"Lover I Don't Have to Love" is a song by Bright Eyes released as a single in 2002 and released on the album Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground.

The music video is karaoke with sing-along lyrics and different ambiences in the background.

It was covered by Bettie Serveert[1] on their 2004 album Attagirl, and this cover was played extensively during the episode "The Undertow" of The O.C.

[citation needed] The single's cover photograph by Casey Scott.

The CD single has the title "3 More Hit Songs from Bright Eyes."