If I Can't Have You
Linda Eder Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't know why I'm surviving ev'ry lonely day
When there's got to be no chance for me
My life would end
And it doesn't matter how I cry
My tears of love a waste of time
If I turn away

Can't let go and it doesn't matter how I try
I gave it all so easily to you my love
To dreams that never will come true
Am I strong enough to see it through
Go crazy is what I will do

Am I strong enough to see it through?
Go crazy is what I will do
If I can't have you, I don't want no other, baby
If I can't have you, uh huh, ah!
If I can't have you, I don't want no other, baby
If I can't have you, uh huh, ah!

And it doesn't matter how I try;
I gave it all too easily to you, my love
To dream and never will come true

Am I strong enough to see it through?
Go crazy is what I will do
If I can't have you, I don't want no other, baby
If I can't have you, uh huh, ah!
If I can't have you, I don't want no other, baby
If I can't have you, uh huh, ah!





(If I can't have you)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Linda Eder's song "If I Can't Have You" express the deep longing and desperation of a person who is unrequitedly in love. The singer cannot fathom why they are still alive and breathing despite the fact that they know the person they love will never reciprocate their feelings. They can't seem to let go, no matter how hard they try, and they gave all of themselves to this person, even though they know their dreams will never come true.


The singer questions their own strength, wondering if they are capable of seeing this situation through. They're willing to go crazy if they can't have the one they love, because the idea of being with anyone else seems unfathomable. These repeated phrases "Am I strong enough to see it through?" and "Go crazy is what I will do" emphasize the desperation and hopelessness of the situation, while the refrain "If I can't have you, I don't want no other, baby" underscores the singer's unwavering passion and determination.


Overall, the lyrics of "If I Can't Have You" are a powerful reflection of unrequited love, conveying the emotional turmoil and heartbreak that come with it.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't know why I'm surviving ev'ry lonely day
I don't understand why I'm able to get through every day without you


When there's got to be no chance for me
I can't see a future without you, it feels impossible


My life would end
My life will feel incomplete without you in it


And it doesn't matter how I cry
No matter how much I cry, it won't change the fact that you're not with me


My tears of love a waste of time
Crying for your love is not productive but only a time waste


If I turn away
If I try to move on, it will only be a way to avoid my feelings for you


Can't let go and it doesn't matter how I try
I can't seem to let go of the love I have for you even after trying


To dreams that never will come true
The dreams I have for us together will never come true


Am I strong enough to see it through?
Will I be able to handle living without you?


Go crazy is what I will do
I might lose my sanity if I can't have you


If I can't have you, I don't want no other, baby
If I can't be with you, I don't want to be with anyone else


If I can't have you, uh huh, ah!
It's something I cannot bear to live without


(If I can't have you)
The chorus is meant to emphasize the desperation and heartache felt by the singer for not being able to have the one they love.




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Barry Alan Gibb, Maurice Ernest Gibb, Robin Hugh Gibb

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions