When the truth is found to be lies
And all the joy within you dies
Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love
Love, love

When the garden flowers, baby are dead, yes and
Your mind, your mind is so full of red
Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love

Your eyes, I say your eyes may look like his
Yeah, but in your head, baby
I'm afraid you don't know where it is
Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love

Tears are running down
They're all running down your breast
And your friends, baby
They treat you like a guest
Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love


Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Somebody to Love Lyrics as written by Darby R. Slick

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Somebody to Love song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • +11
    General Comment

    Actually, this song was originally written and performed by a band called "The Great Society", which was the band that was started by Grace Slick, Jerry Slick (her 1st husband), and his brother, Darby Slick.

    Grace talks about the song and it's meaning in her autobiography, "Somebody to Love". The song was written by Darby and is about a more grown up version of love... She says they were tired of all of the "Why don't you love me?" songs that were typical of love songs of the era.

    The song means, if you're feeling down and out, and life is handing you a bunch of shit for whatever reason, find somebody to love... To Love in the human sense, not the sexual or romantic sense. To give love, rather than bemoaning not receiving love.

    In her words: "Rather than the loving you're whining about getting or not getting, a more satisfying state of heart might be the loving you're 'giving'. Suggesting that adhering to the old Puritan cliche, 'It's better to give than to receive', might actually make you a happier person. The idea of service and selflessness may sound like a tedious task reserved for bald monks, but the way Darby wrote the lyrics, altruism didn't seem like such a lofty and unattainable state. He gave the impression that giving could even be an enjoyable adventure."

    • Steve
    LAJollaon March 20, 2009   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    God how I love this song. It's so amazing, and the drums and so like heavy but simple...

    .nevermindon April 27, 2005   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I hate how everyone looks at music as a response to heartbreak. Not all music is about that. I feel like she's saying that when you feel like everything you thought was true is betrayed, the first thing you look for is solace in someone/something else. I understand how it might seem like the verses make no sense, but when you really open your mind they really do, like "but in your head, baby, i'm afraid you don't know where it is" - I think this is like when you're involved with someone who doesn't think at all about real things (society, the universe, etc), they're too involved with the false - the superficial things provided as distractions by society. I think when listening to this music it's important to remember the things that were going on in this time period, it really helps you gain perspective.

    whatadragon July 04, 2006   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I do not know about you guys....but this version is better...NOT the Janis Joplin version....It is a really good song, and the music video is great too....you can find it pretty easy. For some reason in the video she was holding a electric cord in it....lose the microphone?

    TidewaterHippieon April 11, 2007   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Ok, instead of trying to work out what it means, why don't you all do you research into the song and actually find out what its meant to mean? The Best of Jefferson Airplane booklet says that it was the bands "adult" response to "I wanna Hold your hand" by The Beatles, Grace Slick stated in a BBC documentory "of course you dont wanna hold her hand, you wanna dick her!". The opening lyrics "when the truth is found to be lies, and all of the joy within you dies" could prehaps soundtrack a time of innocence, when people were turning a blind eye to the war in vietnam because they believed it to be right. And The Jefferson Airplane original is so much better than all the covers out there.

    Voltumnaon April 22, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    its about living your life with no one to love and acting like you dont care but everyone knows you do

    i fucking love this song

    GypsyRoseon January 12, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I hate the remix of this song. But the original is a true classic.

    hastalavictoriaon January 15, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The repetitive parts make sense, and I like the song, but the verse parts are odd.

    Rosaline23on September 18, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think its like reflecting what happens when you party too much and you think everything is so secure, but then people dick you over and everything becomes like a downward spiral... that's just what it makes me think of...

    hoydenon October 13, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    good song i always find myself singing it haha catchy

    THE WHO 191on December 26, 2006   Link

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