When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You

The speaker looks back on a marriage that began with serious promises but became marked by repeated conflict, hurt, and distrust. He says both partners tried to repair the relationship, yet those efforts did not work, and he now feels he must leave for his own well-being. The mood shifts between anger and sadness, then toward a more accepting farewell: he wishes the other person well, even as he still feels wounded.

The wedding vows represent a promise meant to last, and the speaker’s claim that they became “lies” shows how deeply he feels that promise was broken. “Pretty birds / Fly away” suggests leaving a painful situation to seek freedom or safety. The comparison of love to “mellow wine” recalls its warmth and pleasure, while “miles of tears” conveys how much sorrow followed.

The repeated question—when each person stopped loving the other—has no clear answer in the lyrics. It may express genuine confusion, or it may show that love faded gradually through arguments and disappointments rather than ending at one identifiable moment. The speaker’s memories are also mixed: he wants to forget the painful parts but preserve the joy they once shared. His farewell sounds generous, but his prediction that the other person will never be satisfied suggests lingering resentment beneath that generosity.