Massive Attack: Teardrop Meaning

Teardrop Lyrics

Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word
Fearless on my breath
Gentle impulsion
Shakes me makes me lighter
Fearless on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath

Nine night of matter
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my...

1. Sivanne

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   Feb 16th 2021 !⃝

   https://www.sands.org.uk/professionalsprofessional-resources/teardrop-stickers
   
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27661820/
2. anonymous

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   Jul 22nd 2020 !⃝

   regarding the black flower or perhaps a black rose - Black roses represent tragic romance. A black rose doesn’t stand for happiness, but the sadness, a relationship would bring along.
3. hugbug

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   Oct 20th 2014 !⃝

   Oh, I also meant to say, "water is my eye, most faithful mirror", I think it means that the eyes are the windows to the soul and the tears are the mirror that is reflecting her strong feelings and the tears don't lie. They are a genuine reflection of her love for this person.
4. hugbug

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   Oct 20th 2014 !⃝

   I think I know what Teardrop lyrics mean. She's facing the fireplaceand she's crying with her back turned away from the one she loves. She whispers she loves them under her breath but she's trying to pluck up the courage to tell them hence her tears are hitting the fire. A gentle compulsion is helping her to face them, to tell them. She turns and looks at them, her pupils dilate, like black flowers blossoming, because that's what happens when you like/love someone. She tells them after grappling with herself over it. They stumble a little, they're shocked. But we don't know what happens next. Do they love her too? We'll never know. One of the most beautiful songs ever written. And it's fearless, not feathers. I'm Scottish like Elizabeth and in our accent both words sound quite different.
5. anonymous

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   Aug 23rd 2012 !⃝

   i think the beginning of the song where it says that love is a verb/doing word is basically saying that love is something you physically have to show. It is no good saying I love you if your actions do not back up your words. Love is a doing word so you must actually show that you love a person rather through your actions.
   
   I wonder if this song is perhaps about someone who has a deep hidden love for someone and she is preparing to confess this love to the person hence the line "of a confession". She is trying to be fearless but keeps becoming upset as she contemplates how to confess this love. The whole time she is thinking that it is not enough to express a deep love in words alone she needs to find a way to show it in her actions.
   
   Black is usually a colour associated with depression or darkness and flowers are associated with beauty. The way I interpret the part about black flowers blossoming is that the emotion she is feeling (love)is both beautiful and dark at the same time. The fact that she has been keeping it a secret is hurting her on the inside and making her feel depressed. Her love is blossoming but it is hurting at the same time.
   
   As for the teardrop on the fire line I would say that she is saying that no matter how much she cries the feelings will not go away. Teardrops cannot extinguish a fire and the fire represents her burning love. Or maybe it is meant to be taken literally, that she is sitting looking by a fire and her tears are landing in it.
   
   There are certain parts of this song that I struggle to interpret such as the part where it keeps saying "your stumbling a
   little" , the only thing I can think it means is that the loved one is falling further and further away from her and if she doesnt show or confess her love it will be too late.

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