What Love Is
S.p.i.t. Lyrics

Do you know what this is
Asking if the listener knows what they are feeling

No, I don't
The listener responds with uncertainty

But whatever it is
Acknowledging the intensity of the feeling

It's very powerful
Stating that the feeling is incredibly strong

Have you felt this way before
Asking if the listener has experienced this feeling in the past

Oh, I thought I knew
The listener responds with some prior knowledge of the feeling

Do you know that I love you now
Asking if the listener knows of the singer's love for them in the present moment

Oh yes, I do
The listener confirms their knowledge of the singer's love

Love is...
The singer is about to define what love means to them

You've got the softest lips
Love is associated with the physical sensation of soft lips

You know that I cannot stay
The singer is leaving or ending the relationship

Yes, I know
The listener acknowledges the singer's departure

It has nothing to do
Stating that the decision to leave has nothing to do with the listener or their love

With you or with love
Clarifying that the reason for leaving is not related to the listener or the love between them

Oh, yes it does
The singer now asserts that the reason for leaving is related to the listener or their love

Do not call or come around here
The singer is asking the listener to avoid contacting them

Do not tell
The singer does not want the listener to share this information with anyone else

You know that I loved you then
The singer is reminiscing about the love they felt in the past

Oh well...
The singer is resigned or indifferent to the current state of the relationship

Love is...
The singer returns to defining what love means to them

The touch of your fingertips
Love is associated with the physical sensation of being touched by the listener's fingers

Knowing you won't let go
Love is associated with a feeling of security and trust

She awakens things
Referring to a woman who brings out emotion in the singer

That he said he thought were dead
The singer had thought that he had lost these emotions, but she has reawakened them

He says, are you happy now
The singer is asking if the woman is happy in the relationship

Oh yes, I am
The woman confirms her happiness in the relationship

But when it's over
The singer is considering the possibility of the relationship ending

How then will you feel
The singer is asking the woman how she will feel if the relationship ends

Will you miss those arms that used to go
The singer is asking if the woman will miss the physical intimacy they shared

Around you
Referring to the woman's body

So she stood there in the hallway frozen
Describing the woman's emotional state as she contemplates the possibility of the relationship ending

In the dark
The hallway is dark, suggesting a lack of clarity or understanding

And her heart broke down
The woman's emotional pain becomes too much for her to bear

She cried
Emphasizes the woman's emotional distress

She fell to the floor
The woman becomes physically overwhelmed by her emotions

One tear slid across her lips
Describes the physical sensation of a tear running across the woman's lips

To the corner of her mouth
Clarifies the path of the tear across the woman's face

Love is...
The singer returns again to defining what love means to them

And dropped to the floor
Emphasizes the physical sensation of the tear falling, and perhaps suggests a release or letting go of emotion

Ooh, she says love is
The woman adds her own voice to defining what love means

Watching you go
The woman associates love with the painful act of watching the person you love leave

You're so very powerful
Reiterating the intensity and impact of the feeling of love

Am I happy
The singer is now asking if they themselves are happy

Yes I am
The singer confirms their own happiness

Do I know you love me now
The singer confirms their own knowledge of the listener's love

Yes I do
Reiterating their certainty of the listener's love

Do I know you cannot stay
The singer acknowledges that they will be leaving, despite their love for the listener

I know
The singer accepts the reality of their departure, despite their love for the listener

All about love
The singer condenses the entire song's message into these three words, emphasizing that the pain and complexity of love is what the song is about