Knight and Chapman wrote this song for Benatar initially as a mid-tempo song. After some exploration with drum machines and the band, producer Neil Giraldo decided to make it an uptempo song. The single was Benatar's second US million-seller and is tied with "We Belong" as her highest-charting single in the United States. It topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for four weeks and peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1983.
It reached number one on the Australian singles chart in February 1984 and remained there for five weeks, becoming the 11th biggest-selling single of the year. In the Netherlands, the song topped the charts for four weeks; it reached number two on the 1984 year-end chart. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom in March 1985 and reached number 17. It was awarded gold certification in Canada as well.
The single was unlike most of Benatar's previous work, as it featured an electronic dance element, but guitars and drums were still present. In 1984, the song won Benatar her fourth consecutive Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
The Bob Giraldi-directed music video features Benatar playing a rebellious teenage girl running away from her home with her father (played by actor Trey Wilson) warning her, "If you leave this house now, you can just forget about coming back!" after he disowned her. Her mother looks on helplessly and her brother (played by actor Philip Cruise) watches sadly from an upper-story window. She later becomes a taxi dancer at a seedy club to get by in the city of New York. She writes to her brother, telling him about her exciting new life, while her father seems to feel guilty about being angry at her. Later in the video, she witnesses the club owner (played by actor Gary Chryst) harassing another dancer. Benatar rounds up the women and leads a rebellion against him. As the club owner is cornered by the women against his will, he tries to seduce Benatar only to have her throw a drink in his face. Angered by this, he tries once again to assault her but Benatar and the women overpower and defeat him, then storm out of the club dancing into the sunrise before bidding goodbye to one another, thanking Benatar for their escape. The women escape and strike out on their own and Benatar walks into the sunrise. The final scene shows Benatar sitting in the back of a bus headed for an unknown destination. The video was choreographed by Michael Peters, who appears briefly in the video.
A special dance club remix of the song was created by Jellybean Benitez. Benitez also created an edited version of his mix specifically for the video. It differs slightly in structure and instrumentation, and aside from appearing in the video, has never been commercially released.
The video was one of the first ever to feature the use of dialogue - Philip Bailey's "I Know" was the first but Benatar's got more exposure. The scenes featuring dialogue include the opening scene of Benatar stomping out of the house while being berated by her father and the scene featuring the pimp harassing the female dancer in which she shouts "Leave me alone!"
The video was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video and is included on the DVD for the film 13 Going on 30.
Love Is a Battlefield
Pat Benatar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(We are young)
We are young
(Heartache to heartache)
Heartache to heartache
(We stand)
We stand
No promises
(No demands)
No demands
(Love is a battlefield)
Love is a battlefield
Whoa
We are strong
No one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long
Both of us knowing
Love is a battlefield
You're making me go
Then making me stay
Why do you hurt me so bad?
It would help me to know
Do I stand in your way
Or am I the best thing you've had?
Believe me, believe me
I can't tell you why
But I'm trapped by your love
And I'm chained to your side
We are young
Heartache to heartache
We stand
No promises
No demands
Love is a battlefield
We are strong
No one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long
Both of us knowing
Love is a battlefield
When I'm losing control
Will you turn me away
Or touch me deep inside?
And when all this gets old
Will it still feel the same
There's no way this will die
But if we get much closer
I could lose control
And if your heart surrenders
You'll need me to hold
We are young
Heartache to heartache
We stand
No promises
No demands
Love is a battlefield
We are strong
No one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long
Both of us knowing
Love is a battlefield
"Love Is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar is a powerful song that talks about the challenges and complexities of love. The lyrics start with a declaration that "We are young", suggesting that despite their inexperience, they are prepared to face the challenges of love. The song highlights that love is filled with "heartache to heartache" moments, and the two lovers stand together to face the difficulties that lie ahead. Love is depicted as a "battlefield," which symbolizes the struggle that lovers face while trying to make a relationship work.
The lyrics suggest that although love can be tumultuous, the lovers are much stronger together than apart. They are in control of their relationship, and nobody can tell them they are wrong. They have searched their hearts long and hard, and they know that their love is worth fighting for. The song talks explicitly about the mixed feelings that can come with love, like the partner's actions that cause hurt, and the confusion that arises and disrupt the relationship.
In summary, "Love Is a Battlefield" is a beautiful and insightful song that shows how much two people can endure and overcome in the name of love. The lyrics convey the message that sometimes love is not pretty, and sometimes it can be painful, but ultimately it is worth fighting for. It communicates that love takes two to keep it alive, and they are in it together.
Line by Line Meaning
(We are young)
We are inexperienced and new to love.
(We are young)
We are not mature enough to handle love.
We are young
We have not been in love for very long.
(Heartache to heartache)
We have been hurt by love before.
Heartache to heartache
We have been through heartbreak and pain.
(We stand)
We are still standing despite the pain we've been through.
We stand
We are still here, trying to make love work.
(No promises)
We are not making any commitments.
No promises
We are not making any guarantees for the future.
(No demands)
We are not asking for anything in return.
No demands
We are not expecting anything from each other.
(Love is a battlefield)
Love is difficult and can be painful.
Love is a battlefield
Love is a struggle that we must fight through together.
We are strong
We are resilient and capable of overcoming obstacles.
No one can tell us we're wrong
No one else can understand our love.
Searching our hearts for so long
We have been looking for love for a long time.
Both of us knowing
We both recognize the challenges of love.
When I'm losing control
When my emotions become too much to handle.
Will you turn me away
Will you reject me when I need you most?
Or touch me deep inside?
Or will you reach me on an emotional level?
There's no way this will die
Our love will never completely fade away.
But if we get much closer
But if we get more emotionally attached.
I could lose control
I may be overwhelmed by my feelings.
And if your heart surrenders
And if you fall for me.
You'll need me to hold
You'll rely on me for emotional support.
Love is a battlefield
Love is a challenge that we must face together.
We are strong
We have the strength to overcome difficult situations.
Searching our hearts for so long
We have been searching for love for a long time.
Both of us knowing
We are both aware of the difficulties of love.
Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Holly Knight, Mike Chapman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@infinitychillin
We are young
(Heartache to heartache)
Heartache to heartache
(We stand)
We stand
No promises
(No demands)
No demands
(Love is a battlefield)
Love is a battlefield
Whoa
We are strong
No one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long
Both of us knowing
Love is a battlefield
You're making me go
Then making me stay
Why do you hurt me so bad?
It would help me to know
Do I stand in your way
Or am I the best thing you've had?
Believe me, believe me
I can't tell you why
But I'm trapped by your love
And I'm chained to your side
We are young
Heartache to heartache
We stand
No promises
No demands
Love is a battlefield
We are strong
No one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long
Both of us knowing
Love is a battlefield
When I'm losing control
Will you turn me away
Or touch me deep inside?
And when all this gets old
Will it still feel the same
There's no way this will die
But if we get much closer
I could lose control
And if your heart surrenders
You'll need me to hold
We are young
Heartache to heartache
We stand
No promises
No demands
Love is a battlefield
We are strong
No one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long
Both of us knowing
Love is a battlefield
@Anymous253
2024 anyone?
@joecaruso26
Always, a classic
@arnoldpelap6057
Yeah
@johnnyguolker2276
Me
@anamariaescobargomez1171
Yo!š
@svenm.octavian
Hell yeah. Her Austin special is sweet
@esp885
I'm a 50 yr old black man, I remember hearing this on the radio all day damn near every 20 min. Couldn't help but feel the beat and the chorus. Pat was killin it back then. šÆ
@taliahh25
I was in a dance group back then. We always did this dance when class was over šš
@toredarivera1615
I agree šÆ!!! I remember hearing it on an R&B š» station when our mom moved us to Georgia from jersey from 82 to 84. I thought she was black till I saw the š¶ video. I used to do the whole dance routine from the video in my mom's living room every time the š¶ video came on. Great memories šš½.
@user-fw9bt3my4q
First song I sang karaoke in a bar with my sister,was fun"*!