Synopsis

Howard Jones wanders through Paris in an atmospheric, lightly surreal video that turns everyday encounters into a visual meditation on connection. As he moves through city streets and a park, ordinary people appear to respond to his gestures, while brief scenes of couples and strangers suggest different forms of affection and interaction. The video's graceful movement and autumnal setting complement the song's questioning tone, presenting love less as possession or dependency than as the freedom to let people be themselves.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Paris, with locations including city streets and a park.

• Howard Jones later explained that he was asked to mirror the gestures of the actors. His movements appear to trigger or echo actions taking place elsewhere in the video.

• The visual concept gives the song a gently surreal quality without relying on elaborate sets or special effects. Editing connects Jones' gestures with the behavior of other people, making the city feel subtly responsive to him.

• "What Is Love?" was released in November 1983 as the second single from Jones' debut album, "Human's Lib."

• The song reached No. 2 on the UK singles chart, becoming Jones' highest-charting UK single.

• The song began as a demo titled "Love?" The question-mark motif was also used on posters advertising Jones' early live appearances.

• Jones described the song as an attempt to question romantic dependency rather than write a conventional song about heartbreak. That idea is reflected in the video's open-ended encounters and its emphasis on personal freedom.

• In a contemporary interview, Jones singled out "What Is Love?" among his favorite videos, alongside "Pearl In The Shell" and "Hide And Seek."