Glad to Be Unhappy

The speaker is in love with someone who does not return the feeling. They admit that this hurts and that they cannot change the situation, yet they also say they are glad to feel this way. The emotional tone is both sorrowful and strangely content: the sadness seems worth experiencing because it comes from caring deeply about someone.

“Fools rush in” suggests that the speaker knows they may be acting unwisely by pursuing or holding on to this love. Calling unrequited love “a bore” sounds casual, but “I’ve got it pretty bad” reveals how strongly it affects them. The image of a “straying baby lamb” without its parents conveys loneliness and vulnerability, as if the speaker feels lost and unprotected.

The repeated contrast between being unhappy and being glad may be playful, sincere, or both. The speaker is not claiming that rejection feels good; rather, they seem to find meaning or pleasure in loving the person, even without being loved back. The lyrics leave open whether this attitude is a comforting way to accept disappointment or a sign that the speaker is romanticizing their pain.