True Love Waits
Radiohead Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll drown my beliefs
To have your babies
I'll dress like your niece
And wash your swollen feet

Just don't leave
Don't leave
I'm not living
I'm just killing time
Your tiny hands
Your crazy kitten smile

Just don't leave
Don't leave

And true love waits
In haunted attics
And true love lives
On lollipops and crisps





Just don't leave
Don't leave

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Radiohead's song True Love Waits are both haunting and painful, describing the lengths someone is willing to go to keep the love of their life with them. The first two lines, "I'll drown my beliefs, to have your babies. I'll dress like your niece, and wash your swollen feet" suggest that they are willing to sacrifice everything they know in order to have a child with their partner. This could be seen as a representation of the power of love, as the desire to have a child with someone is a deep-rooted desire and demonstrates the lengths a person is willing to go to for the one they love.


The chorus repeats the phrase "just don't leave" over and over again, further emphasizing the idea that the singer will do anything to keep their partner with them. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the fear of abandonment and the lengths we go to hold on to the people we love.


The final two lines of the song, "And true love waits, in haunted attics. And true love lives, on lollipops and crisps" are ambiguous but suggest that real love is a powerful emotion that can persist in strange places and under unusual circumstances. The idea that true love lives on something as humble as "lollipops and crisps" suggests that it doesn't require grand gestures or romantic settings to survive, but rather only the love and connection shared between two people.


Overall, True Love Waits is a deeply emotional and meaningful song that explores the lengths we go to hold on to the people we love, and the power and persistence of real love.


Line by Line Meaning

I'll drown my beliefs
I am willing to let go of my convictions and principles to have a chance with you.


To have your babies
I want to start a family with you and bear your children.


I'll dress like your niece
I want to please you and will go to great lengths, even if it means dressing like someone younger.


And wash your swollen feet
I will take care of you and tend to your needs, even if it is uncomfortable or unpleasant.


Just don't leave
I fear losing you and I desperately want you to stay with me.


I'm not living
I feel incomplete and unfulfilled without you in my life.


I'm just killing time
I am stuck in a meaningless existence without you, just passing time until I can see you again.


Your tiny hands
Your small and delicate hands are a symbol of your vulnerability and the need for protection.


Your crazy kitten smile
Your playful and carefree smile is endearing and makes me feel happy and alive.


And true love waits
Real and genuine love is patient, even if it means waiting for a long time.


In haunted attics
Love can be found in the unexpected and unusual places.


And true love lives
Genuine love is not just a feeling, but a way of living and being.


On lollipops and crisps
Love is simple, innocent, and joyful, like the treats of childhood.


Just don't leave
I want to hold on to you and our love, and I am afraid of losing it.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@miguelt3592

I'll drown my beliefs
To have your babies
I'll dress like your niece
And wash your swollen feet
Just don't leave
Don't leave
I'm not living
I'm just killing time
Your tiny hands
Your crazy kitten smile
Just don't leave
Don't leave
And true love waits
In haunted attics
And true love lives
On lollipops and crisps
Just don't leave
Don't leave



All comments from YouTube:

@Jimjam-lk4ud

I once came across a comment about both versions having two completely different meanings, the acoustic version is about the optism of a relationship and not wanting to lose that love while this version is about when you finally lose it and it’s nothing but a distant memory

@ThiefOfNavarre

That's cool. Never heard that before!

@roshbin3026

What do you prefer?

@Jimjam-lk4ud

@@roshbin3026 I like both tbh I think the acoustic versions more emotional and the album versions more relaxing and therapeutic

@callumalston5755

@@Jimjam-lk4ud I’ve always thought this version was sadder, like looking back on losing a true love

@carrickbend6184

I think this interpretation is specially relevant given that Thom wrote the song very early in his career, and finally released this studio version decades later. And I agree, the original version feels directed to someone, and this version feels like it's about the memory of that person.

21 More Replies...

@bornflippy1

" I'm not living, I'm just killing time " Damn, if that line doesn't just pound on your soul.

@mustafasadmansakib

Yeah but then it follows up with i’ll dress like your niece… wtf is that about I don’t even wanna know

@toad4ever103

You too, huh?

@err0rc0degames

Never have i related to a lyric so hard

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