Natalie Jane Hill’s ‘I Thought Love Meant’

Natalie Jane Hill is a Central Texas native who later moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she immersed herself in the primitive folk scene and began writing songs that match her earthy aesthetic. She has come a long way from farm festivals and small shows, with her new album Hopeful Woman arriving on 6 March 2026 via Dear Life Records.

‘I Thought Love Meant’, the second single from the album, embodies the third kind of love, the quiet, healing love you find only after learning that love does not have to hurt to be real. The song reflects the lessons learned from the second type of love, the one that feels intense and meaningful but often teaches pain and heartache. Her lyrics capture the loss of self that can come from believing love requires suffering.

I thought love meant hurting
For it to be working just right
And I thought love meant holding
Onto the very thing

As the song unfolds, Hill reaches a place of freedom and ease.

Now I am learning love can feel easily free
You show me how simple and how light it oughta be
I’m not sure I’ll ever know just how to name the thing

It marks a realization that love can be simple, light, and healing. Ending with the unfinished thought “I thought love…”, the song leaves a lingering sense of pause, like stopping in your tracks and realizing how much you have grown.

Natalie Jane Hill’s anticipated new album Hopeful Woman arrives on March 6th, 2026.