What Is This Thing Called Love

Song Meaning

This song grapples with the bewildering nature of love, framing it as an unsolvable mystery. The narrator is left questioning its very essence after a painful experience. The immediate tone is one of confusion and a touch of self-pity, wondering why love has made a fool of them. The central conflict arises from a profound personal betrayal. The lyrics describe a moment of perceived beauty – seeing someone on a "wonderful day" – which quickly devolves into heartbreak. This person, who seemingly captured the narrator's heart, then callously discarded it, leaving the narrator in a state of bewildered pain and seeking answers. The repetition of "What is this thing called love?" underscores the narrator's desperate search for understanding. It's not just a question, but a plea, amplified by the invocation of "the Lord up in Heaven above." The contrast between the "wonderful day" and the subsequent act of having their heart "threw it away" highlights the sudden, disorienting shift from joy to despair that love can apparently inflict. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their directness and the raw vulnerability they convey. The simple, repeated question and the stark imagery of a heart being thrown away create a powerful sense of relatable anguish. It captures that moment when love, instead of bringing happiness, leaves you utterly perplexed and questioning everything.