Stubborn Love
Mercutio Lyrics
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Cost me the brother love of a man
What I got is a lover
And what I lost is a friend
Which of these would follow me
Until my dying day
I can't say
I can't say
Well another time and another place
My hand would be across your face
But I can only bring myself to cry
So this is how our story ends
Betrayed by two of my best friends
Well I can think of kinder ways to die
Now I was standing on a pew
Just clapping for the bride and groom
And you had gone to meet him at a bar
When I heard your message on my phone
I ran outside into the snow
I wept for you, I leapt into my car
The stubborn love of a woman
Cost me the brother love of a man
What I got is a lover
And what I lost is a friend
Which of these would follow me
Until my dying day
I can't say
I can't say
No, I can't say
My hands tremble and shake
My head is swollen with ache
Let's see how much hurt my soul can take, yeah
Well I yelled at him and he yelled at me
And he said "Good luck" and I said "We'll see"
And I stormed off and there our friendship went
And I got her back but I could've cried
When I was laying by her side
Looking at the roses that he sent
The stubborn love of a woman
Cost me the brother love of a man
What I got is a lover
And what I lost is a friend
Which of these would follow me
Until my dying day
I can't say
I can't say
No, I can't say
I can't say
I can't say
No, I can't say
Well my story has a moral too:
"Damned if I don't, damned if I do"
Well stubborn love has bested me again
In Mercutio's song "Stubborn Love," he expresses the difficult choice he had to make between his friendship with his best friend and his love for a woman. The first stanza reflects on the consequences of his choice, where he lost the friendship of his best friend, but gained a lover. The second stanza sheds light on the bitter feelings that linger after the incident. Mercutio reflects back on the time when the couple was getting married, but he received a message from the woman, which led to their conflict. Mercutio's emotions are raw and intense; his hands tremble, and his head is swollen with ache. Despite the pain and heartache, Mercutio cannot deny the love he has for his partner, which is why he regards it as a "stubborn love."
In the third stanza, Mercutio listens to the message from the woman and rushes to her rescue, leaving his best friend behind in the church. Such a severe loss has made him contemplate the value of his decision, as he now suffers the loss of a significant friendship. The song concludes with Mercutio acknowledging that stubborn love was victorious over him once more, and he is 'damned if I don't and damned if I do.'
The song is an anguished portrayal of the emotions that come with the consequences of making difficult choices. The lyrics give the audience an intimate look into a man's life whose life took a turn for the worse because of his decision.
Line by Line Meaning
The stubborn love of a woman
The unyielding love of a woman
Cost me the brother love of a man
Led to the loss of my close friendship with a man
What I got is a lover
However, I gained a lover
And what I lost is a friend
But my friend became my loss
Which of these would follow me
Both forms of love were special one way or another
Until my dying day
And it's difficult to say which one I regret more
I can't say
I truly cannot say
No, I can't say
No, I honestly cannot say
Well another time and another place
If circumstances were different
My hand would be across your face
I would have punched you in the face
But I can only bring myself to cry
But all I can do is cry right now
So this is how our story ends
Our love story has come to this
Betrayed by two of my best friends
Two of my most trusted companions have let me down
Well I can think of kinder ways to die
I would rather die in harsher ways than have to deal with this pain
Now I was standing on a pew
During a wedding ceremony
Just clapping for the bride and groom
Cheering on the newlyweds
And you had gone to meet him at a bar
You were meeting someone else behind my back
When I heard your message on my phone
And I found out through your voicemail
I ran outside into the snow
I ran outside into the cold
I wept for you, I leapt into my car
I cried for you and then drove away
My hands tremble and shake
I feel physically weak
My head is swollen with ache
I am mentally overwhelmed
Let's see how much hurt my soul can take, yeah
Let's see how much more I can endure
Well I yelled at him and he yelled at me
I argued with him and he reciprocated
And he said "Good luck" and I said "We'll see"
And our last words to each other were negative
And I stormed off and there our friendship went
Our friendship ended then and there
And I got her back but I could've cried
And although I won you back, I was still so upset
When I was laying by her side
Even when I was beside you
Looking at the roses that he sent
I could see the flowers he gifted you
Well my story has a moral too
My experience has a lesson to be learned
"Damned if I don't, damned if I do"
Sometimes, there is no good outcome in the choices we make
Well stubborn love has bested me again
Once again, my passionate love got the better of me.
Contributed by Evan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.