Love’s Not Enough: My Song About Love, Compromise & Sacrifice
This episode of Eighty Unplugged features my song “Love’s Not Enough”. As always with each episode there is an accompanying blog. I wrote this song when entering a more serious stage early in my relationship with my now-husband, JJ. Here is a closer look into the story behind my song.
Eighty Unplugged LIVE!
This episode officially kicks off Season Two of Eighty Unplugged. We wanted to try something a little different, so this episode was initially performed as a live event at The Dead Canary in Philipsburg, PA. Instead of a typical interview/discussion format, the event, and subsequent recorded episode, is more of a presentation. Through the exploration of my song “Love’s Not Enough,” I tried to encourage listeners to dive deeper into the lyrics of music they enjoy by embracing them like homemade meals, exploring the craft of creating the song, and the lyrics that brought the ideas to life.
The show ended the same way the episode did, with a request to hear what the audience thought the song was about. Here are some of the fun responses people shared with me. After specifically referencing the line “nothing I can do that I ain’t done”, one listener said it made them think of a one-sided relationship where only one party was attempting to make it work. Another listener said it made them think of the movie “The Longest Ride,” where the couple in the movie had to learn to make sacrifices for one another.
My father attended the show and shared his thoughts on the meaning as well. He said it’s about getting past puppy love and seeing the hard work it takes to make a relationship work. It was awesome to hear everyone’s interpretation! Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out.
Love’s Not Enough
It's Not Enough to be the One…
Nothing I can do that I ain’t done
Nothing I can sing, that I ain’t already sung
It’s not enough to be the one
Nothing I can do but give up and move on
The first stage of love is the most notorious. It’s where most Rom-Coms and fairy tales take place. The time between strangers and lovers is exciting in its uncertainty, building up to when you both profess your love for one another. That’s where the “…and they both lived happily ever after” usually rolls through. Where the movies typically end is where a real relationship actually starts.
I was inspired to write this song, about a year into dating JJ. It was in the post-end-credits part of our love story where we truly began to see how we fit into each other’s lives. I started to see the differences between us and the reality of certain situations. We are two different people who could complement each other or contrast each other. It became more obvious that love wasn’t the only thing needed to make our relationship last.
It Takes Compromise and Sacrifice…
Love’s not enough
To keep you preoccupied, satisfied
Love’s not enough
It takes compromise and sacrifice
Loves not enough
To make you still be mine
I’m not wise enough to say whether love is a choice, but staying in a relationship can be. Relationships are complex and full of compromises. The battle is figuring out how much of yourself you're willing to change and where the line is between changing for someone or growing with someone. In my relationship with JJ, he would push me out of my comfort zone or challenge me to change aspects of myself. I felt like he wasn’t accepting me for who I was. And in a way, that is true. He had expectations for our relationship that would require sacrifice.
Some Want Another Just to Feel Complete…
Every person has a need
Some want another just to feel complete
I see the heights you aim to reach
These expectations I could never meet
Whether they are healthy or unhealthy, we all have “needs” we think our significant other should fulfill. For me, I was seeking a friend and confidant; a person to cut through my loneliness. I found that in JJ. He saw potential in our relationship which at first felt unattainable. It took maturing for me to realize I don’t need to stay the same forever.
I think you fall in love with someone for who they are and stay in the relationship for who the person becomes, over and over again. I wrote this song as I realized we weren’t in this relationship to stay the same forever. We both had a great deal of compromises and sacrifices to become a healthy partnership. It’s been almost a decade now and with every life stage we become different versions of ourselves together.
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by Eighty
Verse 1:
Nothing I can do that I ain’t done
Nothing I can sing, that I ain’t already sung
It’s not enough to be the one
Nothing I can do but give up and move on
Chorus:
Love’s not enough
To keep you preoccupied, satisfied
Love’s not enough
It take compromise and sacrifice
Say loves not enough
To make you still be mine
Verse 2:
Every person has a need
Some want another just to feel complete
I see the heights you aim to reach
These expectations I could never meet
Chorus:
Love’s not enough
To keep you preoccupied, satisfied
Love’s not enough
It take compromise and sacrifice
Say loves not enough
To make you still be mine
Bridge:
All I have is love
All I have is love
All I have is love
And it’s not enough
Chorus:
Love’s not enough
To keep you preoccupied, satisfied
Love’s not enough
It take compromise and sacrifice
Say loves not enough
To make you still be mine
Conclusion
When I started writing this song I thought I was coming to terms with the end of my relationship with JJ. Songwriting gave me an outlet to truly understand what my own thoughts were. Through writing this song, I realized that I needed to grow for the relationship to work. Love was not, and is not enough, to tie us together. We have to wake up every day and make the effort. But that’s only my opinion. I’ve loved hearing how other people interpreted the lyrics. What do you think this song is about?
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