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Alfie Lyrics

What’s it all about, Alfie
Is it just for the moment we live
What’s it all about when you sort it out, Alfie
Are we meant to take more than we give
Or are we meant to be kind
And if only fools are kind, Alfie
Then I guess it’s wise to be cruel
And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie
What will you lend on an old golden rule
As sure as I believe there’s a heaven above, Alfie
I know there’s something much more
Something even non-believers can believe in
I believe in love, Alfie
Without true love we just exist, Alfie
Until you find the love you’ve missed you’re nothing, Alfie
When you walk let your heart lead the way
And you’ll find love any day, Alfie, Alfie
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2 Meanings

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Cover art for Alfie lyrics by Burt Bacharach

lovely, touching lyrics. never quite figured out exactly the meaning of ".. what will you lend on an old golden rule?"

Ideas anyone? I know what the Golden Rule is (for example, do unto others as you would have them do unto you), but to lend on it??? strange wording.

@tsreyb Hal David wrote the line and said he was just trying to fill in the words to the music Burt Bacharach had done...he said it actually meant nothing and was open to interpretation. Bacharach liked the line and wanted to keep it.

Generally it's about love. There's filial, romantic and agape love in it. Old golden rule, yes it's what we read in the book., God's love agape, which is the greatest and different to romantic that we feel towards the other. Lastly the filial is 2hat we have for our love ones. You can find these 3 love in the lyrics.

Cover art for Alfie lyrics by Burt Bacharach

tsreyb... I, too, feel it's a strange wording but I came up with this:

To "lend" is an expectation that the same thing (or an equivalent) will be returned. This relates to The Golden Rule where our (presumably kind) actions toward others are similarly returned.

So, I'd say the speaker in the song is asking Alfie why "the strong" would help the weak if there is nothing valuable the weak can provide in return.

My Interpretation

Hi! i think it means lend on the basis or strength of the Golden Rule of "Do unto others etc." Another rule of life, not so famous or sacred-sounding but golden nevertheless, is "What goes around, comes around." So, Alfie: it's not a sign of weakness to be kind and neighborly; it's thoroughly human. Giving is one of the secrets of life. (Sorry if this all sounds preachy.)

Not Valid

I recently listened to NPR and I think the interview was with Greg Kurstin. It was implied that the singer was a womanizer. From that I deduced that to "lend on an old golden rule" implies that fidelity can be loosely interpreted as long as love is implied in the encounters.