[Intro – soft fingerpicked acoustic guitar, faint piano arpeggio] (Instrumental Solo) [Verse 1 – low, breathy vocals, minimal guitar backing] I met you when I knew nothing Didn't know myself at all You looked at me like I was something Like I was easy to want You made me feel attractive Like I was more than I knew And I think I liked who I was When I was next to you [Verse 2 – subtle vocal lift, gentle drum brush accents] But I was vague, I kept my distance You said I was hard to read And you got scared of what was missing Of what I didn't give You went on and you changed your mind You never looked at me the same And I let it pass like it was nothing Like it was just a phase [Chorus – open, restrained vocals, soft piano swell] Why can't I love you? Why can't I feel it too? You gave me something beautiful once And I never gave it back … to you Why can't I love you? It would be easier if I could You look at me like I'm everything And I wish I felt that way — I should [Verse 3 – softer than Verse 1, muted guitar strums] Years went by, you moved away I didn't think of you much Then you moved here, to my city And now I'm the one you want Now I'm the only thing you see It's written in your eyes And it feels all too strange to me Like time is out of line [Bridge – almost spoken, intimate whisper, complete silence between lines] I love the way you laugh I love the way you dress Your charm is saying what you think Without trying to impress And when I see you I can't help but smile Some say you love the image Of what you think I am But that's still a part of me So why wouldn't you love the rest? [Final Chorus – quiet, resigned, fading piano, no drums] Why can't I love you? Now that you're finally here Now that I see you clearly Now that you're standing near Why can't I love you? Why won't my heart begin? You deserve something certain And I'm not sure it's me [Outro – single soft guitar chord, lingering silence] (Instrumental Solo)