Meaning of "Didn't Want to Have to Do It" by The Lovin' Spoonful

The lyrics of "Didn't Want to Have to Do It" delve into the struggles of ending a relationship and the conflicting emotions that come with it. The narrator expresses a strong desire to avoid causing pain to their partner and to avoid taking on the role of ending the relationship. There is a sense of hopelessness, as the narrator admits to knowing from the beginning that their partner's efforts would ultimately lead to heartbreak. Despite this, they kept "hoping" that there would be something to delay the inevitable, indicating a reluctance to confront the truth. The use of repetition in the chorus emphasizes the narrator's internal struggle and their earnest desire to avoid being the one to say "the end."

The lyrics also touch upon the narrator's initial optimism about the relationship. They reflect on a time when they believed their love could "fly" and never falter, but it becomes clear that they were mistaken. The realization that they were never truly meant to be together is evident in the line, "Why should I suppose we were never really meant to be close to each other at all." This suggests that the relationship was doomed from the start and that the narrator may have been blind to the truth for a significant period of time.

The overall meaning of the song revolves around the difficulty of letting go and taking on the responsibility of ending a relationship. It explores the pain of both causing heartbreak and being the one to utter the final words. The lyrics suggest that even when the outcome is inevitable, it can be challenging to accept and act upon it.