Close Enough For Love
Shirley Horn Lyrics


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You and I, an unmatched pair
Took the time to touch, to share
Worlds apart the night we met
We braved the odds and won the bet
Not perfect yet but close enough for love

How old fashioned, pure romance
Shared a kiss and shared a dance
Shared the body and bouquet
We'll taste the wine another day
When you and I are close enough for love

Not just lovers, more than friends
Who knows where one starts, one ends
Tracing lights through sleepless nights
That I'll remember always and always

Long goodbyes and tearful looks
Hold up well in poems and books
But you and I have life to hold
The greatest story never told
Not perfect yet but close enough for love

Not just lovers, more than friends
Who knows where one starts, one ends
Tracing lights through sleepless nights
That I'll remember always and always

Long goodbyes and tearful looks
Hold up well in poems and books
But you and I have life to hold




The greatest story never told
Not perfect yet but close enough for love, for love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Shirley Horn's song "Close Enough For Love" tell the story of two people who are an "unmatched pair" but took the time to "touch, to share" and become "close enough for love." They are not perfect yet but have shared a "pure romance" that includes "kiss" and dancing. They have a unique connection that goes beyond just being lovers, they are "more than friends" and can't be defined as one starts and one ends.


The song is nostalgic of those sleepless nights and long goodbyes that even though they "hold up well in poems and books", the greatest story is their life spent together, which has never been told. The lyrics express the sentiment of being content with the state of their relationship, not needing it to be perfect, but being "close enough for love."


Shirley Horn's tender and intimate voice emotions are expressed beautifully through the lyrics and music "Close Enough for Love" is an affirmation of love in its purest, most heartfelt form — a moment shared between two people who have grown close enough to one another, to weather life’s challenges and find strength in each other's embrace.


Line by Line Meaning

You and I, an unmatched pair
We are a unique couple, unlike any other


Took the time to touch, to share
We have taken the necessary time to build a connection and share our lives together


Worlds apart the night we met
We were drastically different from one another when we first met


We braved the odds and won the bet
Despite the challenges we faced, we overcame them and are together now


Not perfect yet but close enough for love
Although we are not without flaws, we are close enough to one another to feel love and affection


How old fashioned, pure romance
Our love is traditional and based on true romanticism


Shared a kiss and shared a dance
We have shared intimate and romantic moments together


Shared the body and bouquet
We have both physically and emotionally shared ourselves with one another


We'll taste the wine another day
We have a lifetime together to enjoy the pleasures of life


When you and I are close enough for love
When we are intimately close enough to feel true love and affection for one another


Not just lovers, more than friends
We share a deep emotional bond beyond just a romantic relationship


Who knows where one starts, one ends
Our love is so intertwined and deep that it's hard to tell where one person ends and the other begins


Tracing lights through sleepless nights
We have shared many special moments together, both good and bad


That I'll remember always and always
These memories will always stay with me and be cherished


Long goodbyes and tearful looks
Saying goodbye and being apart from one another is difficult and emotional


Hold up well in poems and books
Our love story is like something out of a romantic novel


But you and I have life to hold
We have a lifetime together to share and grow old with one another


The greatest story never told
Our love is the most amazing and inspiring story that is yet to be fully told and realized


Not perfect yet but close enough for love, for love
Although we are not without flaws, we are close enough to one another to feel love and affection. And we will continue to grow and mature together in love.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Johnny Mandel, Paul H. Williams

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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