Can't Live Without Your Love
Janelle Monáe Lyrics


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[Verse 1]
Take me, take my letters, take my photos, take the sun
You can take my heart
Cause I ain't gonna need it on the run
I've been trying to work it out
But my words fall right apart baby
I'll leave oh, don't you know
That I can't deal with the hurt anymore
Oh baby don't leave

[Chorus]
Baby don't you know, I can't live without your love
I can't sleep
Baby don't you know, I can't live without your love
I can't eat
Baby don't you know, I can't live without your love
I can't breathe
Baby don't you know, I can't live without your love

[Verse 2]
Automn, automn's coming round
And summer's not the same
It's like winter without your smile
I spent some time just thinking to myself
I picked up one of your photos and I put it right back on the shelf

[Chorus]

I can't be a day without your smile
You're the one for me but all the while
I just think that we should give all our love
Give love, love, love, love
I can't be a day without your smile
You're the one for me but all the while
I just think that we should give all our love
Give love, love, love, love

[Chorus]

They say love is patient, love is kind
Love ain't never did a thing to mine
Love ain't weak, love is strong
Love be telling my heart don't go
They say love is patient, love is kind
Love ain't never did a thing to mine
Love ain't weak, Greater Than Pride
I can't live without your love

I can't be a day without your smile
You're the one for me but all the while
I just think that we should give all our love
Give love, love, love, love
I can't be a day without your smile
You're the one for me but all the while




I just think that we should give all our love
Give love, love, love, love

Overall Meaning

In the first verse of Janelle Monáe's "Can't Live Without Your Love," she sings about how she is running away from her current situation, leaving behind everything she has. She doesn't mind parting with her letters or her photographs or anything else because she is in love with someone so much that she wants to take that person with her on the run. She has been trying to work things out, but her words fail her every time. She is tired of the hurt and wants to leave, but at the same time, she doesn't want her lover to leave. In the chorus, she reinforces the idea that she cannot live without the love of her lover. She can't sleep, eat, or breathe without them.


In the second verse, she compares autumn to winter, stating that without her lover's smile, summer isn't the same. She spends time thinking about her lover and picks up a photo of them but quickly puts it back. In the bridge, she talks about how love is not weak, and it's more significant than pride. She can't live without her lover's love, and she wants to give her love to them.


Overall, the song talks about how much Janelle Monáe's character is in love with her lover and how they are the only thing she needs to be happy. The song talks about how much she thinks about her lover when they aren't around and how much their love means to her.


Line by Line Meaning

Take me, take my letters, take my photos, take the sun
Everything I hold dear doesn't matter if I don't have you next to me. You and your love are more important than anything else.


You can take my heart
I'm willing to give you my heart and trust you with it.


Cause I ain't gonna need it on the run
I'm ready to go anywhere with you, leave everything behind as long as I have you by my side.


I've been trying to work it out
I've been trying to think of a solution to our problems, but I'm failing miserably.


But my words fall right apart baby
I can't express how I feel correctly; it's as if my words are betraying me.


I'll leave oh, don't you know
I'm ready to walk away if there's no hope for us as a couple.


That I can't deal with the hurt anymore
I'm tired of feeling hurt and heartbroken, I can't keep going through this pain.


Oh baby don't leave
Despite all the hurt, I still want you to stay with me because I can't imagine living without your love.


Baby don't you know, I can't live without your love
I need your love to survive, to breathe, to be myself.


Baby don't you know, I can't sleep
Your love is so essential that without it, I can't even rest or relax.


Baby don't you know, I can't live without your love
I feel incomplete without you; I can't go on without your love.


Baby don't you know, I can't eat
The lack of your love is affecting my physical needs, and I can't even enjoy a meal without you.


Baby don't you know, I can't live without your love
I can't stress enough how vital your love is to me; without it, I'm lost.


Autumn, autumn's coming round
The changing season reminds me of how much I miss you and your presence.


And summer's not the same
Even a season that I used to love doesn't feel the same without you by my side.


It's like winter without your smile
Your smile brightens up my world, and without it, everything feels gloomy and sad.


I spent some time just thinking to myself
I've had a lot of time to reflect on our relationship and what went wrong.


I picked up one of your photos and I put it right back on the shelf
Seeing a picture of you brought back so much pain and nostalgia that I couldn't bear to look at it.


I can't be a day without your smile
Your smile is what makes my day, and without it, I can't function correctly.


You're the one for me but all the while
Despite everything we've been through, I still believe that you're the one for me.


I just think that we should give all our love
I think that we need to work on our relationship, to give all of our love to each other and make it work.


They say love is patient, love is kind
Love is supposed to be patient, kind, and enduring according to what people say.


Love ain't never did a thing to mine
Love itself never hurt me, but the lack of it is what's causing me pain right now.


Love ain't weak, love is strong
Love can be incredibly strong, but sometimes it's hard to see when things aren't going well.


Love be telling my heart don't go
My love for you is what's keeping me from walking away, from giving up on us entirely.


Greater Than Pride
Love is not proud, it's about setting ego aside and working together for the relationship.


I can't live without your love
Your love means everything to me; without it, I can't imagine life being worth living.


Give love, love, love, love
The key to making things work is to give love, to show it to each other, and to embrace it fully.




Contributed by Charlie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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