There’s something so beautifully painful about “Gonna Take a Miracle.” In a way, she sounds almost happy about the hurt that her lover’s leaving has caused her. It’s a jubilant, upbeat song, and yet, she’s upset.

Laura Nyro – Gonna Take a Miracle

It captures such a particular point in time, such a particular feeling. It’s an odd thought, finding joy in the misery of love. Is it because that’s how we know love: when we are willing to suffer so much in its name? A quote jumps to mind, courtesy of Swingers:

Mike: How did you get over it? I mean, how long did it take?
Rob: Sometimes it still hurts. You know how it is, man. It’s like, you wake up every day and it hurts a little bit less, and then you wake up one day and it doesn’t hurt at all. And the funny thing is, is that, this is kinda weird, but it’s like, it’s like you almost miss that pain.
Mike: You miss the pain?
Rob: Yeah, for the same reason that you missed her… because you lived with it for so long.

These moments are so infrequently portrayed in art, but for some reason, so effective when it is. Does anyone else have a favorite song, quote, moment, etc., that captures this oxymoronic emotional state?