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).

When A Man Loves A Woman
Bette Midler Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When he held me in his arms,
When he held me in his arms and said,
Baby, baby, baby, you are the only one for me.

When a man loves a woman,
Can't keep his mind on nothing else.
He'll trade the world
For the good thing he found.

Yeah, if she's bad, he can't see it.
She can do no wrong.
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down.

When a man loves a woman,
Spend his very last dime
Tryin' to hold on to what he needs.
He'll give up all his comforts,
Go out and sleep out in the rain,
If she says, baby, that is how it's gonna be.

When a man loves a woman,
Gives her everything that he has,
Tryin' to hold on to her precious love,
Cryin, baby, baby please don't treat me bad.

When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul,
She can bring him such misery.
Yeah, she's bad, but, oooh,
He's the last one to know.
Lovin' eyes don't ever see.

So, this man says he loves me, he loves me.
He gives me everything, everything,
Everything that he has,
Tryin' to hold on to my precious love,
Cryin', baby, baby, baby, don't you, don't you
Treat me, treat me bad.
Ohhhh, yeah.

When a man loves a woman
He can do her no wrong.
He could never hold another girl.
Oh, you tell me you love me, baby,
And gonna hold me tight.
Baby, baby, this is a man's world.
No, no.

Oh, baby, a change is gonna come down
In this man's world.

Overall Meaning

The song "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Bette Midler, explores the concept of unconditional love that a man has for his woman. The song articulates deeply the intense feelings and emotions that a man goes through when he is in love with his partner. The opening lines of the song, "When he held me in his arms, and said, Baby, baby, baby, you are the only one for me," create a romantic and emotional feeling in the listener.

The song delves into the fact that when a man loves a woman, he is fully devoted to her, and nothing else matters. The lyrics, "Can't keep his mind on nothing else, He'll trade the world for the good thing he's found," emphasize that when a man is in love, his world revolves around his love interest. He is ready to sacrifice everything, including his comforts, to keep his woman happy. The line, "He'll give up all his comforts, Go out and sleep out in the rain, If she says, baby, that is how it's gonna be," indicates that love is not just an emotion but also a sacrifice.

The themes of the song are universal and are relatable to people across all ages and cultures. It has helped in defining the traditional meaning of love and how it feels when someone is truly in love. The song has a soulful melody, and the powerful voice of Bette Midler adds to the intense emotions conveyed through the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

When he held me in his arms,
She remembers the feeling of being in his arms and hearing him say that she's the only one for him.

When a man loves a woman,
When a man truly loves a woman, his thoughts revolve around her and nothing else can hold his focus.

He’ll trade the world for the good thing he’s found
When a man loves a woman, he's willing to give up everything for her because she's his whole world.

She can do no wrong. Turn his back on his best friend If he put her down.
No matter how bad she may seem to others, he won't accept any criticism of her from anyone, not even his best friend.

Spend his very last dime Trying to hold on to what he needs. He’ll give up all his comforts, Go out and sleep out in the rain, If she says, “Baby, that is how it’s gonna be.”
He'll go to any extent, even sacrificing his comfort and necessities, to keep her happy and with him.

Gives her everything that he has, Tryin’ to hold on to her precious love,
He gives her everything he has to hold onto the love that they share for each other.

Cryin, baby, baby please don't treat me bad.
He begs her not to hurt him because he's vulnerable when it comes to her.

She can bring him such misery. Yeah, she's bad, but, oooh, He's the last one to know. Lovin' eyes don't ever see.
Despite the pain she brings him, he never holds her accountable and always sees her through loving eyes.

When a man loves a woman He could never hold another girl.
A man's love for a woman is so deep that it's impossible for him to even think of someone else.

Oh, you tell me you love me, baby, And gonna hold me tight.
The woman realizes that the man truly loves her and is going to hold her tight because their love for each other is genuine.

Oh, baby, a change is gonna come down In this man’s world.
The woman realizes that the man's world is going to change because of the love he has for her.

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Calvin Houston Lewis, Andrew James Wright

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS