Paid in Full

About This Song

Closes the album with reflection: every joy is sharper because of past sorrow, every love more valuable for the losses that came before. Its stripped-down arrangement captures both fragility and transcendence, meant to leave the listener with a sense of completion.

Excerpted from the album page's "Composition & Themes" essay — no dedicated story for this specific song is published yet.

Performances

This Long Broken Road is released in three performer editions, each with its own real performance — durations differ by artist, not just persona.

Lyrics

Every smile comes borrowed from the pain we knew, Every sunrise reminds us of nights we've been through. The sweetest songs we sing are born from our broken hearts, And every ending’s hidden in the moments we start. Love only feels so good ’cause it hurts so bad when it’s gone. Joy takes you so high ’cause you get so low when it’s wrong. You hold on to what you have ’cause of all the things that you lost… Yeah, you can only see what's precious after you have paid the cost. We call it wisdom, but it's just getting old, Easier when you're young, or so I was told. Every hand we let go opens a space in our souls, Every scar that we wear is tryin' to fill up a hole. Love only feels so good ’cause it hurts so bad when it’s gone. Joy takes you so high ’cause you get so low when it’s wrong. You hold on to what you have ’cause of all the things that you lost… Yeah, you can only see what's precious after you have paid the cost. If forever won't last, then why do we try? 'Cause a moment of love is worth a million goodbyes. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, But endings are beginnings, just a different point of view. Love only feels so good ’cause it hurts so bad when it’s gone. Joy takes you so high ’cause you get so low when it’s wrong. You hold on to what you have ’cause of all the things that you lost… Yeah, you can only see what's precious after you have paid the cost.