I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You
Jeff Beck Lyrics


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Here's a tear, for a souvenir
And a dream, that's torn at the seams
Here's a promise you made to me
Of the tomorrow I'll never see
And then you're free to go

But I can't give back the love
I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do

Take these arms that held you close
I thought I was the one you needed the most
Take these hands, they're no good to me
That used to touch you so tenderly

But I can't give back the love
That's a part of me
If you want just a little bit
You have to take all of me

Here's a ring
That didn't mean a thing
And the letters you wrote
That gave my young heart hope
Take the pillow where my dreams were made
And the mind, where the thought of you stayed
But baby, you should know

That I can't give back the love
I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do

Take these eyes that once could see
Now reflections of a misery
The happiness I thought would last
Now a becoming just a thing of the past

But I can't give back the love
That's a part of me
If you want just a little bit
You have to take all of me

No, I can't give back
No, I feel for you
Oh, I'm gonna be stuck
No matter what I do
'cause it'll grow 'till the world
Don't go 'round no more

But I can't give back the love
I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do

But I can't give back the love
I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do

But I can't give back the love
I feel for you




I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do

Overall Meaning

The song "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" by Jeff Beck Group describes the emotional pain experienced by someone who is unable to let go of their love for a person who has already left them. The lyrics express the feelings of helplessness and heartbreak that come with being stuck in a one-sided relationship. The singer is torn between a desire to move on and the lingering feelings that they still have for their lost love.


In the first verse, the singer presents a poignant image of a broken dream and an unfulfilled promise of a future together. The second verse goes deeper into the heartbreak, with the singer offering up physical things that represent the lost love, such as arms that held the other person, hands that touched them tenderly, and eyes that saw happiness where there is now only misery. The chorus offers the sad truth that no matter how hard the singer tries, they will always be stuck with the love they feel, even if the other person has moved on.


The lyrics suggest a sense of futility and desperation, with the repetitive use of the lines "I can't give back the love I feel for you" emphasizing the singer's feelings of helplessness. The song captures the essence of unrequited love, where even though the feelings are not reciprocated, they persist, sometimes even growing stronger over time.


Line by Line Meaning

Here's a tear, for a souvenir
I have nothing left to hold onto from our love except for the memory of a tear.


And a dream, that's torn at the seams
My dreams of our future together have been destroyed and are falling apart at the seams.


Here's a promise you made to me
You made a promise to me that you will not keep.


Of the tomorrow I'll never see
The promise of a future together is something I will never experience.


And then you're free to go
Once you break your promise, you are free to leave me.


But I can't give back the love I feel for you I'm gonna be stuck with it No matter what I do
Although you are free to leave me, I cannot take back the love that I still have for you, and I am stuck with it forever.


Take these arms that held you close
My arms used to hold you tightly and keep you close.


I thought I was the one you needed the most
I believed that I was the one you truly needed in your life.


Take these hands, they're no good to me That used to touch you so tenderly
My hands that used to touch you gently are now useless to me without you.


But I can't give back the love That's a part of me If you want just a little bit You have to take all of me
Even though I am willing to give you everything I have, I cannot give back the love that is a part of who I am. If you want to be with me, you have to accept all of me.


Here's a ring That didn't mean a thing
The ring that I gave you was meaningless because our love was not real.


And the letters you wrote That gave my young heart hope
The letters you wrote to me when I was young gave me hope for a future together that will never come true.


Take the pillow where my dreams were made And the mind, where the thought of you stayed
Take everything that reminds me of the dreams I had for us and the thoughts of you that were constantly on my mind.


That I can't give back the love I feel for you I'm gonna be stuck with it No matter what I do
Even though you are taking everything from me, I cannot take back the love that I still have for you, and I am stuck with it forever.


Take these eyes that once could see Now reflections of a misery
My eyes that used to see the beauty of our love are now only able to reflect my misery and pain.


The happiness I thought would last Now a becoming just a thing of the past
The happiness I thought we would have together is now nothing but a distant memory of the past.


No, I can't give back No, I feel for you Oh, I'm gonna be stuck No matter what I do 'cause it'll grow 'till the world Don't go 'round no more
I cannot take back the love I have for you, and it will continue to grow until the world stops turning.


But I can't give back the love I feel for you I'm gonna be stuck with it No matter what I do
Although I am willing to give you everything I have, I cannot take back the love that is a part of who I am, and I am stuck with it forever.


But I can't give back the love I feel for you I'm gonna be stuck with it No matter what I do
Even though you are free to leave me, I cannot take back the love that I still have for you, and I am stuck with it forever.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HOLLAND, NICKOLAS ASHFORD, VALERIE SIMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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