When It's Love

The song presents love as something people seek to fill an inner lack, even when they find it hard to discuss what they need. The repeated questions show uncertainty: the speaker cannot give a clear rule for recognizing love. As the song develops, that uncertainty gives way to confidence in a shared feeling and a hope that the relationship will endure.

The image of “holes” suggests emotional emptiness or unmet needs, rather than literal gaps. Faces in a crowd that “shine” or “keep you guessin’” represent the difficulty of knowing who might become a lasting partner. When someone “comes into focus,” they become clear and significant to the speaker. The phrase “nothing’s missing” suggests a sense of completeness, as if being together resolves the earlier feeling of lack.

The song treats love less as a fact that can be explained than as an experience recognized between two people. “It lasts forever” may express the speaker’s deep belief or hope, not a guarantee that every relationship literally lasts forever. Likewise, feeling complete could mean comfort and closeness, but it need not mean that one person should meet every emotional need. The lyrics leave the exact test for love open: its meaning is something the couple feels together.