You must understand though the touch of your hand
Makes my pulse react
That it's only the thrill of boy meeting girl
Opposites attract
It's physical
Only logical
You must try to ignore that it means more than that

Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second-hand emotion?
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?

Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second-hand emo-
Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?

Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second-hand emo-
Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?

It may seem to you that I'm acting confused
When you're close to me
If I tend to look dazed I've read it someplace
I've got cause to be
There's a name for it
There's a phrase that fits
But whatever the reason you do it for me

Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second-hand emotion?
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?

Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second-hand emotion
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?

What's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second-hand emo-
Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?

Oh
Oh, what's love?
What's love?


Lyrics submitted by iluvoth

What's Love Got To Do With It Lyrics as written by Terry Britten Graham Hamilton Lyle

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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What's Love Got To Do With It song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    One of the greatest songs ever.My favorite line of this song is "What's love but a secondhand emotion,who needs a heart when a heart can be broken".As for the meaning of the song,i think it's simply about how the word love is just thrown around in a relationship,without any real thought,I saying you love someone,doesn't mean anything if you continue to hurt them,and the guy in the song is just using the word love to make up for all the hurt,which is just unacceptable to the woman.Now i'm a guy but I agree with this song because I feel that also if a girl hurts a guy and tries to make up for the hurt by using the word love,it's meaningless and unacceptable.

    ksljuly9on September 03, 2007   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    My dad says that this song is about Tina's husband who was very abusive. It does fit quite nicely. What's love got to do with all the pain that you've caused me? Why is love supposed to explain why my heart keeps breaking? But honestly, if he keeps hurting her, if he was so abusive, why did she stay with him for like...25 years? The mind works in mysterious ways. I don't want to judge her because I am not her, I don't know what she was thinking and honestly, I can relate to this sort of situation. It's really difficult to leave someone you love.

    We love you Tina, thank you for your words. =]

    allthesavedon November 26, 2010   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    I think that this song is about a woman who doesn't want to fall in love again with an obviously attractive man due to a bad relationship experience in the past.

    This man is obviously (sexually) very attractive (his touch makes her "pulse react") but for her own "protection" she says to him 'nope sir', a guy won't cause me a "broken heart" (again).

    In the refrain she just asks a general question about the value of love at all, she concludes that love in real life is not what it is suppopsed to be according to ones imagination and /or dreams. At first you fall in love with an attractive man but than your heart will be broken (he will cheat or misstreat you).

    But she also states that she isn't all happy about her beeing reluctant to love because she actually doesn't really want to spend her life alone. "But I have to say... It scares me to feel this way" because even though she has made bad experience in the past, she still has hope that she will find the right one finally.

    On the other hand it might be interpreted as a song about a woman who uses to have sex with the guys but doesn't wand to start deeper relationships with them because real love can turn out painful. (She likes to have a 'higher pulse rate' but doesn't want to have a 'broken heart')

    chears

    Thisandthaton May 02, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    "But whatever the reason you do it for me". :) ;) :)

    redshiftdazzleron December 16, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    AISH! I can't believe this wasn't on here!! This is one of her most famous songs, if not THE most famous!!! i've known every single word to this song since i was like 4 lol it's a AWESOME song!

    i think it's about couple where basiclly their just 'benifiting' that they are just using eachother for sex but they both really like eachother. like maybe the guy came forward and said he loved the girl but the girl is trying to deny it...

    yeah lol

    iluvothon March 27, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Love is a secondhand emotion because it's given to so many people. Like, the guy she's referring to in the song has probably "been in love" before so it's not like getting something new. Does that make sense?

    I think the song starts out as I-won't-fall-in-love but then in the second verse she's in denial. "There's a name for it; There's a phrase that fits; But whatever the reason you do it for me..."--That phrase? "In love."

    "I've been thinking about my own protection It scares me to feel this way."

    She's been trying to protect herself from getting hurt, so she's scared to feel like she might be falling in love.

    nackteziegeon July 25, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I just went to pick up a coney dog and chilly cheeze fry and was cruisin down the road. I always liked this song and never really thought about what it meant before. So what does love have to do with it? I think everything and nothing and no inbetween. Anywho, I had a smile on my face so that's a good thing.

    ALWAYSYOURS4EVERon June 13, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is very underrated. Very catchy, unforgettable, and yet simple. Tina's best!

    ben1000046on February 27, 2014   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    I've always taken it to mean that she LOVES the guy, but she doesn't want to admit it. Sounds like her lover is in love with her already and she's afraid to love him because she doesn't want to be hurt again. it's a tongue-in-cheek comment

    edenroseon December 20, 2019   Link
  • 0
    Question

    It’s not, “I’ve been thinking about my own proJection”?

    Sure has always sounded like that to me but it could be proTection too.

    force263on October 02, 2020   Link

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