As was said, there is irony in the line "ain't love the sweetest thing", and it so beautifully contrasts with the story he's telling about how much he's hurting. But I think it's even less of a contrast than just the boy saying "love is the sweetest thing, so I will pay this for her..." Kind of like how Jacob worked 14 years to get Rachel and it felt like no time at all, because she was all he wanted. That's gorgeous.
He seems to realise that though the feelings hurt, the truth is that she is meant for him, so that's what he uncompromisingly lives by: almost rejecting disappointment and unwaveringly chasing his goal. That's also what stops this song from being a little pity-party, and makes it so deep and full of dynamic feeling--remembering that these things, however intense, are fleeting compared to the things that will last.
As was said, there is irony in the line "ain't love the sweetest thing", and it so beautifully contrasts with the story he's telling about how much he's hurting. But I think it's even less of a contrast than just the boy saying "love is the sweetest thing, so I will pay this for her..." Kind of like how Jacob worked 14 years to get Rachel and it felt like no time at all, because she was all he wanted. That's gorgeous.
He seems to realise that though the feelings hurt, the truth is that she is meant for him, so that's what he uncompromisingly lives by: almost rejecting disappointment and unwaveringly chasing his goal. That's also what stops this song from being a little pity-party, and makes it so deep and full of dynamic feeling--remembering that these things, however intense, are fleeting compared to the things that will last.