"Only Love" is a song written by Camilo Sesto Robbie Buchanan and Mark Spir… Read Full Bio ↴"Only Love" is a song written by Camilo Sesto Robbie Buchanan and Mark Spiro and it was first recorded by Englebert Humperdinck sometime in between the 1970s and 1980s, and was then recorded by the late Tejano singer Selena in 1989 and was not released until 1996, when it was released for the first time on her 1996 tribute album Siempre Selena and then again on the Selena movie soundtrack a year later in 1997 following Selena's death in 1995. The song was to be developed for her English crossover album or remain a simple unreleased song. Selena recorded this song in 1989, and presumably performed the song during her Ven Conmigo Tour but no live performances of this song cannot be found on YouTube.

Only Love
Selena Lyrics

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I see the distant lights ahead
Another hour or so, and I'll be back in bed
I guess I really thought
That I was gone for good
But you know I never could

I count the headlights passing by
With every one I find

Another reason why
You'll be sound asleep
And I'll look a fool
How could I be so cruel?

Only love could make me turn around
And make these tears come tumbling down
Only love
Only love could make you stay with me
I doubt myself but you believe
Only love

I wish that I could be that strong
To see me as I am,
And love me right or wrong
I guess I'm still afraid
To only say goodbye
So I keep it all inside
Only love
[Chorus]

So I try to run, but no matter what I do

I know it's true: I can't go on without you
Only love

Overall Meaning

Selena Gomez’s Only Love is a song about realizing the significance of love and how it can make you do things that you never thought you were capable of doing, like turning around and coming back to someone who has deeply hurt you. The song expresses Selena's emotions as she's recounting a late night drive that she embarked upon, trying to clear her head and collect her thoughts. She's coming back home with the realization that she can't help but be with the person she loves despite the pain that was caused.

The first verse indicates Selena’s emotions toward seeing the city lights in the distance after a long drive. She should be happy to return home, but instead, the thoughts of how she would be perceived by the person she loves flood her mind. The second verse talks about how she sees reasons to come back to her partner with every headlight that passes by. Even though she fears looking like a fool, she feels compelled to go back because of the intensity of her love for this person.

The song's chorus talks about the power of love, how it can make someone change their mind entirely and come back to the person who hurt them. Only love could make Selena turn around and return to her lover. The lyrics express how painful it is to doubt oneself, but the person she loves sees the good in her despite her flaws.

Overall, "Only Love" is about the power of love and how it can move us to do things that are seemingly impossible. Despite everything someone may have done to hurt you, only love has the capability to change someone's mind and enable them to forgive and move forward.

Line by Line Meaning

I see the distant lights ahead
I can see the end of the road coming up

Another hour or so, and I'll be back in bed
Soon I'll be home and in bed

I guess I really thought
I believed something that was not true

That I was gone for good
That I had left for good

But you know I never could
But I could never do it

I count the headlights passing by
I'm passing the time counting the cars going by

With every one I find
I discover a new reason

Another reason why
It's another reason why I'm coming back

You'll be sound asleep
You'll be peacefully sleeping

And I'll look a fool
But I'll look like a fool

How could I be so cruel?
I'm questioning my own actions