Learn To Hate Love — Summary

it's always about poor, pitiful you. you always have problems heavier than the weight of the world. you tell me your troubles, big and small, like i'm the one supposed to stop them.

and if i don't? you won't pick up the phone just to see how i'm doing or to stop my emotions from killing me slowly. because there's no point in love if they aren't giving you something.

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The speaker is worn out by a one-sided relationship. Someone keeps bringing their problems, big and small, and expects the speaker to fix them, as if listening were a duty. The opening lines drip with sarcasm: "poor, pitiful you" tells us how often the speaker has heard the same complaints, and how little patience is left.

The second stanza turns to the speaker's own pain. When the roles reverse, the other person disappears. They won't make a phone call just to ask how the speaker is doing, even though the speaker's emotions are "killing me slowly." The final line is bitter and blunt: for this person, love only counts when it gives them something back.

The mood is resentful, hurt, and a little exhausted. The title, "Learn To Hate Love," fits that tone. It sounds like the speaker's conclusion after being used, a warning that caring can leave you empty when the other person only takes.

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