About the song
Few country songs manage to capture the quiet ache of love lost with the poetic elegance and understated beauty of Kris Kristofferson’s “Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)”. Released in 1971, this ballad stands as one of Kristofferson’s most emotionally resonant works—a song that doesn’t beg for your attention, but rather draws you in with the simplicity and honesty of its reflection.
At its heart, “Loving Her Was Easier…” is a song about memory and the reverence we hold for the people who leave lasting imprints on our lives. It’s not a dramatic lament, nor is it a declaration of regret. Instead, it’s a quietly confessional statement—an acknowledgment that the love he once knew was pure, effortless, and unmatched. Kristofferson’s phrasing is almost conversational, making the listener feel as though they’re hearing the late-night thoughts of a man reckoning with the rare kind of love that comes only once.
What makes this song so powerful isn’t just its lyrical content, but also Kristofferson’s delivery. His voice carries a rough sincerity, not polished or theatrical, but real—deepened by experience and the wear of time. There’s a world-weariness to it that complements the bittersweet lyrics. Lines like “And loving her was easier than anything I’ll ever do again” are deceptively simple, yet they carry a lifetime’s worth of weight.
Musically, the arrangement is subtle and unintrusive, allowing the lyrics to take center stage. It’s a soft blend of acoustic guitar and gentle orchestration—nothing flashy, just enough to create the perfect backdrop for the story Kristofferson is telling.
Over the decades, “Loving Her Was Easier” has been covered by many artists—from Waylon Jennings to Willie Nelson—but it’s Kristofferson’s original version that remains definitive. It reminds us that sometimes the deepest truths are whispered, not shouted. And sometimes, the hardest thing in life is recognizing that the most beautiful moment is already behind you.
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Lyrics
I have seen the mornin’ burnin’ golden on the mountain in the skies
Achin’ with the feelin’ of the freedom of an eagle when she flies
Turnin’ on the world the way she smiled upon my soul as I lay dyin’
Healin’ as the colors in the sunshine and the shadows of her eyes
Wakin’ in the mornin’ to the feelin’ of her fingers on my skin
Wipin’ out the traces of the people and the places that I’ve been
Teachin’ me that yesterday was somethin’ that I’d never thought of trying’
Talkin’ of tomorrow and the money love and time we had to spend
Lovin’ her was easier than anything I’ll ever do again
Comin’ close together with a feelin’ that I’ve never known before in my time
She ain’t ashamed to be a woman or afraid to be a friend
I don’t know the answer to the easy way she opened every door in my mind
But dreamin’ was as easy as believin’ it was never gonna end
And lovin’ her was easier than anything I’ll ever do again