Bette Midler (December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, and comedia… Read Full Bio ↴Bette Midler (December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known to her fans and especially in gay culture, as The Divine Miss M. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Jewish parents from New Jersey, and raised there. Midler relocated to New York City to pursue acting on stage, and in 1970 she began singing at the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in the city, where she became close to her piano accompanist, Barry Manilow, who produced her first major album, The Divine Miss M in 1973. She is named after the actress Bette Davis although Davis pronounced her name in two syllables, and Midler uses one.

During her career, she has won four Grammy Awards, four Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards. She performed a new concert show, The Showgirl Must Go On, live five nights a week at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2011 (together with Cher and Elton John).

Love Tko
Bette Midler Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oooooh

Lookin' back over my years
I guess I've shed some tears.
Told myself time and again
This time I'm gonna win.

But another fight. Things ain't right.

I'm losing again.
It takes a fool to lose twice
And start all over again.

I think I better let him go.
'Cause it looks like another love TKO.
Let it go, baby.
I think I better let him go.
'Cause it looks like another love TKO. Ohh, yeah.

I tried to take control of the love.
He took control of me.
See you lose all thought and sense of time.
You have a change of mind.

Takin' the bumps and the bruises
And all the pain of a two-time lose.
And I try to hold on. My faith is gone.
It's just another sad song.

So I think I gotta
Gotta let it go
I gotta let him go.
Let it go, baby.
'Cause it looks like another love TKO.
Oh, yes it does, yes it does.

I think I gotta
Gotta let it go
Mmmmmmm.
Let it go, baby.
'Cause it looks like another love TKO.

Boy, whatcha want me to do? Can't stand up to you.
No no no no.

I try to take control of the love.
It took control of me.
See you lose all thought and sense of time.
You have a change of mind.

Taking the bumps and the bruises
And all the pain of a two-time lose.
Then I try to hold on. My faith is gone.
It's just another sad song.

I think I better
Better let it go
I better let him go.
Let it go, baby.
'Cause it looks like another love TKO.

Yeah, I better
Better let it go
I gotta let him go.
Let it go, Miss M.
Another love, love TKO.

Ooohhhh, boy you got me turned around and around and around.
Around and around.
Everybody's got to cry sometime.
That's what they say. I heard them say.

Everybody's gonna cry sometime.
Mama says that they did, that they did.

Overall Meaning

In Bette Midler's song "Love TKO", the singer is looking back on her years and reflecting on the struggles she’s had in love. She’s tried to win at love before, but has ended up losing, and now she’s faced with the realization that it may be happening again. She’s taken control of the love before, but it has taken control of her instead. The bruises and pain of losing are weighing heavy, and now she feels like she has to let the love go before it causes her more harm. She’s crying and admitting defeat, but knows that everyone experiences heartbreak at some point in their lives.

This song shows the pain and struggle that can come with the pursuit of love. The singer has tried to win several times but has fallen short, and now she’s faced with the possibility of losing again. The title of the song is “Love TKO”, which stands for “technical knockout” – used in boxing to denote a fighter who has been rendered unable to continue by a referee’s decision, due to injury or some other reason. This can be seen as a metaphor for how the singer feels – like she’s been knocked out by love, and this time she can’t get up again.

Line by Line Meaning

Lookin' back over my years I guess I've shed some tears.
Reflecting on my past, I've cried many times.

Told myself time and again This time I'm gonna win.
I'm always telling myself that I will succeed this time around.

But another fight. Things ain't right. I'm losing again. It takes a fool to lose twice And start all over again.
I've lost this battle as well, repeating the same mistakes all over again.

I think I better let him go. 'Cause it looks like another love TKO. Let it go, baby. I think I better let him go. 'Cause it looks like another love TKO. Ohh, yeah.
I should let go of this relationship before I get hurt again.

I tried to take control of the love. He took control of me. See you lose all thought and sense of time. You have a change of mind.
I tried to dominate the love, but he controlled me instead, leading to a loss of thought and perception of time and causing me to change my mind often.

Takin' the bumps and the bruises And all the pain of a two-time lose. And I try to hold on. My faith is gone. It's just another sad song.
I've faced the harshness of love and the agony of loss twice now. I'm trying to hold on, but my hope is dwindling, resulting in yet another sad experience.

So I think I gotta Gotta let it go I gotta let him go. Let it go, baby. 'Cause it looks like another love TKO. Oh, yes it does, yes it does.
I realize that I need to move on from this relationship as it's likely to result in heartbreak again.

Boy, whatcha want me to do? Can't stand up to you. No no no no.
I can't handle the pressure and control you're putting on me. I'm powerless in front of you.

Taking the bumps and the bruises And all the pain of a two-time lose. Then I try to hold on. My faith is gone. It's just another sad song.
Once again, I'm dealing with pain and loss. I'm struggling to hold on since my faith has vanished, resulting in another sad memory.

I think I better Better let it go I better let him go. Let it go, baby. 'Cause it looks like another love TKO.
It's in my best interest to let go of this toxic relationship before things get worse.

Yeah, I better Better let it go I gotta let him go. Let it go, Miss M. Another love, love TKO.
I'm seriously considering letting him go. Another instance of loving too much and repeating the same mistake.

Ooohhhh, boy you got me turned around and around and around. Around and around.
You've messed with my head and heart to the point where I'm completely disoriented.

Everybody's got to cry sometime. That's what they say. I heard them say. Everybody's gonna cry sometime. Mama says that they did, that they did.
People say that everyone cries sometimes. My mother says she has, and so did others.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CECIL WOMACK, GIP EDWARD NOBLE, GIP EDWARD, JR. NOBLE, LINDA WOMACK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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