☝️ Key Points
- The song deals with deep love, loss, and the resulting strength.
- The singer expresses regret and feelings of guilt for not having protected his beloved from his own sins and possibly sees death as liberation.
- There is a longing to see his lost love again and to stand up for that love even in the afterlife.
- The singer asks for strength in the lines 'You give me strength / I'm with you either way / If I die, If I stay, give me strength', strength that he draws from his love.
- Despite the pain and loss felt, the singer does not consider that he has truly lost anything and proudly carries his wounds as a reminder of his love.
Interpretation
The song lyrics 'Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)' by
The Weeknd are about deep love, loss, and the resulting strength. The singer expresses his regret and feelings of guilt for not being able to protect his beloved person from his own mistakes and sins: 'I thought could protect you / From paying for my sins'. He feels that he would deserve punishment because of his mistakes and even sees death as a liberation ('death's a gift').
He expresses his longing and patience to see his lost love again: 'Been living this life so patient / Until I see you again'. He is willing to stand up for his love even in death, as his love is stronger than any external forces or obstacles ('My love for you is greater than their powers / And their armies from above').
In the lines 'You give me strength / I'm with you either way / If I die, If I stay, give me strength', the singer asks for strength, which he gets through the love for this person. He is willing to stay with this person no matter what happens, whether he dies or stays.
In the chorus 'Nothing is lost, no more pain / Just give me strength', the singer expresses that despite the loss and pain he feels, nothing is truly lost. He asks for strength to overcome this pain and move on. The scars and wounds he has ('The scars and the wounds'), he wears proudly like tattoos, as they remind him of his lost love and remind him that he must live patiently in this life until he sees her again.