Like all emotions, love is just as vague. Like you can use the words annoyance, ire, irritation, temper or wrath to describe various facets or levels of the same emotion generally known as anger, you can use affection, intimacy, adoration, passion to describe love too. And just like emotions, relationships are not limited to lovers alone.

It is probably a joy in itself when a person you wish to have an association with reciprocates your feelings. One sided relationships, are probably the worst thing that can happen to anyone. This one song by I heard from Madonna’s 1999 album ‘Ray of Light’ expresses the pain very accurately. The song itself can be interpreted at different levels.

It can either be about what is called as the forbidden fruit – the one you can have and keep but not enjoy or be enriched with. This song symbolizes a love where either one of the partners has moved on while the other still hasn’t but they are stuck together for some strange reason.

Or they are trying to mend a broken relationship but the girl here doesn’t feel that her lover is making any visible effort to save the intimacy that once existed between them. Or else, this song is about a one sided relationship, where both people involved are not interpreting the bond in the same light, where the girl (in this case) is clearly in love with the guy but he seems to treat her as a substitute: like in the movie ‘My best friend’s wedding’. Take a look at the lyrics and judge for yourself!!

To Have and Not To Hold
To have and not to hold
So hot, yet so cold
My heart is in your hand
And yet you never stand
Close enough for me to have my way

To love but not to keep
To laugh, not to weep
Your eyes, they go right through
And yet you never do
Anything to make me want to stay

Chorus:
Like a moth to a flame
Only I am to blame
Ba ba da ba ba ba
What can I do?
Ba ba da ba ba ba
I go straight to you
Ba ba da ba ba ba
I’ve been told
You’re to have, not to hold

To look but not to see
To kiss but never be
The object of your desire
I’m walking on a wire
And there’s no one at all
To break my fall

(chorus)

You’re to have, not to hold
You’re to have, not to hold

(chorus)

You’re to have, not to hold
You’re to have, not to hold
You’re to have, not to hold
To break my heart…