☝️ Key Points
- The song portrays love as a dangerous connection that only brings trouble and shatters dreams.
- The statement 'I'll never fall in love again' expresses deep disappointment and pain.
- Love is compared to an illness that weakens and then leaves.
- The singer feels liberated from the 'chains of love' and is glad to have left them behind.
- The last verses emphasize the negative aspects of love, especially lies, pain, and sorrow.
Interpretation
"What do you get when you fall in love?" is a song by
Burt Bacharach that highlights the negative side of love. The lyrics portray a disillusioned and hurt perspective on love.
In the opening verses "What do you get when you fall in love? A girl with a pin to burst your bubble. That's what you get for all your trouble", love is described as a dangerous connection in which one only gets trouble. The 'bubble' that bursts symbolizes the dreams and hopes one has in love, but ultimately get disappointed.
The chorus "I'll never fall in love again" is a strong statement expressing the deep disappointment and suffering the singer has experienced through love.
In the following verses "What do you get when you kiss a girl? You get enough germs to catch pneumonia. After you do, she'll never phone ya", love is compared to an illness that weakens and then leaves you.
The lines "Don't tell me what it's all about 'cause I've been there and I'm glad I'm out. Out of those chains, those chains that bind you" express the liberation the singer feels after leaving love behind.
The final verses "What do you get when you fall in love? You only get lies and pain and sorrow. So far at least until tomorrow" emphasize once again the negative aspects of love, this time with a focus on lies, pain, and sorrow.
Overall, the song portrays a cynical and disillusioned view of love, stemming from personal bad experiences."