What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)

The singer is deeply in love and wants the other person to love him back. He asks what he can do to make that happen, suggesting he has already tried many ways to show his feelings. The emotion moves between hope and frustration: he believes his love should be clear, but he still does not know whether it has reached the other person.

The repeated question, “What does it take,” is a way of asking what effort or change might finally win someone’s affection. Calling the hoped-for relationship a “dream” suggests that it feels desired but not yet real. “Make you see how much I love you” uses seeing to mean understanding or recognizing his feelings, not simply looking at him.

The lyrics leave the other person’s feelings unclear. The singer says he thought they understood, yet keeps asking for a sign, so his confidence is mixed with uncertainty. His repeated promises to try may sound devoted, but they can also suggest that love cannot be earned just by making more effort. The song presents his longing from his own point of view; it does not tell us why the other person has not responded.