Think aloud
We’ve all been there – spending hours on end with someone on our minds, dreaming of meet-cutes with them, and wondering whether that someone feels the same way about us. When you find out that they don’t, though, you turn to songs about loving someone you can’t have and you cry your heart out.
It’s no secret that loving someone you can’t have is painful and it can take a toll on your mental health. Whether they’re in a relationship, not ready for something serious, or simply not interested, it’s no surprise that you’re utterly heartbroken over the fact that you can’t be with them.
Whatever their reasons might be, they’re unavailable, and there’s nothing you can do about that other than move on. But that’s easier said than done, right? Before you give up on the idea of getting over the one object of your desires, remember that they’re playing only a small role in the timeline of your life.
What do we mean by that? True love, the one that makes you feel like you’re on top of the world, the one that makes you feel like a better person or like the best version of yourself, happens down the line in a committed relationship. There must be a reason why you’re feeling that way toward a stranger.
Whether you’re drawn to them because they’re attractive, because they seem so valuable to you, or because you think you can have a committed relationship with them on the off chance that you have the courage to tell them how you feel, you need to work with your brain – not against it – to move forward.
With songs about loving someone you can’t have, you can work through your heartbreak. Read on!
What are the best songs about loving someone you can’t have?
1. “I’ll Be Waiting,” by Cian Ducrot
“If you ever wanna fall in love,
If you ever wanna bet on us,
If you ever wanna be my one,
I’ll be waiting.”
2. “Someone Like You,” by Adele
“I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited,
But I couldn’t stay away, I couldn’t fight it,
I had hoped you’d see my face,
And that you’d be reminded that for me, it isn’t over.
Never mind, I’ll find someone like you,
I wish nothing but the best for you, too.”
3. “Treat You Better,” by Shawn Mendes
“I know I can treat you better than he can,
And any girl like you deserves a gentleman,
Tell me, why are we wasting time,
On all your wasted crying,
When you should be with me instead?
I know I can treat you better,
Better than he can.”
4. “Someone You Loved,” by Lewis Capaldi
“Now the day bleeds
Into nightfall,
And you’re not here
To get me through it all,
I let my guard down,
And then you pulled the rug,
I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.”
5. “I Want The One I Can’t Have,” by The Smiths
“‘Cause I want the one I can’t have,
And it’s driving me mad,
It’s all over, all over, all over my face.”
6. “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” by Bonnie Raitt
“‘Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t,
You can’t make your heart feel something it won’t,
Here in the dark, in these final hours,
I will lay down my heart and I’ll feel the power,
But you won’t, no you won’t,
‘Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t.”
7. “You Belong With Me,” by Taylor Swift
“Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find,
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.
If you could see that I’m the one
Who understands you,
Been here all along,
So, why can’t you see?
You belong with me.”
8. “Secret Love Song,” by Little Mix featuring Jason Derulo
“Why can’t you hold me in the street?
Why can’t I kiss you on the dance floor?
I wish that it could be like that,
Why can’t we be like that?
‘Cause I’m yours.”
9. “Crush,” by Mandy Moore
“I know, I should tell you how I feel,
I wish everyone would disappear,
Every time you call me I’m too scared to be me,
And I’m too shy to say,
Ooh I got a crush on you,
I hope you feel the way that I do,
I get a rush when I’m with you,
Ooh, I got a crush on you,
A crush on you.”
10. “Girl Crush,” by Little Big Town
“I’ve got a girl crush,
Hate to admit it but,
I got a hard rush,
It’s slowin’ down.
I got it real bad,
Want everything she has,
That smile and that midnight laugh,
She’s givin’ you now.”
11. “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” by Prince
“And I get discouraged, mmm,
‘Cause I never see you anymore,
And I need your love, babe,
That’s all I’m living for, yeah.
I didn’t wanna pressure you, baby,
But all I ever wanted to do,
I wanna be your lover.”
12. “Thinking Of You,” by Katy Perry
“‘Cause when I’m with him,
I am thinking of you (thinking of you, thinking of you)
Thinking of you,
What you would do if you were the one,
Who was spending the night (spending the night, spending the night)
Oh, I wish that I,
Was looking into your eyes (eyes).”
13. “Can I Be Him,” by James Arthur
“I heard there was someone but I know he don’t deserve you,
If you were mine I’d never let anyone hurt you, no, no,
I wanna dry those tears, kiss those lips,
It’s all that I’ve been thinking about,
‘Cause a light came on when I heard that song and I want you to sing it again.”
14. “Happier,” by Olivia Rodrigo
“Oh, I hope you’re happy,
But not like how you were with me,
I’m selfish, I know, I can’t let you go,
So find someone great, but don’t find no one better,
I hope you’re happy, but don’t be happier.”
15. “Sunflower,” by Harry Styles
“I couldn’t want you any more,
Kiss in the kitchen like it’s a dance floor,
I couldn’t want you any more tonight,
(Tonight, tonight, tonight).”
16. “You Don’t Know My Name,” by Alicia Keys
“Baby, baby, baby, from the day I saw you,
I really, really wanted to catch your eye,
There’s something special ’bout you, I must really like you.”
17. “Grenade,” by Bruno Mars
“Oh, oh, I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya, baby,
But you won’t do the same.”
18. “What A Time,” by Julia Michaels featuring Niall Horan
“I feel a little nauseous and my hands are shaking,
I guess that means you’re close by,
My throat is getting dry and my heart is racing,
I haven’t been by your side
In a minute, but I think about it sometimes,
Even though I know it’s not so distant,
Oh, no, I still wanna reminisce it.”
19. “The One That Got Away,” by Katy Perry
“In another life,
I would be your girl,
We keep all our promises,
Be us against the world.
In another life,
I would make you stay,
So I don’t have to say,
You were the one that got away,
The one that got away.”
20. “Need You Now,” by Lady Antebellum
“It’s a quarter after one,
I’m all alone and I need you now,
Said I wouldn’t call, but I lost all control,
And I need you now,
And I don’t know how I can do without,
I just need you now.”
21. “Happier,” by Ed Sheeran
“‘Cause baby you look happier, you do,
My friends told me one day I’ll feel it too,
And until then I’ll smile to hide the truth,
But I know I was happier with you.”
22. “Not Over You,” by Gavin DeGraw
“If you ask me how I’m doing,
I would say I’m doing just fine,
I would lie and say that you’re not on my mind,
(You’re not on my mind, you’re not on my mind).
But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two,
And finally, I’m forced to face the truth,
No matter what I say, I’m not over you,
Not over you (not over you).”
23. “Back To You,” Selena Gomez
“I wanna hold you when I’m not supposed to,
When I’m lyin’ close to someone else,
You’re stuck in my head and I can’t get you out of it,
If I could do it all again, I know I’d go back to you.”
24. “My Heart Will Go On,” by Celine Dion
“Near, far, wherever you are,
I believe that the heart does go on,
Once more, you open the door,
And you’re here in my heart,
And my heart will go on and on.”
25. “Just My Imagination” by The Temptations
“Each day through my window I watch her as she passes by,
I say to myself, “You’re such a lucky guy”
To have a girl like her is truly a dream come true,
Out of all the fellows in the world, she belongs to me.
But it was just my imagination,
Runnin’ away with me,
It was just my imagination
Runnin’ away with me.”