15. The One You Really Love
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I do believe our love's in danger I might as well be loving air
You look at me like I'm a stranger You look at me like I'm not there
I gaze into your eyes of blue but their beauty is not for me You're

Thinking on someone who's gone You're dreaming of the one you really love
I made you mine, or so it seemed Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I might as well be two ft. tall You never will love me at all
You're dreaming of the corpse you really love




Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields's song 15, The One You Really Love, is a heart-wrenching tale of unrequited love. The singer is deeply in love with someone who cannot reciprocate those feelings as they are still pining over someone else who has died. The lyrics paint a clear picture of the singer's futile attempts to win their lover's heart. Despite being in a relationship with them, they feel like they are invisible to the person they love, who only has eyes for the person who has passed away.


The use of imagery in the lyrics effectively conveys the emotions of the singer. They feel like they might as well be "loving air" and that their love is in "danger". This is a powerful metaphor for the feeling of being unimportant and invisible to the person you love. The line "You're dreaming of the corpse you really love" is particularly poignant, as it highlights the fact that the person the singer loves is fixating on someone who is no longer alive. The use of the word "corpse" also adds a stark and unsettling feeling to the lyrics, emphasizing the finality of death.


The song's melody is simple and understated, which allows the lyrics to take center stage. The use of a synth and acoustic guitar provides a melancholic and reflective backdrop to the emotional lyrics. Overall, The Magnetic Fields's song 15 is a poignant and powerful exploration of unrequited love and the pain it can cause.


Line by Line Meaning

I do believe our love's in danger I might as well be loving air
I think our love is in trouble, and it feels like I'm not even here.


You look at me like I'm a stranger You look at me like I'm not there
You stare at me like I'm someone you don't know, like I'm invisible.


I gaze into your eyes of blue but their beauty is not for me You're
I look into your pretty blue eyes, but you're thinking of someone else.


Thinking on someone who's gone You're dreaming of the one you really love
You're remembering someone who's no longer here, and you're dreaming of the person you truly love.


I made you mine, or so it seemed Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I thought I won your heart, but he's still on your mind even though he's passed away.


I might as well be two ft. tall You never will love me at all
I feel as though I'm barely noticeable to you, and you'll never love me.


You're dreaming of the corpse you really love
You're dreaming about the person who's now deceased that you truly love.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

J A

I do believe our love's in danger
I might as well be loving air
You look at me like I'm a stranger
You look at me like I'm not there

I gaze into your eyes of blue
But their beauty is not for me
You're thinking on someone who's gone
You're dreaming of the one you really love

I made you mine, or so it seemed
Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I might as well be two foot tall
You never will love me at all...

I gaze into your eyes of blue
but their beauty is not for me
You're thinking on someone who's gone
You're dreaming of the one you really love
You're dreaming of the corpse you really love



All comments from YouTube:

Brad Stroud

So many brilliant songs amongst those 69. This is one of them.

Breana Bailey

I liked this song better when it wasn't in relevance to my life

John O'Hara

you posted this comment six years ago. I'm curious, did things work out?

Tattooed Dom

Worst part for me is, she introduced me to this song.

Neil Maxwell

Yep Me too

Wumpum9

I know how you feel

J A

I do believe our love's in danger
I might as well be loving air
You look at me like I'm a stranger
You look at me like I'm not there

I gaze into your eyes of blue
But their beauty is not for me
You're thinking on someone who's gone
You're dreaming of the one you really love

I made you mine, or so it seemed
Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I might as well be two foot tall
You never will love me at all...

I gaze into your eyes of blue
but their beauty is not for me
You're thinking on someone who's gone
You're dreaming of the one you really love
You're dreaming of the corpse you really love

Miriam Conrad

This song is so beautiful I want to write the lyrics all over my body

wtb2612

I like that he changes it to "corpse" in the last line. Makes him sound so bitter.

Torrey

Is it just me...
Doesn't this play as a mental soundtrack when one is in love?

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