Your Love

You know, I used to think this was a song about the feeling of falling madly in love. But really, it is a desperate attempt to hold on to someone who is leaving. She was supposed to be an empty fling to ease the pain of his troubled marriage, but he fell in love with her. She is moving on because he won't leave his wife. He should leave his wife because she is sleeping around on him. But he can't because he still feels something for his wife.

This song is about a man who is in a broken relationship. His wife, Josie, openly sleeps around on him, and he uses the euphemism "vacation far away", when really she is away with a lover on a vacation from their marriage. This was common in the 70s and 80s. Alan Alda even made a movie, "Same time next year" about the phenomenon. It tried to argue that this could be part of a healthy relationship. This song demonstrates the opposite point of view.

The girl he is talking to now is just the latest in a long line of flings he uses to ease the pain, "another shoulder to cry upon". Unlike his wife, he is discrete about his affairs, telling them to "keep it under cover".

The line "I like my girls a little bit older" suggests a numbness to the situation and strongly implies she is not the first. Nor is she precisely his type. One can almost hear the word "usually" at the start, as in "Usually I prefer older girls."

However, this girl is special. She has gotten into his head. "I'll do anything for you." "Trying to stop my hands from shaking, but something in my minds not making sense." He usually doesn't feel anything for these girls, but for some reason he is desperate to hold on to this one even though she isn't his type.

The line "its been a while since we were all alone" implies he has seen this girl several times before, which is probably not his usual pattern. It also suggests the length of time since their last rendezvous is unusual for this affair, and that she is starting to resist him.

She has told him that she wants to end it. This is why he has asked her to "come around and talk it over". She wants him to leave his wife, and then in turn he has refused, causing her to want to leave. "Just because you're right don't mean I'm wrong". He acknowledges she is right, but he can't leave his wife.

On this particular occasion, he knows it will be the last time they will see each other. That's the meaning behind the million dollar lines "I don't want to lose your love tonight, I just want to use your love tonight". He entreats her to stay one more time. He needs his fix to cover his wife's latest affair. "please close the door" comes after they are together one last time and implies that he does not expect her to come back. "Remember what I told you" is an admonishment to "keep it under cover" and not tell anyone, not exactly something you say to a lover you expect to be with again.

He must still feel something for his wife. Otherwise he wouldn't feel so much pain from her dalliances, and he wouldn't want to spare her the embarrassment of his affairs. It also explains why he can't leave her. How many of us have stayed with someone we know is bad for us?