Give Me the Reason
Luther Vandross Lyrics


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Ooh­ooh­oo­
Yeah­yeah­

What's there to say, there's not much to talk about
And whatever happened to all of the love that we vowed
Yes, it's true
And there's nothing new
You can say

Give me the reason to want you back
Why should I love you again
Do you know, tell me how
How to forgive and forget

Give me the reason to love you now
It's been a mighty long time
And the love that used to be
Ended the day you walked out

Never knew I'd ever be
Standing a love and outside
With no one to love

Yeah-eah­
Ooh­ooh­eah­

I was secure and so glad there was you to love
What in the world would I ever do without us
But it's getting clear
That I have to get over you

Give me the reason to want you back
Why should I love you again
Do you know, tell me how
How to forgive and forget

Give me the reason to love you now
It's been a mighty long time
And the love that used to be
Ended the day you walked out

Never knew I'd ever be
Standing a love and outside
With no one to love

No one, no one to love
No one, no one to love
No one, no one to love
No one, no one to love

(Yeah, yeah)
­Give me the reason to want you back
Why should I love you again
Do you know, tell me how
How to forgive and forget

Give me the reason to love you now
It's been a mighty long time
And the love that used to be
Ended the day you walked out

Give me the reason
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl

Give me the reason to
To love you, girl
To love you




To love you, girl
(To love you, girl)

Overall Meaning

In "Give Me the Reason," Luther Vandross sings about a relationship that has ended and the struggle to move on. The song begins with him questioning the reasons behind the breakup and wondering what happened to the love they had promised each other. He wants a reason to want to take his lover back even though things have gone wrong. In the chorus, he repeats the phrase "Give me the reason" as he searches for the motivation to try again. He questions how to forgive and forget the hurt that has been caused and whether love is even something that can be reignited. Luther then speaks about how he was secure with his lover and how he can't imagine life without them. However, as time goes on, he realizes that he has to move on and find someone new to love. The song ends with him pleading for a reason to love someone again.


Lyrically, "Give Me the Reason" is a heartfelt ballad that delves into the pain of losing someone and the struggle to let go. Luther's soulful voice conveys the emotions behind the lyrics, making the listener feel the same sense of desperation and heartache. The song was released as a single in 1986 and was later included on his album of the same name.


Line by Line Meaning

What's there to say, there's not much to talk about
There is nothing more to discuss or say about the situation we are in.


And whatever happened to all of the love that we vowed
What has become of the love we promised to each other?


Yes, it's true
Admitting to the problem or lack of love being present.


And there's nothing new
There's no new discovery in our current predicament.


You can say
You can tell me what you need to say.


Give me the reason to want you back
Provide me justification or a good enough excuse to want you back.


Why should I love you again
Explain to me the reason why I should love you again.


Do you know, tell me how
Share with me the knowledge of how to find it within myself to forgive and love again.


How to forgive and forget
Teach me how to let go of the past and move on from the hurt.


Give me the reason to love you now
Give me compelling cause or explanation to love you again in the present moment.


It's been a mighty long time
A lot of time has passed since the love we once shared.


And the love that used to be
Referring to a past love that no longer exists.


Ended the day you walked out
When you left, our love ended.


Never knew I'd ever be
Expressing surprise or disbelief at the current situation.


Standing a love and outside
Feeling shut out, left alone with no love.


With no one to love
I am alone and do not have anyone to love.


I was secure and so glad there was you to love
I was content in my relationship and happy to have you to love.


What in the world would I ever do without us
Thinking of a future without the two of us together seems impossible or unbearable.


But it's getting clear
Gradually realizing that the love is no longer present.


That I have to get over you
Understanding the need to move on from the relationship.


Give me the reason
Asking for justification or cause.


To love you, girl
To find it within myself to love you again.


No one, no one to love
Emphasizing the loneliness and lack of love.


To love you
To love you despite the past hurt.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUTHER VANDROSS, NAT, JR ADDERLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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