In 1985, Kristofferson joined fellow country artists Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash in forming the country music supergroup The Highwaymen, and formed a key creative force in the outlaw country music movement that eschewed the Nashville music machine in favor of independent songwriting and producing. In 2004, Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. As an actor, he is known for his roles in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), Blume in Love (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), A Star Is Born (1976) (which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor), Convoy (1978), Heaven's Gate (1980) and Blade (1998).
Kristofferson has said that he would like the first three lines of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire" on his tombstone:
Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like we've never met before
Nothing's left between us
But the space between us
Love don't live here anymore
Faded photographs; dusty dreams
Lyin' scattered on the floor
To the years behind us
Love don't live here anymore
Never sharin' nothin'
We don't care
I got nothin' close to nothin' you'd care to hear
Nail the shutters down; pull the shades
Hang a sign upon the door
There's no use pretending
There's no happy ending
Love don't live here anymore.
The first verse of Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge's "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" describes a situation where two people who were once in love are now strangers. They are sitting face to face, like they have never met before. There is nothing left between them except for the space that separates them. This space could be physical or emotional, but either way, it represents the fact that their love has died.
The second verse of the song talks about the memories that are left behind when a relationship ends. Faded photographs and dusty dreams are scattered on the floor, representing the remnants of their love. However, there is nothing left to bind them to the past. The years behind them are just that, behind them. There is no way to go back to when love lived in this house.
The third verse of the song paints a picture of two people who are no longer interested in each other. They don't share anything anymore and don't care about what the other person has to say. They are closing down the house, nailing the shutters and pulling the shades. They are not pretending that there is a happy ending, because there isn't. Love don't live here anymore.
Overall, Kristofferson and Coolidge's "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" is a poignant song about the end of a relationship. It speaks to the idea that love can die, leaving two people who were once connected as strangers. It's a sad reality of life, but one that many people can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Perfect strangers sitting down face to face
Two people who used to be close now find themselves as strangers, sitting across from each other.
Like we've never met before
They act like they don't know each other, even though they used to be in a relationship.
Nothing's left between us
Their relationship is completely over, with no love or connection remaining.
But the space between us
The only thing that exists between them is physical distance and emotional separation.
Love don't live here anymore
Their love has died and is no longer present in their lives or relationship.
Faded photographs; dusty dreams
Memories of the past are fading away and no longer hold the same significance as they once did.
Lyin' scattered on the floor
Those memories are now just objects that no longer hold any value.
Nothing's here to bind us
There is no longer anything that connects them to each other or their past together.
To the years behind us
They are now moving away from their shared history and time spent together.
Love don't live here anymore
Their love has truly died and is not coming back, no matter how much they try to hold on.
Never sharin' nothin'
They no longer have any desire to share their lives or feelings with each other.
We don't care
Their apathy towards each other is evidently clear and they are both indifferent towards the other person.
I got nothin' close to nothin' you'd care to hear
There is nothing left for either of them to say that could make the situation better, so they remain silent.
Nail the shutters down; pull the shades
They want to close themselves off from the world and the emotions they are feeling.
Hang a sign upon the door
They want to make it clear to others that they are no longer together and not to disturb them.
There's no use pretending
They are both aware that faking their feelings is pointless, as they can't bring their love back.
There's no happy ending
Their relationship is over, and there is no hope for a positive resolution or outcome.
Love don't live here anymore.
Their love has truly died, leaving them with no future together and no chance of rekindling their romance.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind