it's nice to have a friend has gotta be my favorite of taylor's love songs because it's just so beautiful and so simple, and to me that's what real, true, long lasting love is! the minimal instrumental with the deep echo, making every note sound small and airy in this big wide world. such a simple little ditty, only one trumpet, even the church bell is just one gong. the story in the song doesn't start as a romantic pursuit. just two kids meeting by happenstance and finding kinship, enjoying each other's company in everyday life, confiding in each other, grateful for the mere existence of the other person alongside them day to day. even the song title doesn't anticipate anything more than companionship. and yet that's how it happens, slowly over time, arriving unannounced and with little fanfare like a quiet hum that you only just noticed for the first time. love grows from the little things, the light pink skies in the summer and two pairs of footprints in the snow and the kindness of shared gloves and tents and fears and hopes and the promise of warm sundays in bed. real, enduring, true love is quiet and small, like her vocals. soft, whispering as if only meant for someone right next to her, unforced and relaxed. musing in wonderment almost at the simplicity of it all, after all the misguided expectations of grandeur. love is simple! love is simple! love is simple!!!