Without Love
McPhatter Clyde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All my dreams turned to ashes and gone, oh yeah
As I looked at my life it was barren and bare
Without love I've had nothing at all
Without love I've had nothing
Without love I've had nothing at all
All but one thing did I have
Without love I've had nothing at all
Once I had a sweetheart who loved only me
There was nothing, oh that she would not give, oh no
But I was blind to her goodness and I could not see
That a heart without love cannot live
Without love I've had nothing
Without love I've had nothing at all
I have conquered the world
All but one thing did I have
Without love I've had nothing at all
The Clyde McPhatter song "Without Love" is a powerful meditation on the importance of love in our lives. The lyrics express a sense of loss and despair stemming from the absence of love, with McPhatter opening the song by saying, "I awakened this morning, I was filled with despair, all my dreams turned to ashes and gone." From there, he goes on to describe a life that is "barren and bare" without love, suggesting that everything he has accomplished or achieved means nothing if he doesn't have love in his life.
One of the most striking lines in the song is the refrain, which repeats the phrase "Without love I've had nothing at all" in a haunting, almost hypnotic way. This simple but powerful repetition underscores the central importance of love in the human experience, and suggests that McPhatter is speaking not just for himself, but for all of us who have felt the emptiness of a life without love.
Line by Line Meaning
I awakened this morning, I was filled with despair
I woke up feeling hopeless and depressed
All my dreams turned to ashes and gone, oh yeah
All my aspirations and endeavors have failed miserably
As I looked at my life it was barren and bare
When I introspected, I realized my life was empty and futile
Without love I've had nothing at all
Lacking affection, I have attained nothing of value
I have conquered the world
I have achieved everything I could have possibly wanted
All but one thing did I have
Except for the love I needed, I had everything else
Once I had a sweetheart who loved only me
There was a time when I had a special someone who only loved me
There was nothing, oh that she would not give, oh no
She was willing to do anything for me, no matter the cost
But I was blind to her goodness and I could not see
Unfortunately, I was oblivious to her positive qualities and did not appreciate her
That a heart without love cannot live
I now understand that a person cannot survive without love and affection
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHUCK BUTLER, KERRIE ROBERTS, NATE SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind