Chicago soul duo Mel & Tim were cousins — Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson — wh… Read Full Bio ↴Chicago soul duo Mel & Tim were cousins — Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson — who actually hailed from Holly Springs, MS, and made their way to Chicago via St. Louis. They were discovered by Gene Chandler and signed to his Bamboo label in 1969, when they scored a Top Ten pop and R&B single with the good-humored classic "Backfield in Motion." The follow-up, "Good Guys Only Win in the Movies," supplied the title for their first album and hit the R&B Top 20 later that year. Mel & Tim subsequently moved to Stax, where they landed a second Top Five R&B smash with the ballad "Starting All Over Again" (also the title track of their second album). Mel & Tim performed at the late-1972 charity concert Wattstax and were featured in the documentary film of the same name, singing "I May Not Be What You Want." Their self-titled final album appeared in 1973, after which the cousins faded away from the music scene.

The Power of Love
Mel & Tim Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Love power. I'm talking about love power.
The power of a sweet flower is gonna rule the earth.
And there'll be a great rebirth.

Love is a flower that is fine.
When I'm walkin' with my darlin' and we're holding hands,
and life is fine, 'cause she understands.
'A walking down the sunny street

givin' pretty flowers to the people that we meet.

And I give a flower to the big fat cop,
he takes his club and he beats me up.
I give a flower to the garbage man,
he stuffs my girl in the garbage can.
And I give it to the landlord, when the rent comes 'round.
He throws it in the toilet and he flush it down.
It goes into the sewer with the yuck running through her,
And it runs into the river that we drink.
Hey world, you stink!

Ah, man it's later than you think
Girl you got just one more chance.
Come on baby, while I dance.

Love, love power.
I'm talking 'bout love power
The power of a little flower.
You don't think 'bout no little flowers,
Oh no, all you think about is guns.
If everybody in the world today had a flower instead of a gun,
there would be no wars. There would be one big smell-in.
Just the flowers. Hey, man, a flower.
A flower. What you do to my flower, man?

You hurt it, like everything else.
Everything else. Flowers.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mel & Tim's song "The Power of Love" convey a powerful message about the transformative nature of love and the potential it has to create a better world. The opening lines emphasize the concept of "love power," suggesting that love possesses a potent force that can bring about positive change. It is described as being as influential as a sweet flower, symbolizing beauty and fragility, yet having the ability to rule over the earth and initiate a rebirth.

The following verses describe the joy and harmony that love brings to the singer's life, particularly when he is with his significant other. Walking hand in hand, they experience a sense of contentment and understanding. They spread this love to others by giving flowers to the people they meet on their sunny street, implicitly symbolizing acts of kindness and compassion.

However, the lyrics take a darker turn when the singer's gestures of love are met with hostility and violence. The big fat cop responds to the flower by beating him up, the garbage man throws his girlfriend in the garbage can, and the landlord dismissively flushes the flower down the toilet. This reflects the harsh reality of a world that often disregards love and kindness, allowing negativity to prevail. The song ends with a disillusioned cry, noting the impurities that contaminate the river of life, ultimately suggesting that the world is in need of change.

Line by Line Meaning

Love power. I'm talking about love power.
The strength and influence of love, that is what I am referring to.

The power of a sweet flower is gonna rule the earth.
The power and impact of love, represented by a beautiful flower, will have dominance over the world.

And there'll be a great rebirth.
This love power will bring about a significant renewal or revival.

Love is a flower that is fine.
Love, like a delicate and wonderful flower, is admirable and valuable.

When I'm walkin' with my darlin' and we're holding hands, and life is fine, 'cause she understands.
When I am strolling with my beloved, holding hands, life becomes enjoyable, as she comprehends me deeply.

'A walking down the sunny street givin' pretty flowers to the people that we meet.
As we casually traverse the bright and cheerful street, we offer attractive flowers to the individuals we encounter.

And I give a flower to the big fat cop, he takes his club and he beats me up.
I present a flower to the overweight police officer, but he responds with aggression, using his club to physically assault me.

I give a flower to the garbage man, he stuffs my girl in the garbage can.
I offer a flower to the sanitation worker, but he cruelly throws my girlfriend into the trash container.

And I give it to the landlord, when the rent comes 'round. He throws it in the toilet and he flush it down.
When the time for rent payment arrives, I offer the flower to the landlord, but he disrespects it by discarding it into the toilet and flushing it away.

It goes into the sewer with the yuck running through her, And it runs into the river that we drink.
The flower ends up in the sewer, tainted with unpleasant substances, and eventually flows into the river from which we consume water.

Hey world, you stink!
This serves as an expression of disdain towards the world due to its unpleasantness.

Ah, man it's later than you think
Oh, man, the realization dawns on you that time is passing by more quickly than you realize.

Girl you got just one more chance.
My dear, you have only one additional opportunity or moment.

Come on baby, while I dance.
Come, my love, join me in this action or celebration, while I dance.

You don't think 'bout no little flowers, Oh no, all you think about is guns.
You pay no attention to insignificant flowers, but rather, all you contemplate is firearms.

If everybody in the world today had a flower instead of a gun, there would be no wars. There would be one big smell-in.
If every individual in the world possessed a flower instead of a weapon, there would be no conflicts, but rather a collective gathering or demonstration focused on pleasant scents.

Just the flowers. Hey, man, a flower.
Only the presence of flowers. Hey, my friend, a single flower.

What you do to my flower, man? You hurt it, like everything else. Everything else. Flowers.
Why did you harm my flower, my friend? You mistreat it, just as you do with everything else. Everything else. Flowers.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS