Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!

Song Meaning

This song paints a picture of a woman, Kate, who feels trapped in a marriage to a man she clearly finds unworthy. She laments her choice, contrasting the "millionaires" and potential "banker" or "broker" she could have had with her current situation. The opening lines set a tone of self-recrimination, framing her marriage as a "dirty trick" and her love as foolishness. The dominant emotion is a weary resignation, a sense of having made a terrible mistake that she can't easily undo. The central tension lies in Kate's conflicting feelings: she acknowledges her husband's flaws – his lack of money, his quarreling nature, his foolishness – yet she still loves him. This paradox fuels her lament, as she feels "all at sea" at the thought of leaving him, despite recognizing her own "slavey" status and the general consensus that he's a "faker." This internal conflict between her rational assessment and her emotional attachment is the core of her "woe." The lyrics cleverly use domestic servitude imagery to highlight her dissatisfaction. She "fetch[es] his slippers" and "cook[s] the kippers," mundane tasks that underscore her diminished status. The contrast between her potential suitors – a "banker," a "broker" – and her actual husband, who "hasn't got a dime," emphasizes the perceived downgrade. The recurring phrase "Boy! What love has done to me!" acts as a bitter, almost exasperated exclamation, summarizing her feeling of being undone by her own affection. What makes these lyrics resonate is their unflinching portrayal of a common, if painful, human experience: loving someone despite their shortcomings and the sacrifices that entails. The narrator's self-awareness, coupled with her inability to break free from her emotional ties, creates a palpable sense of pathos. The song captures that specific brand of regret where one knows better, but the heart, for better or worse, has already made its choice, leaving her "all at sea" but still "lo[ving] the dirty so-and-so."