I'll stay with you one more night
I'll bid you no goodbyes
Not until tomorrow's light 
Then I'll say goodnight
Well, I would really rather die 
Than make you stop
I think that is the meaning of love

I think that is the meaning of love
And I prefer to kick it
Yes I think that is the meaning of love
And I prefer to kick it, kick the habit

Well, I'm waited for in Egypt 
It's just something I must do
Yes, I can see you're waited for all over you
All day and all night, all over the world
It's your world

I think that is the meaning of love
And I'm prepared to kick it
Yes I think that is the meaning of love
And I prefer to kick it

So what is this when you can
What is this, what about me?
What is this (What is this)?
I understand (I understand)
What was this?
I'm lonely, I'm lonely (I'm lonely)

It's a strange kind of love affair 
A symphony of sorts
Strange kind of love affair 
A declaration of war
No, I won't be here tomorrow night 
You won't see me smiling
Tomorrow when it's very dark
No crying
 
I think that is the meaning of love
And I prefer to kick it
Yes, I think that is the meaning of love 
Surrender 

Well, I think that is the meaning of love
And I prefer to kick it
Yes, I think that is the meaning of love
But I prefer to kick it

Well, I loved you more than life itself
(Nothing like forever more)
But I'm prepared to kick it
(Something like dying)
Yes, I loved you more than life itself
But I'm prepared to kick it
I think that is the meaning of love
But I'm prepared to kick it...

---

WEBMISTRESS speculates:

OK, this song is a little vague, but here's my take on it. Of course, I think she's talking to Lindsey, as I always do! I think this is another introspection on their breakup similar to Street Angel on the same album. She says in that song that she left "for the both of us" and here, I think she is reiterating that. She knows she's having a destructive effect on him, but rather than make him "stop" (whether musically or romantically) she'll sacrifice and "kick" the habit of the love that's bringing them down - the love that's like "a declaration of war" because it's so tempestuous. The fact that she's willing to give up the love that she cherishes, a man who she "loved...more than life itself", for the greater good of Lindsey is, in her opinion, the REAL "meaning of love." I think Lindsey might debate that.

 

JOHN speculates:

The strangest line in KICK IT (a classic drug reference - the lyric even says "Kick the habit"!) is "I'm waited for in Egypt". I always thought this was an excessive "I'm such an important rock star" type lryic - in fact, it made me cringe with embarassment for Stevie when I first heard it. But that's not her meaning at all. In Wilde's THE HAPPY PRINCE, a beautiful swallow who is supposed to migrate with the rest of the flock to Egypt stops by a sad Eurpoean town full of social injustice. The Happy Prince is a golden statue with jewels in his eyes and his sword holster. He asks the swallow to postpone his trip south and distribute the jewels to the poor people of the town. It takes many days to complete the tasks and it grow progressively colder. Every time the Prince asks him to stay, the swallow replies, "I'm waited for in Egypt". But he stays and winter comes and he eventually freezes in a snowstorm at the foot of the statue which, now strippied of its treasures, is regarded by the townspeople to be a heap of junk. There's a happy ending, but I won't give it away : ) The Prince and the swallow have died of their love for each other.

I won't hazard to guess what Stevie meant about all of this in its entirety, but I think it's essentially a positive song - once drugs and lunatic romance are out of the way, she can live again. "I think that is the meaning of love/And I'd prefer to kick it".

 

MBC speculates:

The reference to Egypt I feel is related to her 2nd round in rehab. Stevie checked herself into a program called "Exodus". "Well I'm waited for in Egypt, it's just something I must do..." The Exodus, or the start of becoming free (here, freedom from Rx drugs) take place in Egypt.