Way It Ought to Be

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a relationship stuck in a cycle of conflict and strained affection. The narrator acknowledges a past lack of expressed love, leading to present disagreements, yet insists that their current feelings are genuine. This creates an immediate tension between past actions and present declarations, highlighting a disconnect that fuels the ongoing fight. The core conflict seems to stem from pride and a stubborn insistence on being right. The narrator states, "we've both been way too proud," suggesting a mutual stubbornness that prevents reconciliation. This pride is directly contrasted with the desire for reunion, creating a push-and-pull dynamic where both parties seem unwilling to fully concede, even as they recognize the need to come back together. The phrase "that's the way it ought to be" is particularly striking, delivered amidst fighting. It carries a tone of resignation, perhaps even a defiant acceptance of the current, flawed state of the relationship. This is further emphasized by the narrator's seemingly passive confidence that the other person "will come running back," implying a belief that their dynamic, however unhealthy, is somehow inevitable or even functional in its dysfunction. Ultimately, the lyrics suggest a relationship grappling with its own stubbornness and a need for external intervention. The narrator's final plea to "go to Jesus" as the "only remedy" points to a deep-seated issue that they feel is beyond their own ability to fix, framing the relationship's problems as something requiring a spiritual solution rather than just interpersonal effort.