Sara Bareilles's unforgettable performance of 'Love Song' | NEXT at the Kennedy Center

Head underwater,

and they tell me to

breathe easy for a while.

The breathing gets harder,

even I know that.

Made room for me,

but it's
too soon to see,

if I'm happy
in your hands.

I'm unusually
hard to hold on to.

Oh-oh-oh-oh.

Blank stares
at blank pages.

No easy way
to say this.

You mean well,

but you make
this hard on me.

I'm not gonna write you...

AUDIENCE: A love song,
'cause you asked for it,

'cause you need one,
you see,

I'm not gonna
write you a love song,

'cause you tell me it's make
or break in this if your...

BAREILLES: On your way,

I'm not gonna
write you to stay, hey.

If all you
have is leaving,

I'mma need a
better reason,

to write you a
love song today.

Yeah-hey.

(audience cheering
and applause)

I learned the hard way,

that they all say

things you wanna hear.

And my heavy
heart sinks

deep down under you,

and your twisted words,

your help just hurts.

You are not what
I thought you were,

hello to high and dry.

Convinced me
to please you.

Made me think that
I need this too,

I'm trying to let
you hear me as I am.

(vocalizing)

I'm not gonna write
you a love song,

'cause you asked for it,

'cause you need one,
you see.

I'm not gonna write
you a love song,

'cause you tell me it's
make or break in this,

if you're on your way.

I'm not gonna write
you to stay, hey.

If all you
have is leaving,

I'mma need a
better reason,

to write you a
love song today.

Promise me,

that you'll
leave the light on,

to help me see with

the daylight
my guide gone.

'Cause I believe
there's a way

you can love me,

because I say,

I won't write
you a love song,

'cause you asked for it,

'cause you need one,

you see.

I'm not gonna
write you a love song,

'cause you tell me it's
make or break in this,

no, is that why
you wanted a love song?

'Cause you asked for it,

'cause you need one,

you see,

I won't write
you a love song,

'cause you tell me
it's make or break in this,

if you're on your way.

I won't write
you to stay.

If your heart
is nowhere in it,

I don't want it
for a minute, Babe,

I'll walk the seven seas,

when I believe
that there's a reason,

to write you
a love song

today.

(vocalizing)

Oh, oh, oh, yeah.