Lyle Lovett is an americana singer-songwriter and actor from Klein, Texas, … Read Full Bio ↴Lyle Lovett is an americana singer-songwriter and actor from Klein, Texas, who has been described as "the thinking man's cowboy". While typically associated with the alt-country genre, his albums typically incorporate folk, swing, blues, jazz and gospel music as well as more traditional country & western styles. The Night's Lullaby Songfacts reports that after twenty-six years with Curb, Lyle Lovett released his eleventh and last album for the record label, Release Me, on February 28, 2012. The record is mainly made up of covers that Lovett has played, but never got round to recording.

The four-time Grammy winner has acted in a number of films and been a guest-star on television. Lovett was married to actress Julia Roberts for a short time in the mid-1990s. In 2002, he was gored by a bull while working on his uncle's farm in Texas, but soon recovered and resumed touring.

Teach Me About Love
Lyle Lovett Lyrics

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Darlin' don't walk out on me
Tryin' to teach me a lesson
Thinkin' you'll come back to a better man
If you don't like the way things go
Just stay here and tell me so
'cause there's one thing about me
You've got to understand

I've had enough lonesome
In my education
I don't want to study anymore
About a woman and a slammin' door
If I want to be blue
I've got enough information
I know about lonesome
Teach me about love

Now the words from your sweet lips
And the looks from your sweet eyes
Are lessons that I study day by day
Each day I pick up something new
Each night I learn a thing or two
But how can I learn anything
When teacher's gone away

I've had enough lonesome
In my education
I don't want to study anymore
How to make it through a barroom door
I've been down and out
I'm ready for inspiration

I know about lonesome
Teach me about love

Overall Meaning

The song “Teach Me About Love” by Lyle Lovett talks about a man who is tired of the downside of love and wants to know more about the good side of it. He talks about how he has learned enough about lonesome during his past lessons about women and slamming doors. He wants to learn about love so that he can be inspired to rise above his past and be a better man for his lover.

In the first verse, we see the man asking his lover not to walk out on him because he wants to learn more about love. He is not trying to make her come back to him as a better man, but he wants to understand what love means better. He asks her to share her thoughts and feelings with him because he wants to be able to reciprocate these emotions. In the second verse, he talks about the lessons he learns from his lover's words and looks. He is ready and willing to learn, but he expresses concern that he can't grow without her around. Lovett's lyrics are an emotional confession that speaks to everyone who has experienced love, unlike many songs that focus solely on the romantic side of love.

Line by Line Meaning

Darlin' don't walk out on me
Please don't leave me

Tryin' to teach me a lesson
If you're leaving to teach me a lesson, don't

Thinkin' you'll come back to a better man
Leaving won't make me a better man

If you don't like the way things go
If you're not happy with our relationship

Just stay here and tell me so
Please communicate with me instead of leaving

'cause there's one thing about me
I'm willing to learn

You've got to understand
Please try to understand me

I've had enough lonesome
I'm tired of being alone

In my education
In my experience

I don't want to study anymore
I don't want to learn any more lessons

About a woman and a slammin' door
I don't want to learn any more about heartbreak