Introduction:
The human heart grapples with few questions as profound as what to do with a love that has nowhere left to go. In a world of loud, over-the-top anthems, it takes a special kind of artistry to capture this quiet, intimate ache. In his vast catalog of romantic masterpieces, few songs explore this melancholy more perfectly than Johnny Mathis’s poignant ballad, “What Do You Do With The Love.” It is a track that stands as a testament to his unique ability to find the most breathtaking beauty in the most somber of emotions.
The song doesn’t dwell on anger, regret, or a dramatic retelling of a breakup. Instead, it asks a more intimate, heartbreaking question that resonates with anyone who has ever experienced loss: what happens to the affection you still hold when the object of that affection is gone? It’s the love you’ve cultivated, the shared memories you still carry, and the future you planned that now has no place to go. The lyrics are a quiet meditation on this very real and often-ignored aspect of a relationship’s end.
Mathis delivers this powerful message with a breathtaking vulnerability and an elegant restraint that only he could muster. His silken voice, a hallmark of his career, here becomes a vessel for quiet desperation. He doesn’t over-emote; he simply is the emotion, drawing the listener into a moment of shared, somber reflection. The subtle shifts in his tone and the effortless control he maintains throughout the song make the heartbreak feel even more personal and real.
More than just a song of sorrow, “What Do You Do With The Love” is a piece of cathartic art. It gives voice to a universal feeling that is difficult to put into words, providing solace in the knowledge that you are not alone in your quiet struggle. It is a powerful reminder that some of the deepest human truths are best explored not with a shout, but with a whisper, and a rare, masterful touch.