The band, mainly from Boston, USA, consisted of: Nuno Bettencourt (Vocals, Guitar), Joe Pessia (Bass), Steve Ferlazzo (Keyboards, Backing Vocals), Kevin Figueiredo (Drums).
If Only
Population 1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
there would be more
if only we could have stopped the war
we were losing
love come back save the day
promises made 'til the day we die died
four more lips that tasted truth filled lies lied
only to return again
if only we loved us like before
there would be more
if only the scars would disappear
verbal surgery
if only we could have seen the smoke
simple warning
if only we loved us like before
there would be more
love come back save the day
someone wake me seems like lately
all i do is sleep walk
right through the fire
if only we loved us like before
The song "If Only" by Population 1 is a melancholic reflection of what could have been if love had been enough to prevent a war. The lyrics are a cry for a lost love and a lost world, where things were simpler and easier. The opening lines, "if only we loved us like before, there would be more," suggest that the singer believes that if they had loved each other the way they used to, things would have turned out differently. The repeated line, "love come back save the day," emphasizes the power of love and suggests that it could have been a force strong enough to prevent the war.
The second verse delves deeper into the regret and pain felt by the singer. The image of "angry fists with broken wrists" suggests physical violence and the pain that comes with it. The line, "four more lips that tasted truth filled lies," suggests that there were others involved in the situation, perhaps betraying the trust of the singer and the lost love. Despite this pain, the singer still longs for the love to return and for the scars to disappear.
The chorus repeats the idea that if only they had loved each other like before, things would have been different. The lines, "verbal surgery" and "smoke, simple warning," suggest that there were warning signs, but perhaps they weren't listened to. The final line, "someone wake me, seems like lately, all I do is sleepwalk right through the fire," emphasizes the feeling of being lost and numb, unable to do anything to change the situation.
Overall, "If Only" is a powerful and emotional song that highlights the importance of love and communication, and the devastating consequences that can occur when they are lacking.
Line by Line Meaning
if only we loved us like before
If only we had the same love for each other that we did in the past, our relationship would be better now.
there would be more
We would have more happiness and less problems if we had the same love for each other that we did before.
if only we could have stopped the war
If only we had been able to resolve our conflicts and arguments, our relationship would not have deteriorated to the point it is now.
we were losing
Our relationship was failing and we knew it.
love come back save the day
Our love for each other is the only thing that can fix our relationship and make things better.
promises made 'til the day we die
We made a vow to each other to stay together forever and work through any problems together.
died
Our commitment to each other has faded over time and we have stopped trying to fix things.
angry fists with broken wrists reply
We have resorted to physically hurting each other in our arguments, which only makes things worse.
why
We question why we have let things get so bad and why we can't stop hurting each other.
four more lips that tasted truth filled lies
We have both said hurtful things to each other that we know are not true, but we say them anyway to hurt each other.
lied
We have not been honest with each other about our feelings and what we want in life.
only to return again
We keep repeating the same patterns of behavior and arguments, never learning from our mistakes.
if only the scars would disappear
If only we could forget the hurtful things we have said and done to each other, our relationship would be easier to fix.
verbal surgery
We need to stop hurting each other with our words and start working on improving our relationship.
if only we could have seen the smoke
If only we had seen the warning signs that our relationship was deteriorating, we could have fixed things before it got worse.
simple warning
There were warning signs that our relationship was not working, but we ignored them.
someone wake me
We are both in denial about how bad our relationship has become, and need someone to shake us awake and make us face the truth.
seems like lately all i do is sleep walk
We have become disconnected from each other and are just going through the motions, not really engaging with each other anymore.
right through the fire
We are not facing our problems head on, but instead are avoiding them and hoping they will disappear on their own.
Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.