‘Love Hurts’ is a song written and composed by the American songwriter Boudleaux Bryant. First recorded by the Everly Brothers in July 1960, the song is most well-known from the 1974 international hit version by Scottish hard rock band Nazareth and 1975 Top 5 hit in the UK by English singer Jim Capaldi. The first hit version of the song is by Roy Orbison, who earned Australian radio play, hitting the Top Five of that country's singles charts in 1961.
Performed as a power ballad, the Nazareth version is the most popular version of the song and the only rendition of ‘Love Hurts’ to become a hit single in the United States, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1976. Billboard ranked it as the No. 23 song for 1976. As part of the "Hot Tracks (EP)" it also reached No. 15 in the UK in 1977. Nazareth's version was an international hit, peaking at No. 1 in Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa and Norway. The Nazareth single was so successful in Norway that it charted for 61 weeks on the Norwegian charts, including 14 weeks at No. 1, making it the top single of all time in that country.
The group is from Scotland and had three UK hits under their belts when they released ‘Love Hurts’ late in 1974. Surprisingly, it tanked, but in April 1975 it became a hit in South Africa, prompting their label, A&M, to release it in America. It took a while, but radio stations in Texas started playing the song, and others around the country gradually followed suit. It reached its peak position of #8 in March 1976. In the UK, the song finally made the chart in 1977, peaking at #77.
A later recording by Nazareth, featuring the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, peaked at No. 89 in Germany. The lyrics of the song were changed for Nazareth's 1975 recording, where the original line "love is like a stove/it burns you when it's hot" was changed to "love is like a flame/it burns you when it's hot". The song’s lyrics describe how young love is hot with passion, but it burns you when it's hot. The guy in this song has just made this discovery, which is a revelation of sorts - all those singing the praises of love are fools who will soon be burned, as love is just a lie made to make you blue.
Label – Vertigo
Songwriter – Boudleaux Bryant
Producer – Manny Charlton
SONG LYRICS
[Intro][Verse 1]
Love hurts, love scars
Love wounds and mars
Any heart
Not tough or strong enough
To take a lot of pain, take a lot of pain
Love is like a cloud
Holds a lot of rain
Love hurts
Ooh, ooh love hurts
[Verse 2]
I'm young, I know, but even so
I know a thing or two
I learned from you
I really learned a lot, really learned a lot
Love is like a flame
It burns you when it's hot
Love hurts
Ooh, ooh love hurts
[Pre-Chorus]
Some fools think of happiness
Blissfulness, togetherness
Some fools fool themselves, I guess
They're not foolin' me
[Chorus]
I know it isn't true
I know it isn't true
Love is just a lie
Made to make you blue
Love hurts
Ooh, ooh love hurts
Ooh, ooh love hurts
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
I know it isn't true
I know it isn't true
Love is just a lie
Made to make you blue
Love hurts
Ooh, ooh love hurts
Ooh, ooh love hurts
Ooh, ooh...