“Love Hurts” is a song written by Boudleaux Bryant, originally recorded by The Everly Brothers in July 1960 for their album A Date with the Everly Brothers. Although intended as a single, the Everly Brothers were prevented from releasing it due to a legal dispute with their manager and publisher, Wesley Rose; Rose subsequently had Roy Orbison record it as a B-side to “Running Scared” in 1961.
The Scottish hard rock band Nazareth transformed the country-pop ballad into a hard rock power ballad for their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. The track was initially intended as a B-side and tanked upon its release in late 1974, but became a hit in South Africa in April 1975, prompting label A&M to release it in the US. Radio play in Texas propelled the song to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976, making it the only version of the song to become a major US hit.
Key details regarding Nazareth’s recording include:
- Vocal Key Change: The band’s version was sung in a higher octave because the guitarists recorded the backing track in the same key as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris’s cover, forcing lead singer Dan McCafferty to sing higher than originally planned.
- Lyrical Change: Nazareth changed the line “love is like a stove” to “love is like a flame” to make the metaphor more archetypal and less domestic.
- Chart Success: While peaking at #8 in the US, the song reached #1 in Canada and the Netherlands, and became the band’s signature hit in the UK as well.
[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
[Refrain]
Ooh, ooh-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
[Refrain]
Ooh, ooh-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
[Refrain]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Love hurts
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Love hurts
[Guitar Solo]
[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
[Outro]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Love hurts
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Love hurts
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
