Justin Randall Timberlake is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He i… Read Full Bio ↴Justin Randall Timberlake is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records.

Born and raised in Tennessee, as a child he appeared on the television shows Star Search and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. In the late 1990s, Timberlake rose to prominence as one of the two lead vocalists and youngest member of NSYNC, which eventually became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. Timberlake won two Grammy Awards for his R&B-focused debut solo album Justified (2002) and its single "Cry Me a River". Another single from the album, "Rock Your Body", was also successful.

His critically acclaimed second album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), characterized by its diversity in music genres, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 and spawned the Hot 100 consecutive number-one singles with "SexyBack", "My Love" and "What Goes Around... Comes Around". Established as a solo artist worldwide, his first two albums both exceeded sales of 10 million copies, as he continued producing records and collaborating with other artists.

From 2008 through 2012, Timberlake focused on his acting career, effectively putting his music career on hiatus. He held starring roles in the films The Social Network, Bad Teacher, Friends with Benefits, and In Time.

Timberlake resumed his music career in 2013 with his third and fourth albums The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2, exploring neo soul styles, partly inspired by the expansive song structures of 1960s and 1970s rock. The former became the best-selling album of the year and spawned the top three singles "Suit & Tie" and "Mirrors". Timberlake voiced Branch in DreamWorks Animation's Trolls (2016), whose soundtrack includes his fifth Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping single, "Can't Stop the Feeling!", which earned him an Academy Award nomination. His fifth studio album Man of the Woods (2018) became his fourth number-one album in the US. Supported by the two top ten singles, "Filthy" and "Say Something", it concluded 2018 as the sixth best-selling album of the year.

Why When How
Justin Timberlake Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dum dum dum dum dum-dum
Do...
Do... Oooh...

You're still captivating even though it's been so long
You used to love me, tell me baby what went wrong
'Cause now you march to the beat of a different song

Try to understand that we needed space
But everywhere I turn I see your face
I've been waiting for you to come home
'Cause I don't want to be alone
I still love you

Why did you take away your love
When did you think to just give up
How am I supposed to carry on now
Without you
You are my light

I have changed girl since I last saw you
When you left, you don't know what you put me through
But my heart's still racing just being next to you

I can't escape the magic in your eyes
Is there a way to make you realize
There's no one more special to my heart
But you want us to be apart
I still love you

Why did you take away your love, baby
When did you think to just give up, yea
How am I supposed to carry on now
Without you

You were my world
You meant everything to me
You're the air I breathe
The song I sing
You were my queen, I was your king
But if we can try to work it
We'll show the world what love is about
Baby come home cause I can't take no more
Of this loneliness
And emptiness

Why did you take away your love
(Take away your love)
When did you think to just give up
(Oh...)
How am I supposed to carry on now
Without you

Why did you take away your love
When did you think to just give up
How am I supposed to carry on
Without you

You are my
You are my light

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Justin Timberlake's song "Why When How" is a lamentation in the form of a question. The song is a reflection of his inability to move on from a past relationship. The lines "You used to love me, tell me baby what went wrong. 'Cause now you march to the beat of a different song" indicate how the person he once knew transformed into someone he no longer knows or understands. He is having a hard time grasping what led to the end of the relationship, and he is still searching for answers as to why he and his former partner have grown apart.

The lyrics embody the emotions that result from having a relationship end prematurely. The chorus "Why did you take away your love, When did you think to just give up, How am I supposed to carry on now Without you" reiterates how someone might feel when they lose their place in someone's life unexpectedly. Justin uses music as a means of exploring his emotions, seeking solace from the memories of a special connection he once shared with someone.

Line by Line Meaning

Dum dum dum dum dum-dum Do...
The song begins with a simple beat as an introduction to the main subject matter.

You're still captivating even though it's been so long
Despite the passage of time, you still have a strong presence in my life.

You used to love me, tell me baby what went wrong
I am trying to understand why our love ended and what caused the disconnect.

'Cause now you march to the beat of a different song
Your perspective and priorities have changed since we last were together.

Try to understand that we needed space
Our relationship required some distance to grow and develop.

But everywhere I turn I see your face
Everywhere I look, I am reminded of you and the love we shared.

I've been waiting for you to come home 'Cause I don't want to be alone I still love you
I am hoping for a reconciliation because I deeply care for you and don't want to be without you.

Why did you take away your love When did you think to just give up How am I supposed to carry on now Without you You are my light
I am questioning why you ended our relationship, wondering when you gave up on us, and struggling to move on without you because you were everything to me.

I have changed girl since I last saw you When you left, you don't know what you put me through But my heart's still racing just being next to you
I have gone through a personal transformation since we last were together. I struggled after you left me, but my heart still beats faster when I am close to you.

I can't escape the magic in your eyes Is there a way to make you realize There's no one more special to my heart But you want us to be apart I still love you
The way you look at me still has a powerful effect on me. I wish you could see how much I care about you and that there is nobody else who compares to you. However, it seems like you want us to remain separated, even though my love for you persists.

You were my world You meant everything to me You're the air I breathe The song I sing You were my queen, I was your king But if we can try to work it We'll show the world what love is about Baby come home cause I can't take no more Of this loneliness And emptiness
You were my everything, and I can't picture my life without you. If we can figure out a way to work through our problems, we'll demonstrate to the world the power of love. Please come back to me because I can't continue to cope with this sense of isolation and desolation.

Why did you take away your love (Take away your love) When did you think to just give up (Oh...) How am I supposed to carry on now Without you Why did you take away your love When did you think to just give up How am I supposed to carry on Without you You are my You are my light
This is a repetition of previous lines that reiterates how much I miss you and how I am struggling to cope without you.

Contributed by Colton R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

@spiderliliez

2y↑17

This is actually my favorite JT love song. It's just soo good. I don't understand why it wasn't a main release and why it isn't that popular that time. It's such a beautiful piece!

@jeneebailey9101

2y↑4

I LOVE THIS SONG!! I WISH HE WOULDVE RELEASED IT

@LaCheleWallace

21w

I was in my kitchen making some golden beet juice and this song just started playin' in my head. I just had to come and check on it. He did his thing here. The production is primo.