Love Should Be Free and Simple

[Verse 1]
Can’t you see the hurt you cause
Counting every little cost
Every laugh
Every call
Feels like something you bought
You keep chasing all that shine
But you’re bankrupt in your heart
How’d a tender little thing
Turn into a price chart
[Pre-Chorus]
You say
“One day
We’ll be fine”
When the numbers all align
But every promise that you make
Got a contract in your eyes
[Chorus]
Love should be free and simple
Like she said it was
Like bare feet on the kitchen floor
First light through the dust
Not a balance
Not a bargain
Not a sum you gotta prove
Love should be free and simple
Or it isn’t really love with you
[Verse 2]
You hold out your empty hands
But you’re hiding all your terms
Every gift
Every plan
Got a string that always burns
You forget the way she laughed
When you had nothing but a dream
You were rich in being honest
Now you’re poor in what that means
[Pre-Chorus]
You say
“Baby
This is life
This is just the way it goes”
But every time you count the cost
You’re the one that’s getting sold
[Chorus]
Love should be free and simple
Like she said it was
Like a ride in the pouring rain
Two seats on the bus
Not a ledger
Not a wager
Not a debt she owes to you
Love should be free and simple
Or it isn’t really love with you
[Bridge]
What if you quit keeping score
Let the little stuff fall through
What if all that you could give
Was the honest part of you (yeah)
Would you even know your name
If it wasn’t on a card
Could you learn to hold her close
Instead of holding up your guard
[Chorus]
Love should be free and simple
Like she said it was
Like a Sunday on the living room floor
Old movies
Plastic cups
Not conditions
Not commissions
Not a deal you can abuse
Love should be free and simple
Or it isn’t really love with you
[Outro]
Can’t you see the hurt you cause
All for what you think you’re due
If love was ever worth the cost
It was when it cost you you

Warm acoustic R&B ballad, male vocals. Fingerpicked guitar and soft brushed drums underpin an intimate, conversational verse; pre-chorus adds subtle Rhodes chords and low pads. Chorus blooms with stacked harmonies and a round, melodic bass, leaving space for a hooky top line. Light tambourine and airy oohs lift the final repeat, then everything strips back to guitar and voice for a gentle close., simple