The Love That We Need by Hayes Carll is a song about a couple who have settled for a comfortable but loveless relationship. They say "I love you" to each other but don't really feel it. They don't talk much, and their hearts never really connect when they're lying down together. They never go to bed angry because they never fight. They've got the life they want, but they're not getting the love they need. The narrator of the song admits that it's hard to live this way, like an eternity. They both know that something is missing, but they're too scared to look. Instead of writing their own story, they tell stories to each other. They're not living their true lives because they're missing the love that they need. The song is a reminder that sometimes we settle for less because we're too scared to take risks and pursue the things that truly matter. In the end, the narrator and his partner realize that it's time to quit hiding and admitting that what they've always known - that the love they need is missing.
