After The Loving
Engelbert Humperdinck
A Serenade of Eternal Love: Engelbert Humperdinck's 'After The Loving'
Engelbert Humperdinck's 'After The Loving' is a tender ballad that captures the essence of enduring love and the intimate moments shared between lovers. The song is a heartfelt serenade, where the singer expresses his deep affection and gratitude towards his partner. The act of singing his partner to sleep symbolizes a nurturing and protective love, emphasizing the comfort and security found in their relationship.
The lyrics reveal the singer's struggle to articulate his emotions face-to-face, highlighting the vulnerability and complexity of expressing love. Despite this difficulty, the singer finds solace in music, using a song he wrote to convey his feelings. This metaphor of music as a medium for expressing love underscores the power of art to communicate emotions that words alone cannot capture. The line, 'But I love you so much that the sound of your voice can make me high,' illustrates the profound impact his partner has on him, elevating his spirits and bringing him immense joy.
The song also reflects on the transformative power of love. The singer thanks his partner for taking him 'on a one way trip to the sun' and 'turning me into a someone,' indicating that their love has given his life new meaning and purpose. This gratitude and acknowledgment of the positive changes brought about by their relationship add depth to the song's emotional landscape. The recurring theme of singing his partner to sleep 'after the loving' reinforces the idea of love as a continuous, ever-present force in their lives, even after the physical act of love has ended.