- Julian Cope
If You Loved Me At All
Julian Cope Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep your nerve if you loved me at all
There lies my head, it's blown
Better still if you loved me at all
Don't have a faith just to call my own
Defend your race, defend it all if you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
Pretty, pretty, be my love
Listen to me if you loved me at all
All these thoughts come racing in
If you loved me at all
I can't allow my heart to be burning
I couldn't stop my head from busting
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
Pretty, pretty, be my eyes
See through me if you loved me at all
The boat of love has been capsized
In sight of land but we're cold & drifting
& if I seem to be yawning
The restless sea must be my yearning
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
Walk in your town & I knew you was changed
& if you loved me at all
You'd keep your hounds away, away
& hear my cries to be loving
Heed my cries to be hearing
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
[almost unintelligible groan & whispers -
but you can maybe make out phrases:]
Not a soul...
Down, down, down, soul...
In the sight of you...
Phenomonal doubts that scar...
Listen to the void...
Listen to the void
You don't love me at all
You don't love me at all
You don't love me at all
You don't love me at all
You don't love me at all!
(She doesn't love me at all!)
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
If you loved me at all
You don't love me love me love me
Love me love me love me!
The lyrics of Julian Cope's song "If You Loved Me At All" convey the singer's struggle with an unrequited love, as he longs for his lover to reciprocate his feelings. He describes his love as "hard as stone", indicating that it was persistent and unwavering. The singer pleads with his lover to "keep [their] nerve", suggesting that they may be unsure about their feelings towards him. He also expresses that he cannot allow his heart to be "burning" and his head to be "busting", possibly referring to the pain he is experiencing due to his unreturned love. The singer asks his lover to "see through [him]" and "hear [his] cries to be loving", indicating his desire for emotional connection and vulnerability.
The song also includes imagery and symbolism related to the sea, with a "boat of love" being "capsized" and the singer feeling like he is drifting away. The sea seems to represent the emotions and uncertainties the singer is experiencing, as he pleads with his lover to "keep [their] hounds away" and "heed [his] cries to be hearing". He also mentions "phenomenal doubts that scar", suggesting that his doubts about his lover's feelings may be causing him emotional pain.
Overall, "If You Loved Me At All" is a poignant and emotional song about unrequited love and the longing for emotional connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, I had a love as hard as stone
I used to have a love that was as unyielding and inflexible as stone
Keep your nerve if you loved me at all
If you genuinely cared for me as a person, you should be able to handle difficult situations with bravery and resilience
There lies my head, it's blown
I am having a mental breakdown and my mind feels shattered
Better still if you loved me at all
It would be even more beneficial if you truly loved me
Don't have a faith just to call my own
Don't adopt a belief system solely to make me happy or win my affection
Defend your race, defend it all if you loved me at all
If you loved me, you would be willing to protect and stand up for your cultural identity and heritage
If you loved me at all
This is a repeated statement that suggests the importance of genuine love and affection
Pretty, pretty, be my love
I am asking you to be my lover and show me affection
Listen to me if you loved me at all
If you truly loved me, you would listen to what I have to say and understand my perspective
All these thoughts come racing in
I am overwhelmed by a flood of thoughts and emotions
I can't allow my heart to be burning
I cannot let my passionate emotions consume me and take control
I couldn't stop my head from busting
I cannot stop my thoughts from spiraling out of control
Pretty, pretty, be my eyes
I want you to see me fully and truly understand me
See through me if you loved me at all
If you truly loved me, you would see through my persona and understand my true emotions and intentions
The boat of love has been capsized
Our love has sunk and is in trouble
In sight of land but we're cold & drifting
We are so close to being saved, but we have lost our direction and are struggling to keep afloat
The restless sea must be my yearning
The chaos and turmoil of the ocean represents my deep yearning for love and stability
Walk in your town & I knew you was changed
When I walked through your town, I noticed that you had changed and were different than before
You'd keep your hounds away, away
If you loved me, you would protect me from any harm or danger
& hear my cries to be loving
Please listen to my pleas to be shown love and affection
Heed my cries to be hearing
Please pay attention to what I am trying to communicate to you
Not a soul...
I am alone and nobody understands what I am going through
Down, down, down, soul...
I am spiraling downward emotionally and my soul is being weighed down by my struggles
In the sight of you...
When I am around you, my emotions grow even stronger
Phenomonal doubts that scar...
I am filled with doubts that are causing emotional trauma and scarring me internally
Listen to the void...
I feel empty and lost, and nobody is there to listen or understand what I am going through
You don't love me at all
I have come to the realization that you do not actually love me
You don't love me love me love me
This is a repeated statement that reinforces the fact that the other person does not truly love the artist
Contributed by Mason N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Si Et
on World War Pigs
hey joe,
i've got some bad news to tell you
that jews killed moses late last night
the word's out that Ala
he's been hijacked
they're walking in the dessert without my god
and this song,
this song is freaking me out
and the moon, tonight,
i don't require it's light
petrochemical dollars in my pocket
i feel like i ransomed out of sight
because the world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
hey feets,
gotta start walking
but my shoes are way to tired
so i packed my bags,
started driving
because i feel ransomed out of sight
because the world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
the world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
the world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
(etc)