He hit me
And it felt like a kiss
He hit me
But it didn't hurt me
He couldn't stand to hear me say
That I'd been with someone new,
And when I told him I had been untrue
He hit me
And it felt like a kiss
He hit me
And I knew he loved me
If he didn't care for me
I could have never made him mad
But he hit me,
And I was glad
Yes, he hit me
And it felt like a kiss
He hit me
And I knew I loved him
And then he took me in his arms
With all the tenderness there is,
And when he kissed me,
He made me his
This song was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King after they discovered that a singer called Little Eva was regularly beaten by her boyfriend. They asked why she took it and she replied that his attacks showed that he loved her. It's an amazing song, but so very haunting.
@Prisoner.I.Was Carole has also said she wishes she had not put the music to it and her and Gerry misunderstood that this was violence against women, it was not discussed as it is today.
true, prisoner. also, that spector withdrew it because of the violence against women -- imagine the storm it would have gotten ten years later. Either Darlene Love or La la Brooks sang the lead.
This songs about looking at someones motivations behind their actions... Yeah it is messed up but I know exactly what it means. If the guy in the relationship hits her, its because hes angry about something, which means that he had to care about something to begin with to hit her in the first place, his violence - however negative it is and wrong - is a passionate action of how much he loves her and cares for her. for such a strong emotion to be evoked in a man to the point where he lashes out on her.. well he must feel strongly for her.
You're right that it's a passionate action, and that he's feeling strong emotion. But caring about "something" and caring about *her* are very different things. It sounds like he cares about having her as his possession; about having control over her; not about her well-being or her feelings. And if all her experience of love and relationships is abusive, then that might feel like love and caring for her-- but it's very different from having someone care about her happiness and safety.
A song of its era sort of. I think it influence young women's thinking, it influenced mine and not in a good way. No matter a woman's state of mind, it is not love if she is covered in bruises. The Crystals did not want to record this song which was produced by the notorious Phil Spector who did not get how iffy it was..it caused lot of negative comment when released. In the end it did not promote it much.