After graduating from UCLA in 2002, Bareilles performed at local bars and clubs. She issued two demos of mostly live tracks in 2003: The First One in April and The Summer Sessions in October.
In January 2004, Bareilles released her first studio album, Careful Confessions. She signed a contract with Epic Records' A&R executive Pete Giberga on April 15, 2005. The remainder of the year and early 2006 was spent writing and reworking songs for her upcoming album.
Her debut major-label album Little Voice came out on July 17, 2007.
Love Song
Sara Bareilles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they tell me
To breathe easy for a while
The breathing gets harder, even I know that
Made room for me it's too soon to see
If I'm happy in your hands
I'm unusually hard to hold onto
No easy way to say this
You mean well, but you make this hard on me
I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you asked for it
'Cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to stay
If all you have is leavin'
I'ma need a better reason
To write you a love song today
(Yeah) Today, yeah
I learned the hard way
That they all say
Things you wanna hear
My heavy heart sinks deep down under
You and your twisted words
Your help just hurts
You are not what I thought you were
Hello to high and dry
Convinced me to please you
Made me think that I need this too
I'm trying to let you hear me as I am
I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you asked for it
'Cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to stay
If all you have is leavin'
I'ma need a better reason
To write you a love song today
Promise me
That you'll leave the light on
To help me see
With daylight, my guide, gone
'Cause I believe there's a way
You can love me because I say
I won't write you a love song
'Cause you asked for it
'Cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this
Is that why you wanted a love song?
'Cause you asked for it
'Cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to stay
If your heart is nowhere in it
I don't want it for a minute
Babe, I'll walk the seven seas when I believe that
There's a reason to write you a love song today
Today, (yeah) yeah
In Sara Bareilles' song "Love Song," she expresses frustration towards the expectation of writing and performing a love song for someone. The first verse paints a picture of feeling suffocated in a relationship and unsure if the other person can handle her. The vulnerability that comes with writing a love song is intimidating, and Sara refuses to do it just because someone asked her to. The chorus reiterates this idea, emphasizing that love songs should come from genuine emotion, not pressure.
The second verse addresses how people can deceive artists with their intentions and manipulative language, which can be especially dangerous for those who are sensitive to their audience's feedback. Sara wants to be seen for who she is, flaws and all. She does not want to be molded into something she is not just to please someone else.
The final part of the song is her standing her ground and insisting that a love song must come from a place of genuine emotion. She refuses to write one just because someone asks her to or because it's supposed to fix something. The last line repeated throughout the song, "I'm not gonna write you a love song today," can be seen as a rejection of the trope that a love song can fix any problem or relationship. The song ends with Sara insisting she needs a good reason to write a love song, suggesting that someone deserving of a love song could understand the depth of the request and respect her creative autonomy.
Line by Line Meaning
Head underwater
Feeling suffocated and overwhelmed
And they tell me
Receiving advice from others
To breathe easy for a while
To relax and take a break
The breathing gets harder, even I know that
The situation is getting tougher, and it is noticeable
Made room for me it's too soon to see
Unknown future in the relationship
If I'm happy in your hands
Doubts about the relationship's ability to bring happiness
I'm unusually hard to hold onto
Acknowledgement of being difficult to deal with in the relationship
Blank stares at blank pages
Writer's block due to not having meaningful relationship experiences
No easy way to say this
Difficulty in conveying a message
You mean well, but you make this hard on me
The person is causing difficulty, even though they have good intentions
I'm not gonna write you a love song
Refusal to follow the other person's request
'Cause you asked for it
The person insists on a love song
'Cause you need one
The person is emotionally dependent on a love song
If you're on your way
If the person is leaving
I'm not gonna write you to stay
Refusal to write a love song to make the person stay
If all you have is leavin'
If the person only has the intention to leave
I'ma need a better reason
Requirement for a more compelling reason for writing a love song
To write you a love song today
Refusal to write a love song for now
I learned the hard way
Knowledge gained through painful experience
That they all say
Not everyone is honest
Things you wanna hear
People will say what you want to hear
My heavy heart sinks deep down under
A weight of sadness that feels impossible to escape
You and your twisted words
The person's words are dishonest and manipulative
Your help just hurts
The person's help is not helpful and is doing more harm than good
You are not what I thought you were
The person has been misrepresented, and they aren't how I initially perceived them
Hello to high and dry
Acknowledgement to feeling lost and unsupported
Convinced me to please you
Under pressure to do things for the person's satisfaction
Made me think that I need this too
The person convinced me that I also wanted what they wanted
I'm trying to let you hear me as I am
Attempts to communicate true feelings and thoughts
Promise me
Request for assurance
That you'll leave the light on
Request for support and brightness during tough times
To help me see
Assistance to see things clearly
With daylight, my guide, gone
The loss of hope and direction
'Cause I believe there's a way
Belief that there is a solution to the problems within the relationship
You can love me because I say
The requirement for acceptance of authenticity and individuality
Is that why you wanted a love song?
Questioning the other person's true motives
If your heart is nowhere in it
If the person's heart isn't fully committed to the relationship
I don't want it for a minute
The rejection of being emotionally unfulfilled
Babe, I'll walk the seven seas when I believe that
The promise of effort, only when it feels justified
There's a reason to write you a love song today
The condition for writing a love song
Today, (yeah) yeah
The present moment of refusal to write a love song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sara Bareilles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pride317
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Head underwater and they tell me
To breathe easy for a while
The breathing gets harder, even I know that
Made room for me, it's too soon to see
If I'm happy in your hands
I'm unusually hard to hold on to
[Pre-Chorus]
Blank stares at blank pages
No easy way to say this
You mean well, but you make this hard on me
[Chorus]
I'm not gonna write you a love song
Cause you asked for it, cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song
Cause you tell me it's make or break in this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to stay
If all you have is leaving, I'm a need a better reason
To write you a love song today
(Yeah) Today, yeah
[Verse 2]
I learned the hard way that they all say
Things you wanna hear
And my heavy heart sinks deep down under you
And your twisted words, your help just hurts
You are not what I thought you were
Hello to high and dry
[Pre-Chorus]
Convinced me to please you
Made me think that I need this too
I'm trying to let you hear me as I am
[Chorus]
I'm not gonna write you a love song
Cause you asked for it, cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song
Cause you tell me it's make or break in this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to stay
If all you have is leaving, I'm a need a better reason
To write you a love song today
[Bridge]
Promise me
That you'll leave the light on
To help me see
With daylight, my guide, gone
Cause I believe there's a way
You can love me because I say...
[Chorus]
I won't write you a love song
Cause you asked for it, cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song (Ooh)
Cause you tell me it's make or break in this, huh
Is that why you wanted a love song? (Yeah)
Cause you asked for it, cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song (Write you a love song)
Cause you tell me it's make or break in this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you (I want you) to stay
If your heart is nowhere in it, I don't want it for a minute
Babe, I'll walk the seven seas (Walk the seven seas)
When I believe that there's a reason
To write you (Write you) a love song today
Today (Yeah), yeah
@GoogleIsAPieceOfShit2023
This song actually wasn’t about a guy! The studio execs had demanded that she should write a love song or they’ll fire her. And this is the song she wrote:” I’m not gonna write you a love song ...” Genius 😊
@cocoavideos
Is that really true? Where did you find this out?
@sarahs8426
@@cocoavideos yes apparently its true Its on 30 misconstrued songs
@ramon48890
I heard that when I was younger on a talk show on 93.7 FM and I was like oh wow lol I'm glad to see that everyone knows this too.
@chrisw5948
Late late show tonight. She said it was a fan that wanted a love song.
@chrisw5948
But I read the lyrics. And it sounds more like an fu to a studio or producer or label or whatever layer of control it is
@elilyn235
Producers make Sara write a love song.
Sara proceeds to drop a hit song about the cracks in the music industry, disguised as a love song. Its Masterpiece in my opinion.
@fouzanium
Task failed successfully 😅
@larrybrown4874
❤ superbly thinking 😊
@mikhail6884
she is literally telling them that she won't write a love song.