How Can It Be My Imagination
The Browns Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

How can it be imagination
When my lips are burning with fire
How can it be infatuation
When my heart is filled with desire?

You say I didn't love you
Though my emotions I tried to hide
And though this may be imaginary
I can't hide the tears in my eyes.

--- Instrumental ---

My love for you taught me a lesson
To never let out how you feel
She'll love you more if you'll keep her guessin'
And imagination next time may be real.

You say I didn't love you
Though my emotions I tried to hide




And though this may be imaginary
I can't hide the tears in my eyes...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Browns' song "How Can It Be My Imagination" reflect a narrator who is grappling with the intensity of their feelings for someone else. They question whether their emotions can be dismissed as mere imagination or infatuation when their lips are burning with fire and their heart is filled with desire. Despite trying to conceal their true emotions, the singer is unable to hide the tears in their eyes, suggesting that there is genuine depth to their feelings.


Through their love for this person, the singer learns a lesson: that it is important to not reveal one's true emotions too soon. They come to understand that keeping the other person guessing and allowing imagination to play a role in their relationship can potentially lead to a more profound connection. The singer's previous attempt at hiding their emotions did not result in the desired outcome, as the other person accuses them of not loving them.


The song highlights the complexity of human emotions and the challenges of navigating relationships. It speaks to the idea that sometimes imagination can be mistaken for reality, blurring the lines between what is genuine and what is not. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and the inner conflict experienced by someone who loves deeply but struggles to express it appropriately.


Line by Line Meaning

How can it be imagination
I can't believe that it's just my imagination


When my lips are burning with fire
Because my lips are filled with passion


How can it be infatuation
How can it be just a passing crush


When my heart is filled with desire?
When my heart is consumed by longing?


You say I didn't love you
You claim that my love was never true


Though my emotions I tried to hide
Even though I attempted to conceal my feelings


And though this may be imaginary
And even though this could be purely in my imagination


I can't hide the tears in my eyes.
I cannot suppress the tears welling up in my eyes.


My love for you taught me a lesson
My love for you has imparted a valuable lesson to me


To never let out how you feel
To never reveal your true feelings


She'll love you more if you'll keep her guessin'
She will love you even more if you keep her guessing


And imagination next time may be real.
And perhaps next time, the imagined love may become a reality.


You say I didn't love you
You claim that my love was never true


Though my emotions I tried to hide
Even though I attempted to conceal my feelings


And though this may be imaginary
And even though this could be purely in my imagination


I can't hide the tears in my eyes...
I cannot suppress the tears welling up in my eyes...




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

Maxine Russell

One of MY early writting experiences. This was in the first LP we did for RCA. So long ago, I can't remember the year, but think it was 1957. (Maxine Brown)

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