All Or Nothing
The Clarks Lyrics


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All or nothing at all
Half a love, never appealed to me
If your heart, never could yield to me
Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all

All or nothing at all
If it's love, there is no in between
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
No I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all

But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may go dizzy and fall

And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
I would be, caught in the undertow




So you see, I've got to say no, no
All or nothing at all

Overall Meaning

The Clarks's song All or Nothing is a soulful, melancholic number that deals with the complexities of love and commitment. The song's central theme is summed up in the title itself - it's all or nothing when it comes to love. The opening lines, "All or nothing at all, half a love never appealed to me" establishes the song's central premise. The singer is not interested in anything less than a complete, all-consuming love. The lyrics suggest that anything less than that would be unsatisfying, and the singer would rather choose nothing.


The second stanza of the song elaborates on this idea of complete love. The lyrics, "If it's love, there is no in-between, why begin then cry, for something that might have been" suggest that love is not a half-hearted emotion. If it's not all-consuming, then it's not love at all. By not settling for anything less than true love, the singer is potentially saving himself from a lifetime of regrets.


The final lines of the song are poignant and powerful. The singer acknowledges the pull of the person he loves, but also recognizes that he needs to protect himself from falling too hard. "And if I fell under the spell of your call, I would be caught in the undertow, so you see I’ve got to say no, no. All or nothing at all." The singer understands that if he were to give in to his emotions, he would be swept away and lose control. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the singer choosing to protect himself rather than risk it all.


Line by Line Meaning

All or nothing at all
I want everything in a relationship, not just half-hearted attempts.


Half a love, never appealed to me
I don't want someone who only shows me part of their affection.


If your heart, never could yield to me
If you can't give me your whole heart, then it's not worth pursuing a relationship.


Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
It's better for me to have no love than to settle for half-love.


If it's love, there is no in between
Love is something that cannot be half-done; it's either all-in or nothing at all.


Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
It's not worth starting a relationship that you know is headed for heartache.


No I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
Better to be alone than to settle for something that will never fulfill me.


But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't tempt me if you're not ready to commit fully to a relationship.


Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
Your smile is tempting, but I don't want to be drawn in if you're not willing to give me your all.


The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
Your affection is appealing, but I can't let it distract me from my desire for all-encompassing love.


And my heart may go dizzy and fall
I have to protect myself from being swept away by your affections.


And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
If I let myself be entranced by you, I know I'll end up hurt.


I would be, caught in the undertow
If I get involved with you without full commitment from you, I would be in a dangerous situation.


So you see, I've got to say no, no
I have to turn down your overtures so that I can protect myself from a relationship that will only lead to heartbreak.


All or nothing at all
The only way I'm willing to engage in a relationship is if it's all-in and fully committed, otherwise it's not worth it.




Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Arthur Altman, Jack Lawrence

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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