Only Love
Katy Perry Lyrics

(Only love, only love)
The main theme of the song, which is a call for love and a desire to leave behind hate and negativity.

Eighty-six thousand, four-hundred seconds in a day
The total number of seconds in a day, emphasizing how precious time is and how quickly it passes.

I swear lately, most of 'em have been a waste
The realization that a lot of time has been wasted, possibly in negative or unproductive ways.

I feel 'em come and go, bury my mistakes
Acknowledging past mistakes and negative experiences and trying to move on from them, but still feeling their lingering effects.

But time just goes on and on in a way
Despite its preciousness, time still moves on relentlessly, regardless of what one does with it.

If I had one day left to live
Hypothetically imagining a situation where there is only one day left to live.

And if the stars went out on me, the truth is
Even if the world was coming to an end or everything around was in chaos, there is still something valuable that remains: love.

Yeah, there's so much I'd say and do
If there was only one day left to live, there is still so much that could be done or said, emphasizing how important and powerful love can be.

If I had nothing to lose, nah, nothing to lose
Removing all the barriers and shackles that hold one back from expressing love fully.

Oh, I'd call my mother and tell her I'm sorry
A personal example of a love that needs to be expressed and repaired: reconnecting with one's mother and expressing gratitude and forgiveness.

I never call her back
Acknowledging past negligence, and realizing that love should be given back and not taken for granted.

I'd pour my heart and soul out into a letter
Another example of expressing love fully, in this case through written words in a heartfelt letter.

And send it to my dad
Resolving another loved one relationship by connecting with one's father.

Like, oh my God, the time I've wasted
Regretting the wasted time and opportunities that could have been spent spreading love, but instead were lost to negativity and holding grudges.

Lost in my head
Getting stuck in one's own negative thoughts and emotions, which can obscure the importance of love.

Let me leave this world with the hate behind me
A hope for peace and acceptance, where no one needs to experience hate or negativity.

And take the love instead
Choosing love as the overriding sentiment and action that one wants to experience and inspire in others.

Give me
An appeal or request for something.

Oh am I awake? Am I sleepwalking? Tell me that
A realization that one's negative thoughts and actions may have clouded one's judgment, and the desire for clarity and self-awareness.

It's scary how quickly I lose perspective and I react
An acknowledgement of how easy it is to be consumed by negative emotions and react impulsively, resulting in negative outcomes.

Let me leave this world with the hate behind me
Reiterating the desire to end one's life free of negative baggage and emotions.

Only love, only love (love)
Reiterating the central theme of the song: the importance and power of love.

Let me leave this world with the hate behind me
Reiterating the desire for a peaceful ending, where love and positivity overcome hate and negativity.

Yeah, give me Only love, only love
Reiterating the appeal for love and positivity.