Only Love Can Hurt Like This – English Lyrics

• By: Paloma Faith, Teddy Swims

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the depths of love and heartbreak with Paloma Faith's poignant ballad, 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This.' This song offers a powerful exploration of complex emotions and the realization of love's profound impact. Dive into the lyrics to uncover the sweet pain and raw vulnerability that make this song a timeless exploration of the human heart .

[English]

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 (oh)

But every time you're there, I'm begging you to stay

And when you come close, I just tremble

And every time, every time you go (oh)

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 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 this

And it must have been a deadly kiss

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection; a great interest and pleasure in something.
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - to cause pain or injury to (yourself or someone else); to feel pain.
kiss /kɪs/ A2	noun - a touch or caress with the lips.
deadly /ˈdɛdli/ B1	adjective - causing or able to cause death; fatal.
crumble /ˈkrʌmbl/ B2	verb - to break or fall apart into small fragments, especially as part of a process of deterioration.
tremble /ˈtrɛmbl/ B2	verb - to shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty.
touch /tʌtʃ/ A2	noun - an act of touching someone or something; the sense by which contact of the body with an object is perceived. verb - to come into contact with (something); to make physical contact with.
knife /naɪf/ A2	noun - an instrument composed of a blade fixed into a handle, used for cutting or as a weapon.
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being, often regarded as immortal.
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - to be on fire; to produce flames and heat; to be damaged, destroyed, or injured by fire or heat.
skin /skɪn/ A1	noun - the thin layer of tissue forming the natural outer covering of the body of a person or animal.
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - highly unpleasant physical sensation caused by illness or injury; mental suffering or distress.
veins /veɪnz/ B1	noun - any of the tubes forming part of the blood circulation system of the body, carrying in most cases oxygen-depleted blood towards the heart.
torture /ˈtɔːrtʃər/ B2	noun - the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or to force them to do or say something.
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - to keep safe or rescue (someone or something) from harm, danger, or an unfortunate situation.
mean /miːn/ A2	verb - to intend to convey, indicate, or refer to (a particular thing or notion); to have as a consequence or result.
hold /hoʊld/ A2	noun - a grasp or grip; an act of holding something. verb - to grasp, carry, or support with one's hands or arms; to keep or detain.
care /kɛr/ A2	verb - to feel concern or interest; to look after and provide for the needs of.

Key Grammar Structures

• I tell myself you **don't mean** a thing

  ➔ Present Simple (Negative Form)

  ➔ The phrase "don't mean" uses the present simple in its negative form to express a current belief or a state that is not true.

• But **when you're not there**, I **just crumble**

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Time (with "when") + Emphatic "just"

  ➔ The clause "when you're not there" indicates the time an action occurs. "Just crumble" uses "just" to emphasize the immediate and unavoidable nature of the reaction.

• But I **feel like I die** 'til I feel your touch

  ➔ Simile with "feel like"

  ➔ "Feel like I die" uses "feel like" to express a strong sensation or a comparison, in this case, comparing the feeling to dying.

• Only love, only love **can hurt** like this

  ➔ Modal Verb "can" (for possibility/ability)

  ➔ The modal verb "can" in "can hurt" expresses that love has the *ability* or *potential* to cause this kind of pain.

• **Must have been** a deadly kiss

  ➔ Modal Perfect (Deduction about the past)

  ➔ "Must have been" uses the modal perfect to express a strong deduction or certainty about an event or state that happened in the past.

• Say I **wouldn't care if you walked away**

  ➔ Conditional Sentence Type 2 (Hypothetical)

  ➔ This is a Type 2 conditional, describing an unreal or hypothetical situation in the present or future ("if you walked away") and its probable result ("I wouldn't care").

• But every time you're there, I'm **begging you to stay**

  ➔ Present Continuous + Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "I'm begging" uses the present continuous to describe an ongoing or repeated action. "To stay" is an infinitive used to indicate the purpose or object of the begging.

• It's **like a knife that cuts** right through my soul

  ➔ Simile + Relative Clause

  ➔ This line uses a simile ("like a knife") to compare two different things, followed by a relative clause ("that cuts right through my soul") which provides additional information about the noun "knife".

• Love is torture, **makes me more sure**

  ➔ Causative Verb "make" + Comparative Adjective

  ➔ The causative verb "makes" indicates that love causes the speaker to be in a certain state. "More sure" is a comparative adjective indicating an increased degree of certainty.