What is love?

Howard Jones. Maybe he was a poet of sorts. If 80's pop music is poetry. That could be a discussion for a different blog. For this one I thought I would explore the lyrics of Howard Jones' song and see if he got it right or not...

In the first verse he sings:

"I love you whether or not you love me
I love you even if you think I don’t
Sometimes I find you doubt my love for you
But I don’t mind
Why should I mind, Why should I mind"

Can love exist if it's unrequited? Whether or not Juliet loved Romeo, seemed insignificant to his desire and affection for her. Ross seemed to love Rachel without her loving him back throughout the better chunk of that series. I am just not sure if it's true to say that the person loving doesn't mind that they aren't loved back. I think Romeo desires Juliet's love in return. Ross was certainly pining and wishing and hoping for Rachel's love. Does Howard Jones sing about a love that is different than the one these others felt? Was his love stronger since he didn't mind that the person he's singing to doesn't share his feeling?

The chorus follows:

"What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway
What is love anyway, does anybody Love anybody anyway"


This is an interesting question. Does anybody really love anyway? If it's a feeling and an emotion, that poets and writers and greeting cards have struggled to describe then how can anyone really "know" that they are in love? With divorce rates and domestic violence and the darker side of love, it seems people often think what they feel is love only to find out later it is something else entirely.

The verses continue:

"Can anybody love anyone so much that they will never fear
Never worry never be sad
The answer is they cannot love this much nobody can
This is why I don’t mind you doubting"

The Bible talks about a Love that casts out all fear. A Love that knows no worry. I believe this Love exists and that it's possible that the God the Bible talks about Loves in this manner. Does that make it tangible or possible for a human to feel this love for another? It seems that Howard Jones would say no. And does. I think that people say "Love is Blind". Maybe that sentiment and idea is born from this type of love that has no fear.

The last verse sings:

"And maybe love is letting people be just what they want to be
The door always must be left unlocked
To love when circumstance may lead someone away from you
And not to spend the time just doubting"

The first line of this last verse rings true to me. I have recently felt this type of love in my life. Having someone who cares about be and allows me to be what I want. It's something hard to describe. I feel like doors are unlocked, that there's a freedom that I haven't felt in a relationship before.

The last lines of the song raise some questions for me. To love when circumstance may lead someone away from me. I am not sure exactly what this means next to allowing someone to be who they want? Maybe it's the idea that if you love someone you should set them free and see if they come back to you. I guess I never really believed in that idea. I think love is something that deserves to be perused and fought for. Something that should matter enough to not let it go.

I think overall Ho Jo has some interesting things to say in these lyrics, but I think I'd rather chase after love, to fight for it, and it does matter to me that the love I'm giving and chasing and pursuing is returned. But maybe I've seen too many John Hughes movies...