DeVaughn's musical story began with his mother's vinyl collection. "I always loved music so I would sneak into her record collection when she wasn't around and play her stuff." DeVaughn's father, noted jazz musician Abdul Wadud was also an influence. DeVaughn knew at an early age that he would become an entertainer.
DeVaughn graduated from High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland; then headed to nearby Coppin State. It was the first day of college that changed the course of his life. "I saw a group of guys standing outside singing, Boyz II Men style," remembers DeVaughn. "I just went up there and started harmonizing with them. Before I knew what was going on, I was in a group, cutting class to write lyrics and record." After winning $2,000.00 in a talent show at Bar None, a Washington D.C. nightclub, DeVaughn decided to go for broke and invested all of his winnings into a CD burner. Several independent releases led to a showcase with Jive Records, and the career was on it's way.
When You Love Somebody
Raheem DeVaughn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make you toss and turn
Love will make you long and yearn, oh yeah
When you love somebody
When you love somebody
When you love somebody
You'll be speechless and spell bound
When it's got a hold on you
Ain't it something, (Love)
Love got a hold on you, (Love's got a hold on you)
It'll make your high feel low
And your low feel high
It'll make your heart feel weak
You won't eat, you won't sleep
Love's got a hold on you
Love will make your lady scratch up your brand new Mercedes
Love will have you drunx texting your ex girlfriend at 3am in the morning
While she's laying with her new love
When you love someone
When you love someone
When you love someone
When you love someone
You'll be spiteful and vindictive, hey
Ain't it something, when you love somebody
When you love somebody, love's got a hold on you
When you love somebody, love's got a hold on you
It'll make your high feel low
And your low feel high
Love will make your whole world stop spinning around
Ooh and it feels good to love somebody
Love feels good
You, you, you, start thinking 'bout conceiving babies
And manning up, sharing your last name
Walking down the aisle, singing I do
When you love somebody
When you love, love someone
When you love somebody
For that person, that special someone
I'm telling you there is nothing you won't do
When love, when love, love's got a hold on you
When love, when love's got a hold on you
Man in the special way you love somebody
When love's got a hold on you
Ooh ain't it wonderful when you love somebody
And somebody loves you too
Love's got a hold on you
When you love somebody
Oh when you love someone
(When you love someone)
Yeah, when love's got a hold on you
(When you love somebody)
You might smoke a cigarette
(When you love someone)
You might go to the bar and drink away your blues
(When you love someone)
When love's got a hold on you
Sometimes, sometimes you cry yourself to sleep when love's got a hold on you
(When you love somebody)
(When you love someone)
And when it feels good, it fells good to sell someone "I love you too"
(When you love somebody)
When you believe somebody
(When you love someone)
When you trust someone
Give your all
(When you love somebody)
You spend your life
(When you love someone)
When you love someone
(When you love somebody)
(When you love someone)
When you love somebody
(When you love somebody)
(When you love someone)
Love someone
When you love somebody
When you love someone, hey
Love somebody, love someone, love somebody, love someone
Love somebody, love someone, love somebody, love someone
Love somebody, love someone, love somebody, love someone
The lyrics to Raheem DeVaughn's song When You Love Somebody describe the experience of being in love through the different emotions and actions it triggers. The song begins by stating that love can make you restless and craving, a feeling so strong that keeps you tossing and turning at night. Love is portrayed like magic, something that can leave us speechless and spellbound. It has the power to change everything in our lives, from our mood to our habits, to the point of making us forget about our own physical needs like eating or sleeping.
The chorus repeats the phrase "When you love somebody" emphasizing the intensity of the feelings it creates. The song goes on to describe other ways love can affect us, like making us spiteful and vindictive or even do crazy things like scratching up someone's car or drunk-texting an ex. Nevertheless, love has an unbreakable hold on us, and we can't help but follow it, even if it may lead us to cry ourselves to sleep or smoke a cigarette.
Overall, the song illustrates the passionate and overwhelming experience of being in love, a feeling that takes over our minds and hearts, and makes us do things we never thought we would.
Line by Line Meaning
Love will make you toss and turn, yeah
When you are in love, you will be restless and agitated.
Make you toss and turn
Love will keep you fully occupied, causing you to move around aimlessly.
Love will make you long and yearn, oh yeah
When you are in love, you will have intense desires and cravings.
When you love somebody
The lyricist indicates that everything he has previously said is only applicable to situations where love is involved.
Oh, it's like magic
Love is similar to a wizardry that can leave you amazed and baffled.
You'll be speechless and spell bound
When love takes over you, you will be utterly dumbfounded and enchanted.
When it's got a hold on you
When you are under the influence of love, you'll lose control over yourself.
Ain't it something, (Love)
The lyricist expresses awe for the power of love.
Love got a hold on you, (Love's got a hold on you)
When you are in love, you are enslaved by its intensity and passion.
It'll make your high feel low
Love can make even the most blissful moments seem insignificant in comparison.
And your low feel high
At the same time, love can turn dull, gloomy days into exhilarating experiences.
It'll make your heart feel weak
Love can emotionally affect people to the point where they feel unwell.
You won't eat, you won't sleep
When under the influence of love, you are so preoccupied that you don't worry about basic needs.
Love will make your lady scratch up your brand new Mercedes
Love can make some individuals prone to rash, impulsive actions that can have negative consequences.
Love will have you drunx texting your ex girlfriend at 3am in the morning
Under the influence of love, people sometimes engage in foolish behavior.
While she's laying with her new love
The other party may not reciprocate the feeling and may be seeing someone else.
You'll be spiteful and vindictive, hey
Love can provoke negative emotions in some people like jealousy, bitterness, and pettiness.
And your low feel high
Even when you are in less than ideal conditions, love can make you feel elated.
Love will make your whole world stop spinning around
Love can make people feel that they are the center of the universe and nothing else matters.
Ooh and it feels good to love somebody
The satisfying feeling of being in love is being expressed here.
Love feels good
Love generates positive emotions like happiness, comfort, and satisfaction.
You, you, you, start thinking 'bout conceiving babies
In some cases, love can evoke overwhelming desires to start a family with the loved one.
And manning up, sharing your last name
Love can cause some individuals to take on more responsibilities and mature.
Walking down the aisle, singing I do
When you love somebody, the ultimate way to profess your love is through marriage.
For that person, that special someone
All of these impacts that love brings are only for one singular but important individual.
I'm telling you there is nothing you won't do
There is no end to what you will do for the one you love.
Man in the special way you love somebody
There is something unique about the way people express their affection towards their special someone.
Ooh ain't it wonderful when you love somebody
The feeling of being in love is being described as something marvelous and exceptional.
And somebody loves you too
The person you love returns the sentiment, making love an even more joyous experience.
You might smoke a cigarette
Some individuals use cigarettes as a coping mechanism for the stress love can cause.
You might go to the bar and drink away your blues
Other individuals drink alcohol to escape negative feelings that might be caused by love.
Sometimes, sometimes you cry yourself to sleep when love's got a hold on you
The emotional impact of being in love can manifest in tears and heartbreak.
And when it feels good, it feels good to sell someone "I love you too"
Being able to express your love to someone who also loves you back is an ecstatic feeling.
When you believe somebody
Love requires trust for it to thrive.
When you trust somebody
Once trust is established, love can be strengthened.
Give your all
When in love, you need to throw all your inhibitions and reservations away and give it your best.
You spend your life
Love is something that can last a lifetime, and requires effort and commitment to keep it strong.
Love someone
The song refers to the importance of loving someone, as it can bring immense joy, fulfillment, and purpose to life.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Katja Tubman-Toweh, Raheem DeVaughn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind