Tonight we drink to youth
And holding fast to truth
Don't wanna lose what I had as a boy
My heart still has a beat
But love is now a feat
As common as a cold day in LA

Sometimes when I'm alone, I wonder
Is there a spell that I am under
Keeping me from seeing the real thing?

Love hurts
But sometimes it's a good hurt
And it feels like I'm alive
Love sings
When it transcends the bad things
Have a heart and try me
'Cause without love, I won't survive

I'm fettered and abused
Stand naked and accused
Should I surface this one-man submarine?
I only want the truth
So tonight, we drink to youth
I'll never lose what I had as a boy

Sometimes when I'm alone, I wonder
Is there a spell that I am under
Keeping me from seeing the real thing?

Love hurts
But sometimes it's a good hurt
And it feels like I'm alive
Love sings
When it transcends the bad things
Have a heart and try me
'Cause without love, I won't survive

Without love, I won't survive

Love hurts
But sometimes it's a good hurt
And it feels like I'm alive
Love sings
When it transcends the bad things
Have a heart and try me
'Cause without love, I won't survive

Love hurts, oh oh, love hurts
Without love, I won't survive
Love hurts, oh, love hurts
Without love, I won't survive


Lyrics submitted by IncubusRulesAll

Love Hurts Lyrics as written by Michael Einziger Brandon Boyd

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Love Hurts song meanings
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56 Comments

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  • +14
    General Comment

    I think this song is gorgeous. He reflects that what he learned as a boy is that love doesn't steal, it isn't one sided. He's asking for truth in the person that he loves, because obviously he feels blind in love, wandering in a place that's different from what he learned as a boy. He wonders if it's a spell he's under keeping him from seeing the truth, that's why he's asking it from the other person. In the chorus he explains that love may hurt, but it makes him feel alive at times, and that's what he hangs onto. He reflects how beautiful love is and how badly he wants to reap the splendors because without it he won't survive. So it's almost as if he'll take love at all costs, having this idealistic view of love, though denying the realities of it. In the second chorus he reveals how vulnerable he feels with a melancholy "through my surface is loneliness and the rain." They're "drinking to youth" in the sense that he's searching for what he used to believe in, for what he had as a boy.

    Such is a situation I think we all find ourselves in. Creating our own ideas on what love should be, and when you're finally immersed in it, those ideas disappear and you begin to question everything. A "love is blind" thing.

    IncubusRulesAllon September 24, 2006   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    Oh sorry, my interpretation. Sometimes the only proof that you're truly in love is when you feel that pain that you can only feel when you're in love, it hurts deep down in your heart. Therefore love sometimes the heart ache is a good thing, as the negative is a reassurance of the positive.

    Basically the song is about how easy it is to fall in love when your young, but as you go through relationships and have your heart broken so many times you shelter yourself against the bad feelings and inadvertantly the good feelings as well. As we grow older and go through many relationships, falling into TRUE love is far more difficult than it used to be, and the proof is usually in the pain. Love goes through a lot of hardships but when it makes it past all of that, it is absolutely divine.

    It's all about feeling true love.

    Zetsumeion December 28, 2006   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    I think maybe he's yearning for being in love. Being in a relationship with someone he loves. He cant find true love. He drinks to youth because as he grows older he grows tired and jaded and starts to lose the pure and strong feelings and passion he had when he was younger maybe also because of heartbreaks over the years. He doesnt wanna lose the ability to experience those strong feelings he had when he was younger. His heart still has a beat, its not fully dead but feeling love is scarce, like a cold day in L.A., the use of the word cold is relevant to how he feels without love. It's been a long time since he's experienced love, he wonders why? Is it a spell? Keeping me from seeing the real thing aka true love? He knows love hurts because of the heartbreaks he had before but he'd rather feel the hurt of love than be without love. Love makes him feel alive, without it he doesnt think he can survive, he doesnt wanna be without it anymore. Have a heart and try me, help me find love. Tired of being lonely and loveless, stand naked and accused, people think he should let it go and not make a big deal out of things, no one understands. Should I surface this one man submarine? Should I give up looking for love and just go on living without it? Maybe he wants to be given a chance and find love and feel alive and young again. He could be asking someone for that chance.

    I know that was a wacky interpretation of the song but thats how I related to it and interpretted it. I love that song and I'm listening to it alot now because I'm on the verge of breakup :[ I totally relate to my interpretation of the song and Brandon, I think I know how you feel pats Brandon's shoulder

    phoenigirlon November 20, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I hate how this song makes me wanna cry.

    musical_loseron July 25, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This is by far my favorite Incubus song, and quite honestly maybe my favorite song ever! It is so real, and vulnerable. Even the music video for it, seems to fit the song properly. Its the top most played song on my ipod, and the acoustic version of it is amazing too. Honestly I think Incubus outdid themselves with this song!

    Lithium3016on September 13, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I agree with IncubusRulesAll. This song is wonderful. Can't wait for Light Grenades. :) My Incubus collection has awaited for this cd for a long time...feels like eternity since A Crow Left Of The Murder. :)

    Adrenalinneon September 29, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Sometimes when I'm alone, I wonder Is it a spell that I am under Keeping me from seeing the real thing?

    when hes talking about the spell hes under, i think hes saying i see all these "stories" of people who seem to be so happily in love but most real life stories arent like that, hence seeing the real thing. as melancholy as this song sounds, it puts the sort of "bitter" truth into a sweeter perspective, something about the tune just puts it all together

    superspazzon October 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is beautiful. I would elaborate on the meaning but... it means simply that Love Hurts. That is does horrible things to you and puts you in horrible places.

    Zytheon October 05, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Lyrics arent correct...

    Instead of "What I learned as a kid That love is not a thief "

    It's "The monster lies appete Love is not a fate"

    and instead of "Through my surface is loneliness and the rain"

    "Till' I surface, and stronger next time around"

    MattCon October 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Where are you hearing the whole song already? Please link me!

    incubusfreakishon October 29, 2006   Link

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