The song peaked at number 6 in the United Kingdom, making it Faith's highest-charting single to date, surpassing her 2012 single "Picking Up the Pieces". It made its Australian chart premiere on 21 July 2014 after being used on a high-profile TV advertisement for Channel 7's drama series Winners & Losers. It reached the number one position on the Australian ARIA charts on 26 July. It also peaked at number 3 on the New Zealand Singles Chart, marking Faith's first top ten and highest-peaking single there to date.
In 2022, due to Tik Tok, the song became more popular worldwide and peaked at number 75 on the 200 Billboard Global chart. It also entered other charts in Europe. Faith subsequently released a slowed-down version of the song, which also went viral on the platform.
"Only Love Can Hurt Like This" was written by Diane Warren, who has previously written songs for Whitney Houston, Cher, Toni Braxton, LeAnn Rimes, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. Initially, Faith refused to record the song because she hadn't any writing credit for it, however after hearing the song Faith felt overwhelmed by how (lyrically) the song reflected on her relationship and emotion at the time. Warren has also written a song with a synonymous title, "Nothing Hurts Like Love", sung by Daniel Bedingfield. The song "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" was premiered in a stripped back acoustic version on Amazon.com, and was later performed at a Burberry fashion show in February 2014; later this performance was made available on the iTunes Store.
The song has been described as a Motown-influenced sixties-style ballad and is a largely acoustic song featuring mainly brass and drums, expanding to include backing vocals and heavy use of violins in the final choruses. The song also includes subtle piano accentuation. The iTunes album review for A Perfect Contradiction describes the song as: "[a] towering, wall-of-sound ballad ..." - a reference to the production formula developed by record producer Phil Spector.
The official music video for "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" was preceded by an '"Off the Cuff"' version, released on Faith's official Vevo account and was premiered on 31 March 2014. In this video, is shown just Paloma (looking typically vampish in a trademark vintage outfit) and her pianist (Dom Pipkin, who had previously recorded piano for Faith on the acoustic tracks included in the deluxe edition of "Fall to Grace") performing the song alone in a room. This video was directed by Anthony Saul.
On 25 April, Faith uploaded a teaser of the official music video on her official Instagram account, and informed that the video was set to release on 28 April. The song's official video has been credited to Denna Cartamkhoub (as the producer) and Paul Gore (as the director) who also worked with Faith on her "Can't Rely on You"'s and Trouble with My Baby's music video. The video for this song was shot by Daniel Landin.
Only Love Can Hurt Like This
Paloma Faith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what we got, got no hold on me
But when you're not there, I just crumble
I tell myself I don't care that much
But I feel like I die 'til I feel your touch
Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Say I wouldn't care if you walked away
But every time you're there, I'm begging you to stay
And when you come close (when you come close), I just tremble
And every time, every time you go
It's like a knife that cuts right to my soul
Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must've been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burn into my skin
Only love can hurt like this
But it's the sweetest pain
Burning hot through my veins
Love is torture, makes me more sure
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must've been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burn into my skin
Only love can hurt like this
(Only love can hurt like this)
Only love can hurt like this
(Only love can hurt) save me, save me
Only love, only love
'Cause only love can hurt like this
And it must've been a deadly kiss
Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paloma Faith is a beautifully crafted song about heartbreak and the pain that only love can bring. The lyrics talk about the struggle of pretending not to care about a person who doesn't reciprocate the same feelings, but when they are not around, it feels like the world is crumbling. Even though the person tries to convince themselves that they don't care that much, they can't help but feel like they are dying until they feel that person's touch. The chorus describes how only love can hurt this bad and must have been a deadly kiss. Despite knowing that the love is hurting, it's still deeply cherished and sweet in its own way.
The song highlights the bittersweet pain of love but also portrays a sense of hope for the future. The bridge acknowledges that love is torture, and it hurts badly, but it also makes the person more sure of what they want. The ad libs towards the end of the track express the pain of the person and their desperate cry for help, hoping that only love can save them.
Line by Line Meaning
I tell myself you don't mean a thing
I try to convince myself that you have no significance in my life
And what we got, got no hold on me
Our relationship doesn't have any power over me
But when you're not there, I just crumble
But in reality, when you're not around I fall apart
I tell myself I don't care that much
I try to convince myself that I don't have strong feelings for you
But I feel like I die 'til I feel your touch
But the truth is, I feel like I'm dying inside until I'm close to you
Say I wouldn't care if you walked away
I pretend that I wouldn't be affected if you chose to leave me
But every time you're there, I'm beggin' you to stay
But when you're with me, I plead with you to stay
And when you come close (when you come close), I just tremble
And when you get close to me, I can't help but shake
And every time, every time you go
And every time you leave
It's like a knife that cuts right to my soul
It feels like a sharp object is piercing my soul
Only love, only love can hurt like this
Love is the only thing that can cause such intense emotional pain
Must've been a deadly kiss
Your kiss had a powerful effect on me
Your kisses burn into my skin
Your kisses leave a lasting effect on me
But it's the sweetest pain
Even though the pain is intense, it's worth it because of the love I feel
Burnin' hot through my veins
The intensity of the pain feels like it's flowing through my veins
Love is torture, makes me more sure
Love is painful, but it also makes me more certain of my feelings
'Cause only love can hurt like this
The pain I feel is unique to love
And it must've been a deadly kiss
Your kiss had a powerful, even deadly effect on me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Realsongs
Written by: Diane Eve Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@onehotgossip
Paloma Faith - Only Love Can Hurt Like This
I tell myself you don't mean a thing,
And what we got, got no hold on me
But when you're not there I just crumble
I tell myself I don't care that much,
But I feel like I die 'til I feel your touch,
Only love, only love can hurt like this,
Only love can hurt like this
Must have been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Say I wouldn't care if you walked away,
But every time you're there I'm begging you to stay,
When you come close I just tremble
And every time, every time you go,
It's like a knife that cuts right through my soul
Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this,
Must have been a deadly kiss,
Only love can hurt like this,
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burn into my skin,
Only love can hurt like this
But it's the sweetest pain,
Burning hot through my veins,
Love is torture makes me more sure
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this,
Only love can hurt like this,
Must have been a deadly kiss,
Only love can hurt like this,
Only love can hurt like this,
Your kisses burn into my skin,
Only love can hurt like this,
Only love can hurt like this,
Save me, save me,
Only love, only love,
'Cause only love can hurt like this
And it must have been a deadly kiss
@arkadiyraykin7604
I tell myself you don't mean a thing
And what we got, got no hold on me
But when you're not there I just crumble
I tell myself that I don't care that much
But I feel like I die 'til I feel your touch
Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must have been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Say I wouldn't care if you walked away
But every time you're there I'm begging you to stay
When you come close I just tremble
And every time, every time you go
It's like a knife that cuts right through my soul
Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must have been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burn into my skin
Only love can hurt like this
But if the sweetest pain
Burning hot through my veins
Love is torture makes me more sure
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must have been the deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burning to my skin
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this (only love can hurt)
Save me, save me
Only love, only love
'Cause only love can hurt like this
And it must have been the deadly kiss
@danilovozza9164
LYRICS 💕
I'd tell myself you don't mean a thing
But what we got, got no hold on me?
But when you're not there I just crumble
I tell myself that I don't care that much
But I feel like I'm dying till I feel your touch
Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must have been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Say I wouldn't care if you walked away
But every time you're there I'm begging you to stay
When you come close I just tremble
And every time, every time you go
It's like a knife that cuts right through my soul
Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must have been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burning to my skin
Only love can hurt like this
But if the sweetest pain
Burning hot through my veins
Love is torture makes me more sure
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must have been the deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burning to my skin
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Save me, save me
Only love, only love
'Cause only love can hurt like this
And it must have been the deadly kiss
@CotIonut08
Someone in 2024 ?? 💪🥲
@AlejandroGonzalez-kn9jk
Me again😅
@maykaktusik7279
Yas
@LisaMilani-rn7jq
Me
@alego8666
Me
@meriemwesleti1397
Meee like Always ❤️🩹
@sezthet1
I love how she captures the emotions of the “sweetest pain” of loving someone who does you no good. She’s right - love is torture. You can fall for someone who can captivate your soul but destroy your mind. Bittersweet. Beautiful lyrics and a truly underrated song. A “deadly kiss” - someone who pulls you in but inextricably pulls you down.
@SunnyBee626
Damn you really explained what I’m feeling right now
@saraberisha6773
Always trust your instincts. I was together with my ex for 4 years and i shouldve left as soon as i got that nasty feeling 😭 i have it so hard now
@andrellawilliams8912
I love this song so much n it brings back memories of me and my first love