Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Lyrics


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Something's gotten hold of my heart
Keeping my soul and my senses apart
Something's gotten into my life
Cutting its way through my dreams like a knife
Turning me up and turning me down
Making me smile and making me frown

In a world that was small
I once lived in a time there was peace with no trouble at all
But then you came my way
And a feeling unknown shook my heart, made me want you to stay
All of my nights and all of my days

I gotta tell you now
Something's gotten hold of my hand
Dragging my soul to a beautiful land
Something has invaded my mind
Painting my sleep with a colour so bright
Changing the grey and changing the blue
Scarlet for me and scarlet for you

I've got to know if this is the real thing
I've got to know what's making my heart sing
You smile and I am lost for a lifetime
Each minute spent with you is the right time




Every hour, every day
You touch me and my mind goes astray

Overall Meaning

The song “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, is a powerful love song that depicts the all-consuming feeling of being in love. The lyrics of the song convey the sense of being lost in love, where the passion is so strong that it takes over the mind, heart, and soul of the person in love. The first verse explains how the passion has taken hold of the singer's heart and soul, making it impossible to think of anything else except the person they are in love with. The next verse delves into how the love has changed the singer's life, bringing new colors and emotions into everything they experience.


The song then goes on to explain how the singer felt before they were in love. They explain how they lived in a small world without troubles, but in came an unknown feeling that shook their heart, and made them want to stay with the person they love forever. The chorus continues to explain how the love has completely changed the singer's life, giving them hope, passion, and a reason to smile every day. Finally, the song ends with the singer admitting that they are lost in love and wanting to spend every moment with the person they love.


Overall, “Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart” is an emotional and passionate song that accurately describes the intense feeling of falling in love.


Line by Line Meaning

Something's gotten hold of my heart
An unknown force is taking control of my emotions and feelings


Keeping my soul and my senses apart
Causing a separation between my spiritual and physical being


Something's gotten into my life
An unexpected presence has entered my existence


Cutting its way through my dreams like a knife
Intruding into my subconscious, disrupting my peaceful state like a sharp object


Turning me up and turning me down
Causing inconsistent fluctuations in my emotional state


Making me smile and making me frown
As a result, I experience both happiness and sadness


In a world that was small
In a previous life that was simple and uncomplicated


I once lived in a time there was peace with no trouble at all
I used to live in a time of tranquility and without any problems


But then you came my way
However, you entered my life


And a feeling unknown shook my heart, made me want you to stay
An indescribable emotion overwhelmed me, making me desire your presence in my life


All of my nights and all of my days
Every moment, whether awake or asleep


I gotta tell you now
I must confess


Something's gotten hold of my hand
An unseen force has taken control of my actions


Dragging my soul to a beautiful land
Leading me to an enchanting destination, carrying my essence along the way


Something has invaded my mind
An entity has entered my thoughts without my consent


Painting my sleep with a colour so bright
Adding vividness and vibrancy to my dreams


Changing the grey and changing the blue
Transforming dullness and sadness into excitement and happiness


Scarlet for me and scarlet for you
Creating passion and love for both of us


I've got to know if this is the real thing
I must determine if this is authentic


I've got to know what's making my heart sing
I must discover what is causing my heart to feel so joyful


You smile and I am lost for a lifetime
Your smile has the power to captivate me indefinitely


Each minute spent with you is the right time
Every moment spent in your company feels perfect


Every hour, every day
Regardless of the time or day


You touch me and my mind goes astray
Your touch has the ability to make me lose focus on everything else




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROGER FREDERICK COOK, ROGER JOHN REGINALD GREENAWAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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