Love Is Like Jazz
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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Love is like jazz You make it up as you go along and you act as if you
Really know the song but you don't and you never will so you flaunt your
Mistakes and you make them until they were you Love is like jazz the same

Song a million times in different ways "Strange Fruit" with and without
Wind chimes It's divine It's asinine It's depressing and it's almost
Entirely window dressing but it'll do




Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields's song Love Is Like Jazz is a poetic representation of love, comparing it to the improvisational nature of jazz music. The lyrics suggest that love is something that cannot be fully understood, but it can be enjoyed and experimented with. The lines "you make it up as you go along" and "you act as if you really know the song but you don't and you never will" capture the uncertainty and ambiguity that often come with love.


The lyrics go on to describe how love can be played in different ways, like a song that can be performed a million times with varying arrangements. The reference to "Strange Fruit" with and without wind chimes suggests that love can be made in different ways, sometimes beautiful and sometimes painful. The lyrics also acknowledge that love can be both divine and asinine, depressing and yet still appealing.


Overall, the song portrays love as an unpredictable adventure, one that requires us to embrace our imperfections and try new things. Love cannot be fully understood, but it is nevertheless something worth experiencing.


Line by Line Meaning

Love is like jazz
Love is a complex and improvisational experience similar to the genre of music known as jazz.


You make it up as you go along and you act as if you Really know the song but you don't and you never will
In the midst of love, you can't predict what comes next, you just pretend to know. But in reality, you will never truly understand the intricacies of love.


So you flaunt your Mistakes and you make them until they were you
Mistakes are an inevitable part of love and defining experiences that help shape you and reinforce your identity.


Love is like jazz the same Song a million times in different ways
Love is similar to jazz in that the same basic elements and emotions are repeated in countless variations and interpretations, making each experience distinct and unique.


"Strange Fruit" with and without Wind chimes
Love can take on many different tones and moods, from haunting to delicate, aggressive to gentle, and may be accompanied by a variety of embellishments as in the song "Strange Fruit."


It's divine It's asinine It's depressing and it's almost Entirely window dressing but it'll do
Love may elicit a range of sentiments, from heavenly to ridiculous, emotional to numbing, and be perceived as superficial but is accepted and persists regardless.




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephin Raymond Merritt

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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