The Dumbing Down of Love

I believe this song is about an artist who is struggling with writing a love song. The artist is have all the people around her telling her to write a love song so she could make it big, but the type of love song they want is one that she can't write. When she says "And if I tell you, Lover alone without love. What will happen? Lover alone without love. Will you listen? Lover alone without love" She's speaking to the listener. Asking them that if she wrote a love song that will get air play, but be untrue to the actual meaning of love, would they listen to it? Will they make her famous? And the line "Music is worthless, unless it can make a complete stranger cry" May be the opinion of the opposing forces around her. They keep telling her to write a song that's going to speak to the LISTENER about love, instead of writing a song that speaks to her. She's completely overwhelmed by that. She wonders why would they want her to write a song for a complete stranger? The genius to this song is at the very beginning when she says "Well painted passion, you rightly suspect, Impersonation, the dumbing down of love, Jaded in Anger, Love underwhelms you, No box of chocolates, whichever way you fall...". She's talking about the popular love songs. How they're all copies of each other, and they all say the same things. She mentions two types of love songs in that part of the song. The songs that talk about how they suspect someone loves them and the other is when love didn't turn out the way they thought it would. It's always the same formula in pop culture. I think the whole song is mocking love songs in general. The title "The Dumbing Down Of Love" talks about how love songs make love sound so simple. How if she writes her music just to make it big and just uses the same usual material for her songs, it's dumbing down her music. It's dumbing down the idea of love. And she mocks songs in pop culture; by saying that they dumb down love.

This song is absolutely beautiful. The music accompanied by Imogen's voice is what makes this song for me. If this song was done in any other way I probably wouldn't love it as much.

And I'd like to add something. I've just recently discovered Frou Frou and Imogen Heap. Let me tell you, I've never listened to any other music that has spoken to me just as much as their music. I'm really hoping Frou Frou comes out with another album! But I'm still eagerly anticipating Imogen's third album! Her music is absolutely amazing.

Music is worthless unless it can make a complete stranger break down and cry.

♥

"Well-painted passion" is whether intentionally or not a Shakespeare reference, Othello uses it describe Desdemona at one point (A4 S1 L253). Hell yeah books.

perfection like a lot of imogen heap songs, i think it has several different themes running through it love music friendship, passion, and envy disappointment if you can't see it, look closer because it's all there

This song is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. It reminds me of unrequited love, a person loves but gets no love in return. "Lover alone with love." If you've ever been in that situation, you know how it tears at your heart. If you've seen the movie Magnolia, you know the line: "I have all this love and no where to put it." That is what this song identifies in me.

it's amazing, it's on repeat, it's beautiful.

is everyone positive she's not singing "love will roll on without love" cuz i've always heard it that way and am now disappointed that she may not have been singing that at all

Complete adoration to this song. bows Absolute and utter beauty. I'm going to cry now.

Oh, by the way, I always thought it was "Will you listen?" instead of "Will you miss him?" I'm not sure if that's just me though..

it's about an artist (likely, a musician) who has doesn't know love but is trying to write a love song. "Well painted passion. You rightly suspect" I think she is saying "will you listen" not "miss him"