The song was featured in the 1989 movie, The Tall Guy starring Jeff Goldblum, Rowan Atkinson and Emma Thompson. Suggs also appeared in the movie whilst singing this song. The single was reissued to tie in with the film but was not a hit on that occasion.
A version with altered lyrics was used to advertise Midland Bank in 1994, and Madness' version was also used to advertise LoveFilm in 2009. Siffre's original version also appeared in a 2007 UK television advertisement for Vodafone.
The singer of the belgian group Arid, Jasper Steverlinck, also released a cover of this song.
Releases
The original Labi Siffre recording was released as a single in 1971, and reached number 14 in the UK singles chart. It also appeared on his 1972 album Crying Laughing Loving Lying.
Madness' version was originally issued as a standalone single in 1981 and appeared on their UK number one compilation album Complete Madness the following year, and on many other Madness compilations since. In 1983, it peaked in the US Billboard Magazine chart at #33.
The video mostly shows band members playing in a white room and standing over a grave. It also features guitarist Chris Foreman and saxophonist Lee Thompson playing their instruments underwater. Foreman appears at the start of the video warning viewers not to attempt the "very dangerous stunt" they are about to see, presumably referring to the swimming pool sequence. Labi Siffre makes a cameo appearance as a violin player.
Madness' recording was re-issued in 1992, and this time reached #6 in the UK charts. A slightly remixed version with a definite ending instead of the original fade-out, appeared on the 2002 compilation Our House: the Best of Madness. More recently, in 2007, a remixed version of the song appeared in the German Edgar Wallace spoof movie Neues vom Wixxer, along with a new recording called “NW5”. As well as the remix to the song, a new video was filmed, including the band and members of the cast.
Also in 2007, Paolo Nutini covered the song for BBC Radio 1's cover compilation album, [j]Radio 1 Established 1967.
It Must Be Love
Madness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Half as much as I do
And I never thought I'd feel this way
The way I feel
About you
As soon as I wake up
Every night, every day
I know that it's you I need
To take the blues away
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less
Love is the best
How can it be that we can
Say so much without words?
Bless you and bless me
Bless the bees
And the birds
I've got to be near you
Every night, every day
I couldn't be happy
Any other way
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less
Love is the best
As soon as I wake up
Every night, every day
I know that it's you I need
To take the blues away
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
In Madness’s song “It Must Be Love,” the singer expresses that they never thought they would miss someone half as much as they do and never thought they would feel about someone the way they do. They wake up every night and day knowing that they need the object of their affection to take the blues away. This need for the person in their life must be love as nothing else could make them feel this way. The singer ponders how it is that they can say so much without words and blesses the bees and the birds. They need to be near the person every day and night, as they would not be happy any other way. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the certainty that what they feel for this person is indeed love.
The song explores the powerful feeling of love that can overtake an individual’s life. The lyrics express a longing for someone even when they are not around, the sort of feeling that can only come from true love. The singer realizes that they need the person in their life not just to feel happiness but also to take the blues away. The chorus signifies the fact that nothing else could make the singer feel this way, confirming the certainty that this is indeed love. The singer’s every waking moment is filled with the thought of this person, adding to the intensity of the emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
I never thought I'd miss you
I underestimated the extent of my affection for you
Half as much as I do
I miss you more than I thought was possible
And I never thought I'd feel this way
I never imagined such intense emotions towards you
The way I feel
My feelings towards you are strong and undeniable
About you
These intense feelings are directed towards you
As soon as I wake up
My first thought of the day is of you
Every night, every day
You always occupy my thoughts, day and night
I know that it's you I need
I rely on you to bring me happiness and contentment
To take the blues away
You have the power to make me feel better, to lift my spirits
It must be love, love, love
These intense emotions can only be described as love
Nothing more, nothing less
These emotions are pure and true, without any ulterior motives or complications
Love is the best
The feeling of love is the most powerful and wonderful thing in the world
How can it be that we can
It is amazing that two people can feel such strong emotions towards each other
Say so much without words?
We do not need words to express our love and affection towards each other
Bless you and bless me
May we always be blessed together, in love and happiness
Bless the bees
May all of nature and its creatures be blessed with love and happiness
And the birds
May even the birds be blessed with the joy of love
I've got to be near you
Being close to you brings me comfort and happiness
Every night, every day
Just being near you, day or night, brings me joy
I couldn't be happy
Without you by my side, I could not find happiness
Any other way
There is no other path to happiness for me, other than being with you
It must be love, love, love
Once again, these intense feelings can only be described as love
It must be love, love, love
Love is the only thing that can explain the depth of my emotions
It must be love, love, love
Love is the driving force behind everything I do and feel
It must be love, love, love
I am certain that what I am feeling is true love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing else could explain the power and intensity of my emotions towards you
It must be love, love, love
I am completely and hopelessly in love with you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Labi Siffre
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CarlosSanchez-no4lj
I never thought I'd miss you
Half as much as I do
And I never thought I'd feel this way
The way I feel
About you
As soon as I wake up
Every night, every day
I know that it's you I need
To take the blues away
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less
Love is the best
How can it be that we can
Say so much without words?
Bless you and bless me
Bless the bees
And the birds
I've got to be near you
Every night, every day
I couldn't be happy
Any other way
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less
Love is the best
As soon as I wake up
Every night, every day
I know that it's you I need
To take the blues away
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
@maggiephillips4802
After 28 years of marriage my husband passed on Valentines day this year, This was always our tune and played it at his funeral, He loved me always like I was his queen, and even though my tears flow when your song starts to play by the end I am smiling and remembering the way he always looked at me and sang the words while we danced away, Thank you Madness for giving me a banging tune to remember my Gary
@jorgetuzi8351
I am so sorry. Such a beautiful story!!
@bsingin64
So sorry for your loss Maggie. Keep singing and loving Gary every day. :* )
@11matt11
So sorry to hear that. But wonderful it still brings out such wonderful memories.
@daughterofolaf
❤️
@Catboxxxxx
Your husband had excellent tastes in music, I'm really sorry for your loss.
@rustledjammies8769
Fun fact: The violinist on the right (0:44, 1:26, 2:17, etc.) is Labi Siffre, the writer and original recording artist of this song.
He honestly loved the cover so much that he asked to be in the video!
@davidwright4495
And you see him on 3:21. The camera goes right to his face. He's Smiling.
@jamesgreenldn
I only just found out this week he wrote this gem! The Madness version got more air time I guess
@connieandgwennie1450
@@davidwright4495That's lovely when he takes his s/glasses off and smiles!