If Not for Love
Echoes of Humanity: Johnny Cash's Reflection on Love's Redemption
Lyrics
A broken man moves slowly down the sidewalk
A man who is emotionally shattered moves slowly down the sidewalk.
Humbled by the favours he must seek
He feels humbled because he needs favors from others.
From those that he encounters on
He seeks help from those he encounters on his journey through misery.
His walk through misery
The journey is a difficult one, filled with suffering.
Who are rich enough to hurt
He encounters people who have the wealth and power to cause harm.
Just as they please
These affluent individuals can hurt others as they please.
If not for love I could be one of these
He reflects that if not for love, he could be one of these affluent and callous individuals.
An old man on a park bench stares with envy
An elderly man sitting on a park bench observes with longing or admiration.
At a couple with their
He watches a couple with their children on their knees.
Children on their knees
Meanwhile, across the park, a young man is apprehended by the police.
While across the park a young man
He is caught stealing to sustain a habit.
Is caught by the police
Reflecting on these scenes, the narrator acknowledges that if not for love, he could be like the young thief.
Stealing for a habit he must feed
The thief steals to feed an addiction.
And if not for love I could be one of these
The narrator contemplates that without love, he could be like the thief or others in similar situations.
I could be one of these or so many many more
The narrator considers the possibility of being like many others who are at the mercy of shame.
Always at the beck and call of shame
He expresses gratitude for being chosen by love, preventing him from succumbing to shame.
I'm thankful I was called by love
He acknowledges that love has called him to walk among the happy.
To walk among the happy
If not for the love he has received, he might be unknown and overlooked.
But if not for you love
He acknowledges the transformative power of love in shaping his identity.
Wouldn't know my name
Without love, he might not be recognized or acknowledged.
A man of squander talents vainly calls on
A man with wasted talents desperately relies on his God-given gift.
His gift of God now
His talents are strained and struggling within his soul.
Straining through his soul
Among the crowd, a jealous friend eagerly awaits the moment when the man's talents no longer please.
While in the crowd before him
There is a sense of competition or envy among peers.
A jealous friend await's
The jealous friend anticipates the decline of the man's ability to please others.
The moments that he can no longer please
The narrator reflects that without love, he could be like the man with wasted talents or others facing similar challenges.
And if not for love I could be one of these
The jealous friend eagerly awaits the moment when the man's talents no longer please.
Yes if not for love I could be one of these
The narrator concludes by reiterating that, indeed, if not for love, he could be like any of the individuals mentioned in the song.
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