Vince Jones (born 1954) is an Australian jazz artist. He is a singer, songw… Read Full Bio ↴Vince Jones (born 1954) is an Australian jazz artist. He is a singer, songwriter, and trumpet/flugelhorn player. His music includes both original music and new contemporary versions of jazz standards. He attributes his love of jazz to hearing a recording of Miles Davis's Sketches of Spain when he was about 14. He taught himself to play the trumpet. Vince was born in Glasgow, Scotland and his family moved to Wollongong, Australia when he was 11 years old. He began his career as a bebop trumpet player.

He has sold more than 200,000 albums worldwide.

All or Nothing at All
Vince Jones 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 song "All or Nothing at All" by Vince Jones speaks about taking risks in love and not settling for half-hearted relationships. The singer believes that a relationship should be based on complete love or nothing at all. The song talks about how half a love has never appealed to the singer and he would rather have nothing at all than being in a relationship where his partner's heart doesn't yield to him.

The singer further highlights that love is an all-or-nothing affair and there can be no midway. Why begin a relationship which has no future? If a relationship couldn't be successful, the singer would rather have nothing at all. However, the singer admits that he still yearns for the affection of his partner. The kiss in her eyes, the touch of her hand makes him weak, and his heart may go dizzy and fall. Yet, he knows that if he falls under the spell of his partner's call, he would be caught in the undertow, and hence he would rather say no to half-hearted love.

Line by Line Meaning

All or nothing at all
I believe in giving my all or nothing at all when it comes to love.

Half a love, never appealed to me
I don't want a relationship that is only partially fulfilling or one-sided.

If your heart, never could yield to me
If you cannot fully open your heart to me, then there is no point in pursuing a relationship.

Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
I would prefer to be single and not settle for a relationship that is less than fulfilling.

If it's love, there is no in between
Love is not something that can be halfway or in between, it is either all or nothing.

Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
It is not worth starting a relationship and then regretting it later, wondering what could have been.

But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
I am vulnerable to your advances and do not want to give in to temptation.

Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
Your charming smile might make it difficult for me to think clearly and make rational decisions.

The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
Your sensual gestures and physical touch are irresistible and make me feel powerless.

And my heart may go dizzy and fall
I am afraid of falling in love and losing control over my emotions.

And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
If I give in to your advances and fall in love with you, it will be because you have cast a spell on me.

I would be, caught in the undertow
I would be swept away by my emotions and would not be able to think rationally.

So you see, I've got to say no, no
For my own well-being, I need to refrain from pursuing a relationship with you.

All or nothing at all
I believe in giving my all or nothing at all when it comes to love.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Arthur Altman, Jack Lawrence

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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