Song Meaning
Lloyd Price's rendition of "What Is This Thing Called Love" cuts straight to the existential quick of romance, a question mark aimed at the heavens. Forget easy answers or sentimental platitudes; Price wrestles with love's inherent paradox, its baffling capacity to elevate and devastate in the same breath. The repeated question, "What is this thing called love?" isn't a naive inquiry but a seasoned lament, tinged with the bitterness of experience. It's the age-old question asked anew, not by a starry-eyed innocent, but by someone who's felt the sharp sting of heartbreak.
The simplicity of the lyrics belies a profound emotional complexity. Price isn't just puzzled; he's wounded. The line "You took my heart and you threw it away" speaks volumes, painting a picture of vulnerability betrayed. There's a raw honesty in his confusion, a refusal to sugarcoat the pain of unrequited or lost love. He doesn't seek blame or offer accusations, instead turning to a higher power for answers, underscoring the sense that love's capriciousness is beyond human comprehension.
The song's cyclical structure, with the central question repeated like a mantra, emphasizes the obsessive nature of heartbreak. It's a question that replays in the mind, a loop of confusion and pain. This repetition mirrors the way we often revisit painful memories, searching for meaning where none may exist. The "funny thing called love" is anything but funny in Price's interpretation; it's a cruel trickster, a force that defies logic and leaves us questioning everything we thought we knew about ourselves and the world.
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