When a Man Loves a Woman
Midler Bette 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 describes a powerful love that a man has for a woman. The opening lines of the song describe the feeling of being held in the arms of the man who loves her and how amazing it feels to hear him say that she's the only one for him. It's evident that this love is all-consuming and nothing else in the world matters to him. The chorus of the song reflects this as the man is willing to give up everything he has just to hold onto the woman he loves. He cannot see any faults in her and will turn his back on his best friend if they speak badly of the woman he loves.


The subsequent verse describes just how desperate the man's love for the woman is. He is willing to spend all his money to keep their relationship alive and give up all the luxuries of life just to be with her. The lyrics show a love that is powerful enough to make a person go through any pain or hardship just to be with the one they love. The final verse talks about the blindness that comes with love. The man cannot see any flaws or faults in the woman he loves and can never hold another girl or even think of leaving her. The song ends with the chorus again, emphasizing how love brings a profound change in a man's world.


Line by Line Meaning

When he held me in his arms,
When he held me close and the world faded away,


Baby, baby, baby, you are the only one for me.
My love for you burns brightly and you are the only one in my heart.


Can't keep his mind on nothing else.
His love for her consumes him, leaving no room for other thoughts.


He'll trade the world For the good thing he found.
He would give up everything for the one he loves.


Yeah, if she's bad, he can't see it.
Love blinds him to any faults or imperfections in his beloved.


She can do no wrong.
In his eyes, she is perfect and can do no wrong.


Turn his back on his best friend If he put her down.
He would choose his love over his friends if they spoke ill of her.


Spend his very last dime Tryin' to hold on to what he needs.
He would do anything to keep her close, even if it meant giving all his money.


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 would give up everything he has to make her happy, even if it meant discomfort and hardship.


Gives her everything that he has, Tryin' to hold on to her precious love, Cryin, baby, baby please don't treat me bad.
He showers her with everything he has to keep hold of her love and begs her not to hurt him.


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.
Love can bring pain and heartache, but he is too blinded by love to perceive the truth in her actions.


He could never hold another girl.
His love for her is pure and he could never desire another woman.


Baby, baby, this is a man's world.
The power of love within a man's heart is the most important thing in his life.


Oh, baby, a change is gonna come down In this man's world.
Although love can be turbulent and uncertain, it is an integral part of the human experience.




Lyrics © 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

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Cici

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.



Faire Maiden

kiki... A small correction to this verse...

When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul,
She can bring him such misery.

IF SHE'S PLAYIN' HIM FOR A FOOL

He's the last one to know.
Lovin' eyes don't ever see.



All comments from YouTube:

Lisa Martin

She should have won the Oscar for this movie ! All the singing like this and acting, no one should have beat her out of it ! Love Better Midler for years.

Ornella Putti

she did

ohwell94

@Ornella Putti no she lost to Sally Field for Norma Rae

Pam Metz

I've loved her too

Lola09*

❤❤❤❤ she's phenomenal

1 More Replies...

Peter Penn

Bette Midler delivers her body and soul in this song. what only a true artist like her can do.

asherdash12

One of my favorite performances of all time. I remember as a kid watching the movie with my mom when it first came out. I've watched it many times since then.

Bill Brogdon

Amen. This is one of the BEST movies that she ever did, hands down!!!!❤

Katy Bienz

Bette Midler is such an amazing preformer and a dying breed. Who else can sing, act, and do stand up comedy all in one act?

Terri Arnold

She is AMAZING! Love this performance!

More Comments

More Versions