Born in Los Angeles in 1987, Robert Francis grew up surrounded by music. Hi… Read Full Bio ↴Born in Los Angeles in 1987, Robert Francis grew up surrounded by music. His father is a classical music producer and eccentric owner of one of the largest collections of sheet music in the U.S. One of Francis' earliest memories is his father "blasting music at full volume in his cluttered office under fluorescent lights until 4 a.m. while I was trying to sleep in the room next door." His mother, one of nine sisters, grew up in Mexico in a town so small that "it's just dirt, clay huts, boarded-up buildings, and a town drunk who walks around in the beating sun with a jug of Bacardi," Francis says. After Robert studied piano for several years, his mother encouraged her then seven-year-old son to learn guitar so he could play the traditional ranchera songs she grew up singing with her sisters. When Francis was nine, family friend Ry Cooder gifted him his first National Slide guitar. He also fell in love with Wim Wenders' 1984 film Paris, Texas, for which Cooder composed the soundtrack. "It inspired me," Robert remembers. "I got the idea in my head that I wanted to drop out of school and travel when I was 10 years old."

By the time he reached eleventh grade, he decided school was not for him and left. He spent a little over a year living dangerously and upsetting all those close to him until he met a girl who would then change his life. "It was a really tumultuous romantic relationship that lasted on and off for a few years," he says. "Then it just sort of fizzled out. I started writing songs the first time I figured out how to pinpoint that feeling of loss. I guess I was just waiting to make music until I had something to say. From then on, I realized I could write songs that really meant something to me."

The result was One By One, which Francis recorded at a friend's recording studio and released in August 2007 on Aeronaut Records. It didn't sell much, but it earned positive reviews from critics who compared Francis to a young Townes Van Zandt. The attention led to a record deal with Atlantic Records, which is releasing Before Nightfall.

Written over the summer of 2008 and recorded in March 2009, Before Nightfall is a snapshot of where Francis is now. "When people listen to the album, I want them to feel happy," he says. "I feel uplifted when I hear these songs; they don't bring me down. I hope people will be able to relate to them and feel as though whatever is going on in their lives is going to be okay."

!! There is other Robert Francis, author of cd: The Sitting Bull Suite

Love Is A Chemical
Robert Francis Lyrics

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They say love is just a chemical, swimming in your brain.

I guess that's why I've spent my whole life driving in one lane.
I watch the exits go by, but the engine it won't slow.

Keep your eyes up ahead, I'm young enough that I can't let go.
I know my heart is good, I know that I am weak.
Closer to you, closer to me, close enough for us to see. Love is just a chemical.

They say love is just a chemical, your brain inside your skull.
It's seeping like a piece of meat, and the heart is getting old.
I watch the exits go by, but the engine it won't slow.
So keep your eyes up ahead, I'm young enough that I can't let go.
I know my heart is good, I know that I am weak.
Closer to you, closer to me, close enough for us to see. Love is just a chemical. Love is just a chemical.
I know my heart is good, I know that I am weak.
Closer to you, closer to me, close enough for us to see. Love is just a chemical. Love is just a chemical
Closer to you, closer to me.
Love is just a chemical.

Love is just a chemical.
Love is just a chemical.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Robert Francis's song Love Is A Chemical reflect upon the concept of love being a chemical reaction in our bodies. The song portrays the artist's struggle to align his emotional feelings with the logical rationale that love is just a product of chemical reactions in our brain. Francis feels trapped in the notion that no matter how much we try to rationalize love, it will always be a mysterious force beyond our control. The repetition of the phrase "closer to you, closer to me" highlights the artist's efforts to make sense of this complex emotion and his desire to bond with his partner.

The metaphor of driving in one lane with exits passing by symbolizes Francis's fear of missing out on other opportunities as he remains committed to his love. The line "I'm young enough that I can't let go" indicates that Francis is willing to take risks and keep pushing forward with love as his driving force. However, he acknowledges his vulnerability and that the chemicals in his brain dictate his emotions, making him weak and susceptible to the effects of falling in love.

In conclusion, "Love is a Chemical" is a reflective and honest song that highlights the complexities of human emotions and the impact of chemical reactions on our relationships. It portrays the struggle to understand and reconcile our logical and emotional selves.

Line by Line Meaning

They say love is just a chemical, swimming in your brain.
People often describe love as just a chemical reaction happening in your brain.

I guess that's why I've spent my whole life driving in one lane.
Perhaps this is why I've been sticking to a routine with no significant changes in my life.

I watch the exits go by, but the engine it won't slow.
Although I see opportunities passing me by, I can't seem to slow down and embrace them.

Keep your eyes up ahead, I'm young enough that I can't let go.
I'm young and eager to keep moving forward. I can't let go of the possibilities that lie ahead.

I know my heart is good, I know that I am weak.
I know I have good intentions, but I also acknowledge that I have certain weaknesses that I must work on.

Closer to you, closer to me, close enough for us to see. Love is just a chemical.
As we get closer to each other, we realize that love is nothing but a chemical reaction in our brains.

They say love is just a chemical, your brain inside your skull.
People describe love as simply being a chemical reaction that occurs in your brain, which is inside your skull.

It's seeping like a piece of meat, and the heart is getting old.
The feeling of love spreads through your brain like a piece of meat, while your heart is aging.

Closer to you, closer to me.
As we draw closer to each other, we become more intimate.

Love is just a chemical.
Love is nothing more than a chemical reaction happening in our brains.

I know my heart is good, I know that I am weak.
Although I know I have a kind heart, I also understand my weaknesses.

Closer to you, closer to me, close enough for us to see. Love is just a chemical. Love is just a chemical
As we get closer to each other, we realize that love is nothing more than a chemical reaction. Love is simply a chemical reaction.

Love is just a chemical.
Love is just a reaction happening in our brains.

Closer to you, closer to me.
As we grow closer to each other, we become more affectionate.

Love is just a chemical.
Love is simply a chemical reaction happening in our brains.

Love is just a chemical.
Love is nothing more than a chemical reaction in our brains.

Contributed by Grayson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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