Love Is Magic

Album: Love Is Magic (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The fact that John Grant has been unlucky in love many times is something that he largely blames himself for. This synthesizer-heavy, six-and-a-half-minute track finds him determined to persevere in his search for "The One" despite all his past failures regarding matters of the heart.

    When the door opens up for you
    Don't resist, just walk on through
    There is nothing left to lose


    "I have a very difficult time loving people in a way that's not connected to addiction," Grant told BBC 6 Music's Elizabeth Alker. "It makes me sometimes feel like giving up."
  • Grant said of the song in a press release: "Love's a s--tshow that requires work. It's not all lollipops and rainbows and '67 Dodge Dart Hemis and STD's and macaroni and cheese and John Carpenter. But nothing can distract from the fact that, in spite of it all, love is still magic."
  • John Grant sings on the first verse about the juxtaposition of withdrawing from antidepressants following yet another failed romance - one that is especially painful with Sade singing on the radio.

    Have you got depression?
    Passive aggression?
    Did they stop loving you
    And you're the only one who doesn't know?
    You forgot your medication
    And Sade is playing on the radio


    "The absurdity is that you're going through a breakup again and of course it's f---ing Sade on the radio," he explained to The Sun. "The guy who drives me to the airport in Iceland knows I love Sade and her greatest hits CD is the only thing we listen to. I liked the bond with him so I didn't tell him to turn it off."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real Group

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real GroupSong Writing

The leader of the Modern A Cappella movement talks about the genre.

Glen Ballard

Glen BallardSongwriter Interviews

Glen Ballard talks about co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album, and his work with Dave Matthews, Aerosmith and Annie Lennox.

Graham Parker

Graham ParkerSongwriter Interviews

When Judd Apatow needed under-appreciated rockers for his Knocked Up sequel, he immediately thought of Parker, who just happened to be getting his band The Rumour back together.

Which Songs are About Drugs?

Which Songs are About Drugs?Fact or Fiction

"25 or 6 to 4" to "Semi-Charmed Life" - see if you can spot the songs that are really about drugs.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in Rock

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.