3 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Love Without Anger Lyrics
Love without anger
He picked up the phone and took the call
A long distance voice just started to bawl
I don't care if you feel small
Love without anger isn't love at all
Why can't you have your cake and eat it too
Why believe in things that make it tough on you
Why scream and cry when you know it's through
Why fall in love when there's better things to do
Barbie and ken in a great big fight
Seems ken forgot to make it home one night
You know what you are seeing simply can't be right
Looks like love's bark is worse than its bite
He was young and in love
So he just couldn't see
And it compelled him to ask
Are you kidding me?
You must be kidding me!
Love without teardrops isn't the same
He asked to be counted out of her game
She thought it him who was so insane
Love is what it does by any other name
He picked up the phone and took the call
A long distance voice just started to bawl
I don't care if you feel small
Why can't you have your cake and eat it too
Why believe in things that make it tough on you
Why scream and cry when you know it's through
Why fall in love when there's better things to do
Barbie and ken in a great big fight
You know what you are seeing simply can't be right
Looks like love's bark is worse than its bite
So he just couldn't see
And it compelled him to ask
Are you kidding me?
You must be kidding me!
He asked to be counted out of her game
She thought it him who was so insane
Love is what it does by any other name
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
this song forces the impending doom of reminder to one of my worst relationships. however, it also keys in the tune of knowing that relationships are hard as hell. there are going to be a lot of mistakes, anger, and frustration. but it comes down to one thing, you wouldn't be angry if you didn't care... you just need to control that misdirected agression.
Yeah, it seems to be saying that if you let yourself feel the extreme emotion of love, you're also letting yourself in for the extereme emotion of hate/anger. There seems to be an undercurrent of "say no to love" in the song; "why fall in love when there's better things to do?"
Then again, "love's bark is worse than its bite;" maybe the anger is temporary, beaten by the love. But the "young and in love" guy is new to the whole thing - "you must be kidding me" - so he makes the decision just not to love anymore. Is he immature or is Devo saying that this is a valid choice?
I feel that Devo is mocking the idea that love has to necessarily be filled with bouts of anger and that it must be desired this way and must be seen as natural. The anger and frustration in the love depicted here is the result of socially constructed pressures that are put on interpersonal relationships. The young man in the song steps outside of this frame of mind, sees that the "love" that he is experiencing isn't consistent with what he naturally desires, and decides to just give up on it altogether.