The narrator is in love with someone who only sees them as a friend, comparing their feelings to sibling love. Despite the narrator's desires, the person cannot move on from a past relationship and keeps pushing the narrator away, causing loneliness and heartbreak.

Meaning of "Love You Like a Brother" by Hall & Oates

"Love You Like a Brother" by Hall & Oates explores unrequited love and the pain of being trapped in the friend zone. The narrator expresses their deep feelings for someone who sees them purely as a friend, drawing a parallel between sibling love and the platonic bond they share. However, this unrequited love becomes a source of agony for the narrator as they watch the person they desire remain fixated on a previous romantic relationship, unable to reciprocate the narrator's feelings. The repeated rejection portrayed in the lyrics highlights the sense of loneliness and heartache that accompanies unrequited love, as the narrator struggles to move on from their feelings while being constantly reminded of the love they cannot have. The song paints a poignant picture of unfulfilled longing and emotional turmoil, capturing the complexity of relationships that are bound by unreciprocated affection and past heartbreak.