Song Meaning

These lyrics paint a stark picture of enduring grief. A love, declared to "go on and on," persists even as the speaker's world feels utterly "empty." It's a raw articulation of loss, where absence defines every waking moment. The central tension here isn't just loss, but the agonizing persistence of affection in the face of desolation. The speaker's beloved is "always on my mind, tho' out of sight," creating a cruel internal paradox. This love isn't just a memory; it's an active, consuming force that renders life hollow. The lyrics effectively chart an escalation of sorrow, moving from a general "lonesome thru the day" to the stark confession, "But oh! The night / I cry my heart out." This nightly descent into despair culminates in a chilling resignation: "Since nothing matters, let it break." The speaker then turns to the "sun and the moon / The stars that shine," not for comfort, but to pose an almost existential question about the fate of this relentless, painful love. What makes these lyrics so effective is their unflinching portrayal of love as an unyielding force, even when it brings immense suffering. The stark contrasts—love's endurance against life's emptiness, mental presence against physical absence—underscore the speaker's profound anguish. By circling back to "This love of mine" at the close, the lyrics emphasize that this persistent, painful affection isn't just a feeling; it's the very core of the speaker's current existence.