What Is This Thing Called Love
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg Lyrics

In these lyrics, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg reflects on her experience with love and the various emotions it has evoked within her. She starts by describing herself as a mundane, unexciting person leading a separate and unremarkable life. However, love unexpectedly enters her life like a bird flying through an open window and instantly ignites and enlivens her previously dull heart. This portrays how love has the power to completely transform and revitalize a person's existence.

But just as unexpectedly as love arrives, it departs. After a brief period of happiness, love leaves again, leaving the singer with a sense of longing and a void within her heart. This sequence of love entering and leaving symbolizes the fleeting nature of romantic relationships. It shows how love can be transient and unpredictable, coming into our lives unexpectedly and disappearing just as suddenly.

The singer then questions the nature of this enigmatic force called love. She wonders who can truly comprehend its mysterious and elusive nature. Love has the ability to make a fool out of anyone, bringing out vulnerability and exposing our weaknesses. It is a sentiment that makes even the most rational individuals susceptible to irrational behavior driven by emotions and desires. This demonstrates the power love holds over us and our inability to fully understand or control it.

The lyrics also touch on the singer's personal experience with love. She vividly recalls a specific moment when she saw someone who captivated her heart and, tragically, discarded it. This highlights the intense emotional impact that love can have on an individual. Despite the heartbreak and pain caused by this person, the singer finds herself still questioning the nature of love. She wonders why, even after being hurt, she still loves this person and continues to long for them. This reflection delves into the complex and often contradictory emotions that love can evoke, where one can still feel affection for someone who has caused them pain.

In essence, these lyrics delve into the transformative power of love, its unpredictable nature, and the range of emotions it can stir within an individual. They also explore the inability to fully comprehend or control the workings of love, revealing the vulnerability and complexity inherent in human romantic relationships.