John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English si… Read Full Bio ↴John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of songs written by other song writers, though he composed a number of songs for most of his albums as well, often in conjunction with songwriting partner Chris Stainton.

His first album featured a recording of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends", which brought him to near-instant stardom. The song reached number one in the UK in 1968, became a staple of his many live shows (Woodstock and the Isle of Wight in 1969, the Party at the Palace in 2002) and was also known as the theme song for the late 1980s American TV series The Wonder Years. He continued his success with his second album, which included a second Beatles song: "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window". A hastily thrown together 1970 US tour led to the live double-album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, which featured an all-star band organized by Leon Russell. His 1974 recording of "You Are So Beautiful" reached number five in the US, and became his signature song. Cocker's best selling song was the US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes that earned a 1983 Grammy Award. He released a total of 22 studio albums over a 43-year recording career.

In 1993, Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male. He was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown in 2007, and received an OBE the following year for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers list.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Cocker

Studio albums
With a Little Help from My Friends (1969)
Joe Cocker! (1969)
Joe Cocker (1972/EU: 1973)
I Can Stand a Little Rain (1974)
Jamaica Say You Will (1975)
Stingray (1976)
Luxury You Can Afford (1978)
Sheffield Steel (1982)
Civilized Man (1984)
Cocker (1986)
Unchain My Heart (1987)
One Night of Sin (1989)
Night Calls (1991/US: 1992)
Have a Little Faith (1994)
Organic (1996)
Across from Midnight (1997)
No Ordinary World (1999/US: 2000)
Respect Yourself (2002)
Heart & Soul (2004/US: 2005)
Hymn for My Soul (2007/US: 2008)
Hard Knocks (2010/US: 2012)
Fire It Up (2012)

You Know It's Gonna Hurt
Joe Cocker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Speak softly
Sometimes words can land so hard
Come near me
We don't even have to talk
The practice of breaking hearts
Can become
Something all around
And then the look on your face

What you're saying
Ain't light to trace

You know it's gonna hurt
Get in line with the brokenhearted
Oh oh
Yet you know it's going to hurt
That's the way the whole thing started
Oh oh oh oh oh
You know it's gonna hurt

And so we'll see
It's the pressures of our words
And we'll long through
We'll long through
All our
Faith and consolation
If added up the pleasures and pain
Can equal shares
Of things unsaid
Some things we'll have to be right about
While we're so cruel to ourselves

You know it's gonna hurt
Get in a line with the brokenhearted
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Yet you know it's going to hurt
That's the way the whole thing started
Oh oh oh oh oh

But tell this thing you lose
You love him baby
We just need a little time
Even if it takes forever
To mend this heart
Mend this heart of yours
And this heart of mine

Oh you know it's gonna hurt
Get in a line with the brokenhearted
Oh oh oh oh oh
You know it's going to hurt
That's the way the whole thing started
Oh oh oh oh oh
You know it's gonna hurt
You know it's gonna hurt
That's the way the whole thing started
Oh oh oh oh oh
You know it's gonna hurt
What becomes of the brokenhearted
Oh oh oh oh oh
Yours and mine
You know it's gonna hurt
Just need a little time
Oh oh oh oh oh
And the healing baby
You know it's gonna hurt
You know it's going to hurt
Oh oh oh oh oh

That's the way the whole thing started
You know it's gonna hurt.

Overall Meaning

The song "You Know It's Gonna Hurt" by Joe Cocker is a somber reflection on the pain that comes with love and heartbreak. The lyrics start with a plea to speak softly, as words can land so hard, and to come near without needing to talk. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which explores how the practice of breaking hearts can become something all around, and how some things must be right while we're so cruel to ourselves. The chorus repeats the line "you know it's gonna hurt" over and over, emphasizing the inevitability of pain in love and relationships.

The lyrics suggest that we can only hope for a little time to heal our broken hearts and mend the pain. The line "just need a little time, and the healing baby" is a glimmer of hope, but the repetition of the chorus brings us back to the inevitability of heartbreak. The song concludes with the statement "you know it's gonna hurt", followed by a reference to the famous Jimmy Ruffin song "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted".

Line by Line Meaning

Speak softly
Sometimes words can hurt deeply, so it's best to speak with gentleness.

Come near me
Physical proximity can provide comfort and support, even without words.

We don't even have to talk
Sometimes just being present with each other can be enough.

The practice of breaking hearts
Heartbreak can become a pattern or habit that is difficult to break.

Can become something all around
Heartbreak can affect not only those involved, but everyone around them.

And then the look on your face
Facial expressions can convey a lot of emotion and meaning.

What you're saying ain't light to trace
The meaning behind someone's words may not be clear or easy to understand.

You know it's gonna hurt
You are aware that the outcome of this situation will be painful.

Get in line with the brokenhearted
You are not alone in your pain, many others have experienced heartbreak.

That's the way the whole thing started
The events that led up to this situation were always going to end in heartbreak.

It's the pressures of our words
The things we say and how we say them can put a lot of strain on our relationships.

And we'll long through all our faith and consolation
We will endure the pain and seek comfort through our faith and other sources of solace.

If added up the pleasures and pain can equal shares
The good and bad experiences we have can balance each other out in the end.

Of things unsaid
Sometimes it's the things we don't say that can cause the most pain.

Some things we'll have to be right about
There are some things we will need to get right in order for the relationship to work.

While we're so cruel to ourselves
We can be our own worst enemy and sabotage our chances at happiness.

But tell this thing you lose you love him baby
Expressing love to someone you have lost can be healing, even if it doesn't change the outcome.

We just need a little time
Time can heal wounds and provide clarity and perspective on the situation.

Even if it takes forever to mend this heart, mend this heart of yours and mine
Recovering from heartbreak can take a long time and be a difficult process, but it can be done.

What becomes of the brokenhearted
This is a universal question that many have asked and few can answer.

And the healing baby
The process of healing from heartbreak can involve a lot of pain and discomfort.

Contributed by Sydney T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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