Love Is Pain
Joan Jett;The Blackhearts Lyrics
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Or you will bleed
You know I need to get my way
So now you listen up
You are my pup
I beat you up in every way
An' when I speak to you
You answer true
I love to make you wait
You take the bait
I know you hate and love me too
We are not to blame
For seeing love is pain
An' we are not ashamed
To say that love is pain
An' we'll do it again
I know you're not afraid
'Cause when you stayed
You knew you made the final show
So now you must submit
I'll never quit till you admit
You'll never go
We are not to blame
For seeing love is pain
We are not ashamed
To say that love is pain
We are not ashamed, we are not ashamed
We are not ashamed, we are not ashamed
To say that love is pain
And we'll do it again
"Love Is Pain" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is a song that talks about the power dynamic in a relationship, specifically one in which the woman is in control. The first few lines are quite direct: "Hey you must obey / Or you will bleed / You know I need to get my way / So now you listen up / You are my pup / I beat you up in every way". Here, the singer uses violent language to convey the dominance she has in the relationship. She expects her partner to obey her without question, and threatens violence if he does not comply. This kind of language sets up an unhealthy power dynamic, where one person has control over the other.
However, the chorus complicates things: "We are not to blame / For seeing love is pain / And we are not ashamed / To say that love is pain / And we'll do it again". Here, the singer seems to be acknowledging that the relationship is not healthy, but also sees it as inevitable. She is not ashamed of the pain that comes with love because she knows that it is a part of the process. The last line of the chorus ("And we'll do it again") suggests that despite the pain and manipulation, the couple will continue their relationship.
The song presents a problematic view of relationships, one in which control and dominance are valued over mutual respect and trust. However, it also speaks to a certain kind of power dynamic that can exist in relationships and the complicated emotions that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you must obey
I demand obedience from you
Or you will bleed
You will face consequences if you don't obey me
You know I need to get my way
I am a controlling person who always needs to get what I want
So now you listen up
Pay attention to what I say
You are my pup
You are under my control and I treat you like a dog
I beat you up in every way
I hurt you emotionally and/or physically
An' when I speak to you
When I talk to you
You answer true
You better answer truthfully to me
Or I will make you black and blue
Or I will physically harm you
I love to make you wait
I enjoy making you wait for me
You take the bait
You fall for my manipulative tactics
I know you hate and love me too
You have conflicting feelings towards me
We are not to blame
We are not responsible
For seeing love is pain
For acknowledging that love can hurt
An' we are not ashamed
And we are not embarrassed
To say that love is pain
To admit that love can be painful
An' we'll do it again
And we will continue to put ourselves through the pain of love
I know you're not afraid
I know you are not scared
'Cause when you stayed
Because you chose to stick around
You knew you made the final show
You knew it was the end and you still stayed
So now you must submit
So now you have to give in to me
I'll never quit till you admit
I won't stop until you confess to something
You'll never go
You will never leave me
We are not ashamed, we are not ashamed
We are unashamed of our love
To say that love is pain
To admit that love can be painful
And we'll do it again
And we will continue to put ourselves through the pain of love
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOAN JETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Russell
Joan jett and the blackheart what legends in the music 🎶 🎵 business what can you say about Joan jett a icon and a legendary singer with amazing vocals and fantastic lyrics 🤘🏻 👍 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEART 🖤🖤🖤🖤
Beniii
Esto si es música 🤘
Mark Ciale
Skull crushing music!! 👍🔥
Darrion Stark
Yo just found this band and I love the sound and lyrics pretty Damm good
Redsoxfan
Can’t wait to see Joan in Jacksonville next week… She is a true legend.
RedGoldGreen-Dub1975
Great song 🖤🤟🏻😎
John К.
Love her.
Gonzalo Nieto
Joan Jett - My favorite ROCK Artist !!
Descubriment !!! 🔥🖤❤️👍!! ☮️😸!
🙂! 🆓🆙! 🫂🌎🫂🌺 Man, is a Wolf, for a Man !!! Hard as a ROCK !!! ⚡🔥
Russell Lamb
Doubt That The Stars Are Fire; Doubt That The Sun Doesn't Move, Doubt Truth To Be A Liar, But Never Doubt My Love For You Is Boundless Eternal And True 🌹🌹❤️❤️🙋🏻♂️
Alessandro Sabino
Very beautiful 😍😍😍