I do believe our love's in danger I might as well be loving air
You look at me like I'm a stranger You look at me like I'm not there
I gaze into your eyes of blue but their beauty is not for me You're

Thinking on someone who's gone You're dreaming of the one you really love
I made you mine, or so it seemed Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I might as well be two ft. tall You never will love me at all
You're dreaming of the corpse you really love


Lyrics submitted by Anne Arbour, edited by discobiscu

The One You Really Love Lyrics as written by

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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The One You Really Love song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    Has anyone considered that just maybe this is a straighforward song about a person who is still in love with someone who has died? I'm not getting the whole metaphor vibe, I really think these lyrics are simply what they appear to be.

    Anyway, I'm still in love with a corpse too. Makes maintaining relationships difficult, to say the least. Serial sabotager, etc

    artsluton August 05, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song really hits home. I had a big crush on this guy but he didn't even see me. He hung out with other people and stuff, I felt like a corpse...this song kicks butt! The Magnetic Fields rock!

    lady kiddoon June 22, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the song is so sad and reminds me so much of a couple relationships i've had. stephen merritt is truly one of my favorite songwriters

    deadhead085on December 17, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song reminds me so much of the person i am in love with because she loves another and my feelings are left unreturned. this is exactly what i would say to her if i had the guts and the poetic knowledge.

    anyway, it's a good song. bravo!

    apollo IVon February 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I loooove this song. The first time I heard it the rhythm immediately reminded me of a Johnny Cash song...so did the opening lyrics. This is a great song. I found it on a CD of love songs that my ex-boyfriend made after we broke up once, and he drove home all night to it...good grief. Anyway, it's still a good song.

    adamanteveon October 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the lyrics remind me a lot of Wuthering Heights, as if they were coming from Edgar. I'm sure that's not what it's about, but it fits so perfectly it's a little eerie.

    queasyon August 31, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the lyrics remind me a lot of Wuthering Heights, as if they were coming from Edgar. I'm sure that's not what it's about, but it fits so perfectly it's a little eerie.

    queasyon August 31, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    From the beginning "our love's in danger," this doesn't seem like it's from the point of view of a secret admirer, but more of someone in a relationship. I don't know whether the corpse part is literal(perhaps an ex that passed away?) or simply the one you love longing for someone in their past.

    And sherbear, I hadn't even thought about that! That's an interesting idea.

    toodrunktodreamon November 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "I do believe our love's in danger I might as well be loving air You look at me like I'm a stranger You look at me like I'm not there "

    I like these lines.

    dontplagiarizeon July 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    too relevant to my life right now .__.

    meowlaurenon August 17, 2010   Link

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