I've gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older

Ooh, ooh

Now this mountain I must climb
Feels like the world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds, I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder

In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far to change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is, I know you can show me
Oh, oh

I'm gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I've got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me

In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
I can't stop now, I've traveled so far to change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is, I know you can show me
I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
(And I wanna feel) I wanna feel what love is
(And I know) I know you can show me

Let's talk about love (I wanna know what love is)
Love that you feel inside (I want you to show me)
And I'm feeling so much love (I wanna feel what love is)
No, you just cannot hide (I know you can show me)

Oh, oh
I wanna know what love is (let's talk about love)
I know you can show me
I wanna feel it too (I want to feel what love is)
I wanna feel it too
And I know, and I know, I know you can show me
(Show me that it's real, yeah) I want to know what love is

I wanna know, oh, oh (I want you to show me)
I wanna know, I wanna know, I wanna know (I wanna feel what love is)
I wanna feel


Lyrics submitted by Novartza

I Want to Know What Love Is Lyrics as written by Michael Leslie Jones

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

I Want To Know What Love Is song meanings
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33 Comments

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  • +5
    My Interpretation
    I believe it's about someone who has never been in a serious relationship but desperately wants to.
    IRONCAT68on April 21, 2015   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    I just heard Winona sing it on Oprah and it means a person yearns desperately to know what love is and what's to know what it feels like inside. Winona had everyone in tears when she sang it. I hoped to hear Foreigner sing it. Does anyone know where online I can go to listen to a song and not just read the lyrics? As for a comment about what the song means to me... it reminds me of the lucky I am to feel love towards someone and to feel their love back. I know what love is... it's everything.
    ginnyblueon May 12, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    the song is really romantic, in a rock and roll kinda way. if you like to keep your tough ass image and yet want to express your feelings for a chick this song is perfect. or "meatloaf" 's song, 2 outta three aint bad.
    njrockstarbanditon May 29, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    This has to be the hands down most emotional love rock song EVER!.
    Ramagammaon April 27, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    wow its hard to sing along to this song when u know exactly how the speaker feels. i so wana know wot love is!
    liv85on November 08, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    A hooker? Please.
    Ultimate Panopticonon April 04, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    ROFL. Durang0's comment cracked me up... Anyway, this is one of the classic love songs. Gotta love it. I could picture myself singing this to a certain girl I like... and in the middle, I picture my throat closing up and forgetting the words. :P
    DoubtFullon July 14, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    I'm surprised no one else has mentioned the religious overtones of this song. I don't think it was an accident that the band used a gospel choir on the chorus. There's not one in this line that *has* to be about romantic love, rather than divine love, and the second verse sounds pretty spiritual to me: "This mountain I must climb Feels like a world upon my shoulders Through the clouds I see love shine It keeps me warm as life grows colder" My take on it is it's like a number of U2 songs, in that it is simultaneously both about romantic love and about finding God. FYI, I'm not Christian nor am I particular religious, myself...but this interpretation makes a lot of sense to me.
    Alligator Boxeron September 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    such a cheesy song, yet i still love it
    crash&burnon March 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    what a song, for god's sake!!!! it's one of the sweetest songs I've ever heard!!! please show me what love is...i'm waiting in the dark!!! ---have fun---
    4everinloveon July 10, 2006   Link

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