[Verse 1]
Scan not a friend with a microscopic glass
You know his faults, now let his foibles pass
Life is one long enigma, my friend
So read on, read on, the answer's at the end

[Chorus]
Don't be so hard on the ones that you love
It's the ones that you love we think so little of
Don't be so hard on the ones that you need
It's the ones that you need we think so little of

[Verse 2]
The speech of flowers it excels the flowers of speech
But what's often in your heart is the hardest thing to reach
And life is one long mystery, my friend
So live on, live on, the answer's at the end

[Chorus]
Don't be so hard on the ones that you love
It's the ones that you love we think so little of
Don't be so hard on the ones that you need
It's the ones that you need we think so little of
Don't be so hard on the ones that you love
It's the ones that you love we think so little of
[Bridge]
Oh, we think so little of the ones that we love, sometimes
Isn't it a pity how we hurt the ones that we love the most of all
The ones we shouldn't hurt at all

[Verse 3]
You know my faults, now let the foibles pass
'Cause life is one long enigma, my friend
Live on, live on, the answer's at the end

[Chorus]
Don't be so hard on the ones that you love
It's the ones that you love we think so little of
Don't be so hard on the ones that you need
It's the ones that you need we think so little of

Don't be so hard on the ones that you love
It's the ones that you love we think so little of
Don't be so hard on the ones that you need
It's the ones that you need we think so little of

[Outro]
The ones that we love we hurt the most of all, sometimes
And, isn't it a pity how we hurt the ones that we love