John's first record released was under the stage name "Johnny Cougar" at the behest of Tony DeFries, his first manager. Mellencamp claims it was against his knowledge and will, and he hated the name. A few years later in 1982, he made his break through with the album "American Fool" which includes the hit singles "Hurts So Good" and "Jack and Diane" under the stage name "John Cougar". With 1983's "Uh-Huh" album, he added back his real last name to become known as "John Cougar Mellencamp." By 1987's "The Lonesome Jubilee" he dropped the "Cougar" moniker altogether, and has been known henceforth as "John Mellencamp."
Mellencamp has always been socially and politically active and supported the "Vote for Change" Tour in 2004 opposing the policies of President George W. Bush. Mellencamp is a devout evangelical Christian and strongly believes in non-violence; he has spoken about his beliefs frequently in interviews.
Hurts So Good
John Mellencamp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said put away those young boy ways
Now that I'm gettin' older, so much older
I long for those young boy days
With a girl like you
With a girl like you
Lord knows there are things we can do, baby
Just me and you
Hurt so good
Come on baby, make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
You make it hurt so good
Don't have to be so exciting
Just trying to give myself a little bit of fun, yeah
You always look so inviting
You ain't as green as you are young
Hey baby, it's you
Come on girl, now it's you
Sink your teeth right through my bones, baby
Let's see what we can do
Come on and make it, uh
Hurt so good
Come on baby, make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
You make it hurt so good
I ain't talking no big deals
I ain't made no plans myself
I ain't talking no high heels
Maybe we could walk around, all day long
Walk around, all day long
Hurt so good
Come on baby, make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
You make it hurt so good
Hurt so good
Come on baby, now
Come on baby, make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
You make it hurt so good
Hey, hey
At its core, John Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good" is a song about the duality of love. Mellencamp reflects on his youth and how he was advised to put his childlike ways behind him. However, as he's grown older, he longs for the simplicity of his younger years - and he desires the uninhibited passion and fun that comes with young love. The lyrics suggest that not all love feels good, and sometimes the pain can even be desirable, especially when shared with someone else. He talks about how the girl he's with isn't necessarily exciting, but she invites him to let loose and have fun. The chorus is where the song's message is most apparent, with Mellencamp singing about how this girl's love hurts him in just the right way. Ultimately, the song is a celebration of the joys and pains of love and the desire to find someone who can make it hurt so good.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a young boy
As a young boy, I was encouraged to leave childish behaviors
Said put away those young boy ways
I was told to stop behaving in an immature manner
Now that I'm gettin' older, so much older
Now that I've aged significantly
I long for those young boy days
I yearn for my innocent, youthful days
With a girl like you
In your company
Lord knows there are things we can do, baby
We could potentially engage in activities together
Just me and you
Only the two of us
Come on and make it, uh
Let's pursue these activities together
Hurt so good
The pain associated with engaging in these activities is pleasurable
Come on baby, make it hurt so good
Encouraging the person to participate and continue creating pleasurable pain
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
Love can be non-conventional and not feel how it is typically portrayed
You make it hurt so good
It is particularly you who make this pain pleasurable
Don't have to be so exciting
The activities don't need to be particularly thrilling
Just trying to give myself a little bit of fun, yeah
This is simply an attempt to experience some enjoyment
You always look so inviting
You appear enticing, tempting me to engage in these activities
You ain't as green as you are young
You may be young, but you are not as inexperienced as one may assume
Hey baby, it's you
Referring to the person who is making this pain pleasant
Come on girl, now it's you
Encouraging this person to continue making the pain feel good
Sink your teeth right through my bones, baby
Go ahead and cause me this pleasurable pain
Let's see what we can do
Let's experiment with what we can do to enjoy this more
I ain't talking no big deals
This isn't about doing something significant or extravagant
I ain't made no plans myself
I don't have any specific ideas or intentions for what to do
I ain't talking no high heels
This isn't about dressing up or being fancy
Maybe we could walk around, all day long
Perhaps we could spend the day together and explore what we could do to make this pain feel good
Come on baby, now
Once again encouraging this person to continue participating in these activities
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: George Green, John Mellencamp
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mreejeeriksson4056
In my opinion!
One of the greatest song & Rocken Roll artist ever ..
He was a big part of younger days ,when the American Fool record came out ...
One of the absolutly Best record ever in that area of time, and still is ..
Thats my opinion !!
Thanks John!!
For all the great music
MR:E Sweden
@nicholashernandez4367
LYRICS:
When I was a young boy,
Said put away those young boy ways
Now that I'm getting' older, so much older
I long for those young boy days
With a girl like you
With a girl like you
Lord knows there are things we can do, baby
Just me and you
Come on and make it a
Hurt so good
Come on baby make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
You make it, hurt so good
You don't have to be so exciting
Just trying to give myself a little bit of fun, yeah
You always look so inviting
You ain't as green as you are young
Hey baby it's you
Come on girl now it's you
Sink your teeth right through my bones, baby
Let's see what we can do
Come on and make it a
Hurt so good
Come on baby make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
You make it hurt so good
I ain't talking no big deals
I ain't made no plans myself
I ain't talking no high heels
Maybe we could walk around, all day long,
Walk around, all day long
Hurt so good
Come on baby make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
You make it hurt so good
Hurt so good, come baby now
Come on baby make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it should
You make it hurt so good
Hey, hey
@missylee9755
I'm going to invent a time machine & go back to the 80's....Anyone coming with me?
@mih3182
Yeah, hazy days:)
@MichaelD8393
I'm in.
@dianasturgeon6418
I'm there5
@mard212
Me aunó a tu tripulación, desde Lima jajjaja
@snakesinalaska
Missy Lee I will
@bleep77
There are certain 80’s songs that give me an overwhelmingly painful and bittersweet sense of nostalgia. This is definitely one of them
@billyboy385
i think you need to not. i have had that feeling of what i thought would have been but.. well i dont know the rest. i dont want to feel that way. listen to some springsteen
@willritter4076
I'd be honored if some early 80s fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal YouTube performances of JACK & DIANE by John Cougar and SOMEBODY'S BABY by Jackson Browne in tribute to the great musical summer of 1982. Live acoustic with no autotune or digital enhancements. Stay safe and keep on rocking in the '020s.
@mewhentheumuhtheuh
"painful and bittersweet"
You means it hurts so good?