It's Only Love
Matt Cardle Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's a kick in the head so close your eyes
Some say it's dead, but we're alive
And it has no use anymore

It's a losing game that I won't play
I know full well, it isn't here to stay
It has no use anymore
Just get a hold of your heart and set it on fire
You don't need it now, you'll be alright cause

Did you think it would hold you?
Did you think it would carry you?
Did you think it would save you?
Did you think it would see you through?
It's only love, it's only love

Don't let it push you to your knees
You don't have to fall, lean on me
It has no use anymore

Just get a hold of your heart and set it on fire
You don't need it now, you'll be alright 'cause

Did you think it would hold you?
Did you think it would carry you?
Did you think it would save you?
Did you think it would see you through?
It's only love, it's only love

Did you think it would hold you?
Did you think it would carry you?
Did you think it would save you?
Did you think it would see you through?
It's only love, it's only love

It won't hold you
It won't carry you
It won't save you
It won't see you through
It's only love, it's only love

Did you think it would hold you?
Did you think it would carry you?
Did you think it would save you?
Did you think it would see you through?
It's only love, it's only love

It won't hold you
It won't carry you
It won't save you




It won't see you through
It's only love, it's only love

Overall Meaning

Matt Cardle's song "It's Only Love" talks about the complexities of love and how sometimes we give it too much importance when, in reality, it has no use. The lyrics suggest that love can be both wonderful and dangerous at the same time, and that it can make us question our own worth. The first few lines, "It's a kick in the head so close your eyes, Some say it's dead, but we're alive, And it has no use anymore" can be interpreted as love being something that can hurt us but also something that we can survive, and that it doesn't necessarily have any practical purpose in our lives.


The chorus is particularly insightful, asking the listener whether they expected love to "hold, carry, save, or see them through." The song seems to suggest that love cannot be relied on to fulfill those needs, and that we must look inward and depend on ourselves. The lines "Just get a hold of your heart and set it on fire, You don't need it now, you'll be alright cause" convey a sense of empowerment, as if the singer is telling the listener to take control of their own emotions and not let love dictate their lives.


Overall, "It's Only Love" is a powerful commentary on the nature of love and its place in our lives. It suggests that while love can be a beautiful thing, it's not something that we should rely on to give our lives meaning, and that ultimately, we have to find that meaning within ourselves.


Line by Line Meaning

It's a kick in the head so close your eyes
The feeling of love can be overwhelming and disorienting, so it's best to shut out the external world for a moment.


Some say it's dead, but we're alive
Although some people believe that love doesn't exist or is no longer relevant, we are still able to experience it fully.


And it has no use anymore
Love may have served a purpose in the past, but it's no longer something that we need to rely on or prioritize in our lives.


It's a losing game that I won't play
Trying to win at love is a futile effort, and I'm not willing to engage in it anymore.


I know full well, it isn't here to stay
I have come to understand that love is fleeting and not a permanent fixture in our lives.


It has no use anymore
Love may have served a purpose in the past, but it's no longer something that we need to rely on or prioritize in our lives.


Just get a hold of your heart and set it on fire
Instead of relying on external factors like love to ignite passion and excitement in our lives, we should look inward and tap into the flame within ourselves.


You don't need it now, you'll be alright cause
We don't need love to be happy, and we will be okay even if we don't have it in our lives.


Did you think it would hold you?
Did you believe that love would provide you with a sense of safety and security?


Did you think it would carry you?
Did you think that love would be the one constant that would support you through all of life's ups and downs?


Did you think it would save you?
Did you believe that love would be the answer to all of your problems and save you from hardship?


Did you think it would see you through?
Did you believe that love would be the guiding light that would help you navigate through life?


It won't hold you
Love cannot provide us with the sense of safety and security that we crave.


It won't carry you
Love is not a constant that we can always rely on to support us through life's challenges.


It won't save you
Love cannot be the solution to all of our problems or save us from hardship.


It won't see you through
Love cannot act as the guiding force that helps us navigate through life with ease.


It's only love, it's only love
At the end of the day, love is just an emotion that we experience, and it should not be given more power or significance than it deserves.


Don't let it push you to your knees
We should not let love or the absence of it control us or bring us down to a place of subservience.


You don't have to fall, lean on me
We can lean on our friends and loved ones for support, rather than relying on love to be the only thing that keeps us standing.




Contributed by Savannah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

simon chune

He's brilliant always being a fan I think he is grossly unappreciated, he has amazing star quality and a fantastic voice

Maud Kennedy

He is grossly unappreciated and underrated.

Debra Murphy

What a spell binding voice this artist has! He writes his own songs, plays all the instruments on the album and produces it as well!!! Talent like this is so rare! I hear that he is one hell of a nice guy too!! I've been to watch the best and this man is up there with them! Outstanding!!

nuimaleko7

Matt got a lot of flack for doing a song in such a strong 80s style when this came out 2 years ago, but more and more artists are reaching back to the 80s for inspiration and everybody loves it. Just goes to show that Matt is ahead of the curve.

debra murphy

Just love this track!! Good on you Matt for remaining true to yourself! With that AMAZING voice Matt could easily have stuck with the big labels and churned out pop songs with all the accompanying promotion! He didn't want to lose his soul though and we can only applaud and admire him for that!! This guy is in for the long haul, his songs have depth and meaning. No wonder his fans are some of the most loyal and devoted people immaginable!!

Susie Snowcap

Matt has an amazing voice, able to hit high C with little effort.. He is a superb tenor with a vocal range around B2-F5.. There are few singers outside of opera that can sing falsetto with such purity.. The fact that he also writes most of his own music, can sing a wide range of genres, from pop to blues to ballads and also plays many of the instruments on his arrangements goes to show he is a talent to be reckoned with in the future.. One can only hope that, thanks to his fans and YouTube, he will continue to further his career and becomes as well know in the USA as he is in Britain..

Ricardo Hernández

Nice music

Iris Enamorado

Susie Snowcap
Yes, I am waiting here in Indiana for him.

drhouse1100

Matt's first cd went platinum, he had a Christmas #1 with When We Collide and it stayed at # 1 for over 3 weeks. His Letters tour was a huge success and sold out. Now his second album has debuted #8 in the charts, #1 on the Indie Charts. Two top ten albums in one year. Now he is going to be releasing in North America. And his fanbase is growing. I'd say he still has support.

dwena39

This is an awesome song. I really wished he was promoted and his music played here in the US.

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