Love Hurts was written and composed by the American songwriter Boudleaux Bryant. It was first recorded by the Everly Brothers in July 1960, but was never released as a single due to a falling out with the manager. Love Hurts was first released as a single by Roy Orbison in 1961 as the B-Side to the No.1 smash hit Running Scared. While Running Scared was an international hit, the B-side Love Hurts only picked up significant airplay in Australia and went to No. 5.
What’s real is that Roy would go on to experience enough tragedy and hurt to fill several lifetimes by the sudden loss of his children and wife. (You can read more information about that in the Guardian article below or in my previous song articles about Roy). If any voice can impress upon the listener the ineffable pain and sorrow ‘Love’ can bring, then it would be Roy’s as demonstrated here in this timeless classic. Even Elvis said that Roy Orbison’s voice as “the most perfect voice” and publicly called Orbison “the greatest singer in the world” during one of his Las Vegas concerts.
Performed as a power ballad, the most popular version of Love Hurts was by the Scottish power rock band Nazareth whose version reached No. 8 on the US Billboard and peaking at No. 1 in many countries.
Love hurts, love scars
Love wounds and mars
Any heart not tough
Nor strong enough
To take a lot of pain, take a lot of pain
Love is like a cloud, holds a lot of rain
Love hurts
Love hurts
I’m young, I know
But even so
I know a thing or two
I learned from you
I really learned a lot, really learned a lot
Love is like a stove, burns you when it’s hot
Love hurts
Love hurts
Some fools rave of happiness
Blissfulness, togetherness
Some fools fool themselves, I guess
But they’re not foolin’ me
I know it isn’t true, know it isn’t true
Love is just a lie made to make you blue
Love hurts
Love hurts
Love hurts
References:
1. Roy Orbison: Love Hurts review – enough tragedy to fill several lifetimes – The Guardian
2. Love Hurts – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I love the Roy Orbison version. Never liked the Nazareth one but of course it was PLAYED TO DEATH.
I couldn’t agree more on your assessment between the two. I even thought the Everly Brothers version couldnt match it with Roy’s.
Roy’s version was SO good
That it is! Thanks for your feedback, man
Many great versions and this is one if the best.
Or as Tina Turner might have put it – ‘Simply the Best! Yehhh baby!
Exactly!
Roy Orbison – man, what a voice! The only version of “Love Hurts” I had known for the longest time was the rendition by Nazareth. I know some folks roll their eyes over it, but I actually find it a pretty remarkable remake – they truly made it their own. Subsequently, I heard the version by the Everly Brothers, which I also liked from the get-go. I had not known the great version by Orbison.
I’m afraid, you can count me as one of those who rolled their eyes over Nazareth’s ‘Love Hurts’. I thought if anyone made it their own it was Roy’s which I think also superseded the Everly Brother’s (stock sound) version quite handily. But hey man, ‘horses for courses. There is no right or wrong answer just ‘tastes’ and thank goodness we all don’t have the same one.
excellent stuff! he went through hell, survived…