Song Meaning
Don Williams's "We Should Be Together" isn't just a country ballad; it's an exploration of the stubborn, often irrational, nature of desire. The song meaning hinges on the push and pull between conscious resistance and involuntary longing. The opening lines, "I think about you / When I don't want to / Dream about your smiling face," immediately establish this internal conflict. It's the psychology of forbidden attraction, the kind that festers precisely because it's deemed inappropriate or impossible. Williams isn't singing about a simple crush; he's articulating the frustration of an unwanted, yet persistent, emotional attachment. The repetition of "I keep trying not to love you / But I love you anyway" is the core of the song's tension.
The chorus, with its straightforward declaration that "We should be together," acts as both a yearning and a form of self-persuasion. It's less a statement of fact and more a desperate plea against the singer's own better judgment. The lines "We should be walking side by side / Keeping each other satisfied" are not just romantic ideals; they are presented as the antidote to the internal turmoil described in the verses. This imagined togetherness offers a solution to the singer's mental struggle.
Ultimately, "We Should Be Together" finds its power in its simplicity. Williams distills the complexities of human attraction into a raw, almost primal, declaration. The bridge, "What will I do if I can't have you," is a moment of vulnerability, exposing the singer's dependence on this unattainable connection. It's a stark question that lingers, unanswered, leaving the listener to ponder the consequences of unrequited or forbidden love. The song isn't about whether they *will* be together, but the torment caused by the *should*.
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