Released: 2022
“No One Dies From Love” by Tove Lo unravels a heart-rending tale of a love story gone south, marked by its melodramatic reference to being the first to die from love. This theatrical sentiment is the cornerstone of the song, inviting the listeners into a world where heartbreak isn’t just a metaphorical death but an existential one.
The opening lines, “We were so magical, why end this way?/I know you’re furious, yeah, just like me”, sets the stage for a tempestuous relationship that, despite its ‘magical’ beginnings, has descended into fury and bitterness. The ‘magic’ here captures that early glow of love, when everything seems incandescent and possible – a stark contrast to the bleak ending Lo describes.
The repeated chorus, “No one dies from love/Guess I’ll be the first,” is a striking expression of Lo’s profound heartbreak. It’s a defiant, sarcastic retort to that old saying, used to give comfort, that ‘no one dies from love.’ Tove is saying, ‘Well, I just might be the first.’ In doing so, she gives meaningful weight to her loss, showing that for her, this is not just another breakup—it’s a life-altering catastrophe.
The verse, “It escalated so fast/We yelled things we can’t take back,” creates an image of heated arguments and regretful outbursts — the kind that leaves scars even time can’t heal. This is a classic trope in pop breakup ballads, underscoring the irreversible damage done when words become weapons.
In the heartfelt plea, “Will you remember us?/Or are the memories too stained with blood now?”, ‘blood’ is a hyperbolic, poetic representation of the hurt and damage that’s been done. It suggests the painful emotions are so overwhelming that they’ve ‘stained’ the good memories, tainting the shared past.
Ironically, in the line “No one dies from love/Guess I’ll be the first,” the same adage that’s meant to reassure and comfort becomes a bitter anthem for the rejected lover. Tove adds a twist that captures her heartbreak and also challenges the listener to question the cliché. This is Lo at her finest, turning pop conventions on their head to express the raw, unfiltered reality of heartbreak.
