Don't Call It Love
Zero 7 Lyrics


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Blame it on the streetlights
The fingernail moonlight
The way that you kissed me
How your face hid the moon

Blame it on the twilight
The waning of the daylight
The way you held my hand
How you never would let go

But baby don't get caught up
Don't surrender to touch
You can say anything
Your heart's dreaming of

Don't call it love
Call it a longing
Call it a yearning
Don't call it love
Call it a sweet dream
Shh don't say nothing

Its like a beautiful car crash
Where two people collide and
Nobody gets hurt and
No ones left behind

And when I dive into your light
We swim past the riptide
And maybe this is everything
Yeah that we've been waiting for

But baby don't get caught up
Don't surrender to touch
You can say anything
Your heart's dreaming of

Don't call it love
Call it a longing
Call it a yearning
Don't call it love




Call it a sweet dream
Shh don't say nothing

Overall Meaning

In Zero 7's "Don't Call it Love," the lyrics are about the singer's attempt to caution their partner over getting too caught up in their relationship. The song builds a feeling of desire and attraction as the singer "blames it" on the moonlight and the way they were kissed, holding hands, and not wanting to let go. However, the singer warns their partner not to call it love and keeps calling it, instead, a longing or yearning or sweet dream. The song suggests that the two of them are like a car crash where no one is hurt, and they can swim past the riptide of their attraction, but they still should not call it love. The message seems to be that they might enjoy their intimacy, but it may not be wise to get swept up in calling it anything more significant than what it is at the moment.


The lyrics are beautifully written and full of metaphors about the feelings in a relationship. The song is mesmerizing and conveys the magical feeling of two people attracted to each other, but it is also a thoughtful reminder to keep things in perspective. Relationships can be intense, but the singer suggests they should not label it as "love" too quickly. The song's message seems to be that the sweetness of attraction can be savored without the pressure of expectations or titles.


Line by Line Meaning

Blame it on the streetlights
Attribute this feeling to the warm, comforting streetlights


The fingernail moonlight
Perhaps it's the appeal of the barely-there moon


The way that you kissed me
Your perfect kiss has me giddy with feeling


How your face hid the moon
Your beauty is all I can focus on, I can't keep my eyes off you


But baby don't get caught up
But please don't fall too deep into this love


Don't surrender to touch
Don't lose yourself in this physical feeling


You can say anything
You can express whatever is on your heart


Your heart's dreaming of
You're yearning for a true connection


Don't call it love
What we have is so much more than just love


Call it a longing
What we feel is a deep desire to be close


Call it a yearning
It's a craving for something more than just a passing fling


Don't call it love
Let's not try to fit this feeling into a single word


Call it a sweet dream
It's a fantasy that we're living


Shh don't say nothing
We don't need words to express what we have


Its like a beautiful car crash
Our coming together is a perfect, thrilling collision


Where two people collide and
We couldn't resist the excitement of each other


Nobody gets hurt and
We're both so in tune with each other that nothing painful can come of this


No ones left behind
We're both in this together, moving forward as a pair


And when I dive into your light
When I'm with you, I'm surrounded by happiness and lightness of being


We swim past the riptide
Together, we overcome any obstacles that come our way


And maybe this is everything
Maybe what we have is all we need


Yeah that we've been waiting for
We've been searching for this kind of connection all along




Writer(s): Tom Leonard, Henry Binns, Sam Hardaker

Contributed by Lillian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@BadniuzRap

Blame it on the streetlights
The fingernail moonlight
The way that you kissed me
How your face hid the moon

Blame it on the twilight
The waning of the daylight
The way you held my hand
How you never would let go

But baby don't get caught up
don't surrender to the touch
you can say anything
your heart's dreaming of

HOOK
But don't call it love
Call it a longing
call it a yearning
Don't call it love
Call it a sweet dream
Shh don't say nothing

Its like a beautiful car crash
Where two people collide and
Nobody gets hurt and
No ones left behind

And when I dive into your light
We swim past the riptide
And maybe this is everything
yeah that we've been waiting for

But baby don't get caught up
don't surrender to the touch
you can say anything
your heart's dreaming of

HOOK
But don't call it love
Call it a longing
call it a yearning
Don't call it love
Call it a sweet dream
Shh don't say nothing



All comments from YouTube:

@anthony4881

This song has been one of my favorite songsfor years and I am baffled by what music goes viral and what stays unknown. Music industry is all skewed. This is gold they didn't deserve anyways...

@dylan4102

Yo I was just thinking the same! Had this been released this year or recently, it would have been a hit. Waaay ahead of its time, exceptional tune. Maybe it's better that it didn't go viral - it found who it meant to find and who would appreciate it. Peace to you

@desert_holly

Seriously! I heard this about 7 years ago for the first time and I'd always add it to my list of "party" music. Never failed to get people moving and asking who it is. I just did it about two weeks ago and I was shocked that not a single person knew it. At least I can come to the comments and read comments of people with great taste in music 💓

@anthony4881

@Holly Taylor much love to the open minded music lovers

@gwynnielsen5081

Totally agree and I am one of the contributors!

@williamberkley320

Completely agree… unreal this is not a number one hit… i wish someone who hated this song would explain why they hate it and like Iggy Azalea or whatever instead.

@northhallbabe13

One of the greatest songs in existence. Musically, lyrically, vocally. All of it.

@gazzamundo734

Totally agree Kristin. Cooler than a penguin with a backpack full of choc-ices.

@eddiemontoya9178

This song was perfect today. Great rainy day, driving song. So many feels. Reminds me of Daft Punk and so many more. This will be one of those songs I will play at least once everyday for weeks. This is definitely a keeper.

@GregJoshuaW

This song is still sexy as ever. So thankful for music like this.

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