☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics are a romantic and introspective reflection on the desire to be the one someone wants or needs.
- The singer poses hypothetical questions about who he could or should be to win or impress the loved one.
- The lyrics show the desire and willingness of the singer to do anything to prove and win their love, by playing different roles (soldier, sailor, painter, leader, poet).
- The phrases 'I'd never harm her at all', 'I want to please her again', and 'Her eyes in kisses I would cover' express affection and respect for the loved one, and show the singer's need to make her happy and protect her.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'If I Was' by
Midge Ure are an expression of feelings of love, desire, and self-reflection. The singer poses hypothetical questions about who he could be or should be to impress or win over a loved one.
In the lines 'If I was a better man, Would fellow men take me to their hearts' and 'If I was a stronger man, Carrying the weight of popular demand', the singer reflects on how he could be if he were stronger or better, and whether this would make him more attractive or respectable to others.
The recurring verses 'If I was a soldier, Captive arms I'd lay before her' and 'If I was a sailor, Seven oceans I'd sail to her' show the desire and willingness of the singer to do anything to prove and win his love. He plays with different roles (soldier, sailor, painter, leader, poet) that symbolize different types of commitment, adventure, creativity, and leadership.
The words 'I'd never harm her at all', 'I want to please her again', and 'Her eyes in kisses I would cover' express his deep affection and respect for her, and show his need to make her happy and protect her.
Overall, the lyrics are a romantic and introspective reflection on the desire to be the one someone wants or needs, and the lengths someone would go to show and win their love.