Songfacts®:

• The lead single from Black & Blue, this soft ballad was written by a trio of Swedish songwriters: Max Martin, Rami Yacoub and Lisa Miskovsky. The flawed narrator hopes his love interest will forgive him for his errant ways.
• This features Peter Svensson of the Swedish rock band The Cardigans ("Lovefool") on guitar.
• The Matthew Rolston-directed video held the top spot on MTV's TRL for 61 days, breaking their own record for longest-run at #1 set by "Larger Than Life." The clip finds them rehearsing on stage at a theater, while a young couple rehearses a scene nearby.
• Max Martin is one of the most influential songwriters and producers in pop music and is responsible for most of Backstreet Boys' hits, including "I Want It That Way" and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)." Other Martin creations include Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time," Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," Katy Perry's "Roar," and Adele's "Send My Love (To Your Lover)."
• This was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, but lost to U2's "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of."
• With over 5 million copies sold internationally in its first week, Black & Blue broke the record for best first-week sales. Around 1.6 million were from the US.