As a songwriter, Bonoff's songs have been interpreted by other artists such as "Home" by Bonnie Raitt, "Tell Me Why" by Wynonna Judd, "Isn't Always Love" by Lynn Anderson. Also Linda Ronstadt has successfully recorded a number of her songs, including, "Someone To Lay Down Beside Me," "Trouble Again," "All My Life," "Falling Star" and "Goodbye My Friend," thus helping to introduce Bonoff to a larger audience.
In her early career, Bonoff sang background vocals for Linda Ronstadt and Wendy Waldman before releasing her debut album in 1977, titled Karla Bonoff (1977). Her other albums include Restless Nights (1979), Wild Heart of the Young (1982), New World (1988), and All My Life (a greatest hits collection) in 1999. Bonoff is best known as a songwriter, but she is also noted for her hit recording of "Personally", which reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1982. She also recorded "Standing Right Next To Me" on the "8 Seconds" movie soundtrack (1994) and "Somebody's Eyes" on the "Footloose" soundtrack (1984).
Karla's first live album was released in September 2007. This double CD includes many of her hits performed live in concert on October 24, 2004 (except for one song recorded July 30, 2005). She is backed by her touring band including Kenny Edwards (guitar, bass, mandolin, cello, vocals) and Nina Gerber (guitar) plus long time associate Scott Babcock (drums and vocals).
She is also a member of the currently inactive group Bryndle, which includes Wendy Waldman and Kenny Edwards. The band has also included Andrew Gold who left the band in 1996. The group had released three albums between 1995 and 2002.
Her songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, she herself hit 19 on the top 100 singing "Personally" written by P. Kelly. A writer from the heart, collaborated with Pete Seger and Frank Hamilton on "The Water is Wide." Although she released just four studio albums in her first 30 years as a recording artist, in 2007 she issued a well-received live album.
Even If
Karla Bonoff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where are the love songs
Just a world I used to know
My love has lost you
The cost I would not see
Until I learned something thatæ?¯ not free
CHORUS
You couldn't lead me
Even if you touched my heart
I wouldn't cry
Even if you'd understand
It wouldn't free me
Even if you gave me wings
I couldn't fly
Maybe it's growing old
Something starts going cold
And the years just fade away
I used to feel so young
Now all I feel is numb
Played a game nobody ever won
CHORUS
Maybe some day, when you look in my eyes again
You'll find the love never died
If there's a way to break through it all again
And find the life that I left behind
CHORUS
In Karla Bonoff's song "Even If," the singer reflects on a lost love and the painful realization that some things in life come at a cost. She wonders where her dreams have gone and laments the absence of love songs, feeling as though the world she used to know has changed. The heartbreak of losing her love is compounded by the fact that she didn't fully appreciate the cost until it was too late.
The chorus of the song expresses a sense of resignation and a lack of hope. Even if her former lover were to come back to her, she doubts that it would make a difference. She wouldn't cry if he touched her heart, and even if he gave her wings, she wouldn't be able to fly. The sense of emotional detachment is palpable throughout the song, and this chorus serves as a poignant reminder of the depth of her loss.
As the song progresses, the singer contemplates the passage of time and the way that growing older can cause something inside us to go cold. She feels numb, as though she's been playing a game that nobody ever wins. The sense of futility and despair in these lyrics is haunting, and Bonoff's vocals convey the emotion beautifully.
The final verse of the song offers a flicker of hope, suggesting that perhaps one day her lost love will return and reignite the flames of their passion. She longs to find the life that she left behind and break through the wall of pain that has kept them apart. The final chorus echoes the sentiments of the previous one, offering a sense of finality and closure to the song.
Overall, "Even If" is a powerful exploration of love, loss, and the way that time can change us. It is a poignant reminder of the cost of love and the pain of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
Where have the dreams gone
I wonder where all our dreams went and why they didn't come true
Where are the love songs
I miss the songs we used to sing about love and how it made everything better
Just a world I used to know
I feel like the world has changed and I don't recognize it anymore
My love has lost you
I have lost you, the one I love, and it's breaking my heart
The cost I would not see
I didn't realize the price I would pay for losing you until it was too late
Until I learned something that's not free
I didn't fully understand that love comes with a cost, and that cost is often pain and heartbreak
Even if you took my hand, You couldn't lead me
Even if you came back to me and tried to help me, I don't think I could move on from the pain
Even if you touched my heart, I wouldn't cry
Even if you showed me love again, I don't think I could let myself feel it fully because I'm afraid of being hurt again
Even if you'd understand, It wouldn't free me
Even if you understood how I feel and the pain I'm going through, it wouldn't be enough to make me feel better or heal my heart
Even if you gave me wings, I couldn't fly
Even if you gave me the strength to start over again, I don't think I could do it because I'm too weighed down by the past and the pain
Maybe it's growing old, Something starts going cold
Maybe the reason things didn't work out between us is because we grew apart and our love started to fade
And the years just fade away
As time goes on, it feels like our memories and our love are slowly disappearing
I used to feel so young, Now all I feel is numb
I used to be full of life and love, but now I feel empty and numb inside
Played a game nobody ever won
It feels like our love was a game that we both lost, and that nobody ever wins in the end
Maybe someday, when you look in my eyes again, You'll find the love never died
Maybe someday, if we meet again, you'll realize that our love never truly died and that there's still a chance for us
If there's a way to break through it all again, And find the life that I left behind
If we can find a way to move past the pain and the hurt, maybe we can rediscover the love and the life we had before
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KARLA BONOFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BlueRidgeKat1
One of the best singer/songwriters of all time!!!!!
Gardenk K
Classic, grew up listening to Karla and still love her! x
Eever Paul De Leon
thank you for your music....