacles


Just remember what you're dreaming of
Remember your goals and aspirations and what's motivating you to keep going


But when you do it, you do it for the love
But ultimately, you pursue your passions and dreams out of a deep love for them


This old sweater
This piece of clothing that holds memories and emotions from the past


Holds a trace of the bonfire
It still smells like the fire it was near at one point


We threw your teenage diaries on to the flames
We got rid of something from the past that brought up painful memories


Too sad to remember
It was too difficult to keep those memories alive


A patient memory
A memory that's been carefully preserved and treasured


And a single neon tear
A single tear that's brightly colored and stands out against the darkness


Watch it dance like grass in a hurricane
Watch the tear move around and swirl around like a blade of grass caught in a windstorm


Through another year
Another year of life and experiences that have come and gone


I tried to hide my feelings for too long
I kept my emotions and struggles to myself for an extended period of time


I just wanted everyone to get along
I wanted to avoid conflict and maintain harmony among everyone around me


Underneath another thunderstorm
Through another difficult and challenging time in life


Come on, come on, don't you wanna be heard
Encouraging someone who's struggling to speak up and share their experiences with others


Your savior's just somebody who's been under-researched
Sometimes the people who have the most profound impacts on our lives are the ones who go unnoticed or unrecognized


Yeah, when you do it, you do it for the love
Reiterating that ultimately, we pursue our passions and dreams because of the deep love we have for them


Love, love
The ultimate force that drives us forward and compels us to keep going, even through difficult times


When you do it, you do it for the love
Restating the message of the song that when we do things we're passionate about, we do them for the love and fulfillment they bring us


Yeah, when you do it, may as well do it for the love
There's really no point in doing something if you're not doing it out of love or passion, so you might as well go all in on something you truly care about




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jamie Cullum, Jayson M. Dezuzio, Martin Terefe, Sasha Yatchenko

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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