When your love "comes tumblin' down" ...

I can't count the times I've wondered what this means. I don't wish to seem pedantic, but what is happening when one's "love comes tumbling down"? It's a phrase in about a million R&B songs.

________

Lil.Fred (who honestly doesn't know)

 

Well, I'm afraid we can't tell you until the midnight hour.




Actually, I think it's akin to saying your feelings come pouring out.

 

You gotta be black to get it! Just joking!

The first song I thought of was "Hangman Jury" by Aerosmith when I read the post.

I think the phrase is self-explainatory, really. If your love goes bad, it's call "tumblin down", as in falling down. OR, it could mean the opposite, as the love coming your way down to you. Ahhh, it's no fun if you have to stop to explain it.

 

I believe it's used in reference to your house of love falling down due to lack of a stable foundation.

 

I like to refer to this line as if your love was as big as a mountain only the mountain started to to come apart and hence your love comes tumbling down!

 

Well, this is what piqued my interest: in context of the songs, it's usually a *positive* thing. I mean Wilson Pickett is obviously looking forward to his love comin' tumbling down. So is Van Morrison in "Listen to the Lion" ... I think!

 

interesting.

i always took it as meaning when a relationship falls apart.

renny

 

Don'cha just love trying to decipher black American slang? Now, try figuring out what the rappers are really saying!

 

Well maybe I have a gutter mind, but from the way Wilson sang it, it sure sounded like a good thing...and I always thought he meant, how shall I say this...the moment when his physical expression of "love" for this woman reached it's climax. But, maybe that's just me. Still, listen to those screams...

 

Ew.

 

"Ew" is right. I'm conjuring up some imposing images.

 

Grant, I'm still working on the Old School rappers! ... BEEN working on "Oodles of O's" by De La Soul since it came out!

 

Lil Fred

You may have to resort to the Alien-English dictionary for De La Soul.