Vaughn Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) was a very popular radio, TV… Read Full Bio ↴Vaughn Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) was a very popular radio, TV, and recording artist in the 1940s & 1950s. His adopted theme song, "Racing With the Moon", was heard on his radio and TV shows and was a popular song itself. In 1950, his recording of "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" (Stan Jones) was a #1 hit for weeks, and it remains the song's standard version today. It was probably his "signature" song.

Monroe sang with some of the "Big Bands" of the '40s era, but his music transcended that style to become a popular radio and television personality - like Perry Como, Dean Martin, etc.

I Wish I Didn't Love You So
Vaughn Monroe Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wish I didn't love you so
My love for you should have faded long ago
I wish I didn't need your kiss
Why must your kiss torture me as long as this?

I might be smiling by now
With some new tender friend
Smiling by now

With my heart on the mend

But when I try
Something in that heart says "No"
You're still there
I wish I didn't love you so

But when I try
Something in that heart says "No"
You're still there
I wish I didn't love you so

I wish I didn't love you so

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Vaughn Monroe's song "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" express the singer's desire to move on from a love that has long since faded. He wishes that his love and need for the person he sings about had faded away long ago so that he could be happy with someone new. However, he finds himself unable to let go of the past and move on, as something in his heart resists the idea.

The lyrics paint a picture of a person struggling to overcome their feelings for someone they know they should let go of. They long to be able to smile and move on with their life but find that they are haunted by the memory of the person they love. The chorus of the song repeats the main message of the lyrics, with the singer lamenting their feelings and wishing that they could be free of them.

Overall, the lyrics of "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" touch on the universal theme of heartbreak and the pain of trying to move on from a failed relationship. Despite the singer's efforts to move on, he finds himself unable to let go of the past and is haunted by memories of his lost love.

Line by Line Meaning

I wish I didn't love you so
I lament that I still have feelings of love for you despite the passage of time

My love for you should have faded long ago
I believe that my love for you ought to have diminished by now, but it has not

I wish I didn't need your kiss
I wish that I was no longer dependent on the pleasure derived from your kiss

Why must your kiss torture me as long as this?
I am frustrated and confused as to why the memory of your kiss still brings me anguish

I might be smiling by now
I might be enjoying myself and feeling happy by this point

With some new tender friend
With someone new who could fill the role of a kind and caring companion

Smiling by now
Experiencing joy and happiness instead of heartache and longing

With my heart on the mend
With the wounds caused by our separation slowly healing

But when I try
Despite my best efforts

Something in that heart says "No"
An inner voice or feeling prevents me from fully moving on

You're still there
Your hold over my heart and mind persists despite my desire to move on

I wish I didn't love you so
Once again, I am burdened and saddened by my unshakable love for you

But when I try
Despite my best efforts

Something in that heart says "No"
An inner voice or feeling prevents me from fully moving on

You're still there
Your hold over my heart and mind persists despite my desire to move on

I wish I didn't love you so
Once again, I am burdened and saddened by my unshakable love for you

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Frank Loesser

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@zorbazeus3718

2y↑6

The best big band singer
Singing one of the best songs
Ever.

@td3993

2y↑2

Best version by far.

@thallsome7336

4y↑5

Im really happy I chose 1947 for my pet project, such great music!

@sauquoit13456

4y↑7

Seventy three years ago today on October 4th, 1947 "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" by Vaughn Monroe peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's 'Best-Selling Popular Retail Records'* chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Near You" by Francis Craig...
Between 1940 and 1959 the Akron, Ohio native had fifty-seven records on the Billboard charts, twenty-four made the Top 10 with five reaching #1; "There! I Said It Again" {1945}, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" {1945}| ,"Ballerina" {1947}, "Riders In The Sky: A Cowboy Legend" {1949}, and "Someday" {1949}...
Vaughn Wilton Monroe passed away at the age of 61 on May 21st, 1973...
May he R.I.P.
* "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" was Vaughn Monroe's second of his two records to peak at #2, his other #2 record was "When The Lights Go On Again" for one week in December of 1942...
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Best-Selling Popular Records' Top 10 on October 4th, 1947
At #3. "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" by Ted Weems, with vocals by Perry Como
#4. "Near You" by the Larry Green and his Orchestra
#5. "Near You" by the Andrews Sisters
#6. "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" by Perry Como
#7. "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" by Betty Hutton
#8. "An Apple Blossom Wedding" by Sammy Kaye, with vocals by Don Cornell
#9. "Feudin' and Fightin'" by Dorothy Shay
#10. "Feudin' and Fightin'" by Jo Stafford
#10. "Near you" by Elliot Lawrence and his Orchestra