☝️ Key Points
- The song expresses rejection and aversion towards love.
- Different symbols of love are mentioned that are to be liquidated.
- There seems to be a personal touch in the lyrics when the singer talks about unrequited love.
- At the end of the song, the question is asked of what love actually is.
- Overall, the song lyrics are an expression of rejection and frustration towards romantic notions of love.
Interpretation
"Down with Love" is a song that expresses rejection and aversion towards love. The lyrics criticize romantic notions of love and the pain it often brings. The singer urges to reject love and everything associated with it.
The lyrics touch on various elements of love, such as flowers, rice, shoes, the moon, June, roses, and the end of a rainbow. These things are considered symbols of love and are meant to be "liquidated", that is, rejected and eliminated.
The lines "Down with eyes romantic and stupid, Down with sighs, down with cupid" express contempt for romantic and naive clichés of love. The singer wants to abolish these ideas and give up belief in love.
There also seems to be a personal touch in the lyrics when the singer says, "You are the one... And I don't stand a chance with a ghost like you". This could indicate that she has experienced unrequited love and therefore expresses her aversion towards love.
Towards the end of the song, the question is posed, "What is this thing called love?" This question remains open-ended and leaves room for interpretation. It could mean that the singer is still unsure of what love truly is and whether she even wants it.
Overall, the lyrics of "Down with Love" by
Barbra Streisand are an expression of rejection and frustration towards love and the romantic notions associated with it.