Love Really Hurts Without You

Album: Billy Ocean (1976)
Charted: 2 22
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Love Really Hurts Without You" was Billy Ocean's first hit. It's an upbeat tune with a sad heartbreak story in the tradition of Motown classics like "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On." The intro is very similar to "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" by The Four Tops.

    Ocean is a huge Motown fan and he needed a hit, so he followed their tried-and-true formula, which in 1976 had a retro appeal. The song went all the way to #2 in the UK, where he was based, and it also climbed to #22 in America.
  • Ocean wrote this song with his producer, Ben Findon, who in the '80s had a number of UK hits with The Dooleys.
  • Ocean just 26 when this song was released, but he had been already been around the block a few times. Born in Trinidad in 1950, he settled with him family in London at age 10. Instead of going to college like his parents wanted, he took a day job going tailoring and played music at night, first with the bands Shades Of Midnight and Dry Ice, then as a solo artist. He released a few singles using his real name, Les Charles, but they didn't do any damage. After signing with GTO Records in 1975, he started using Billy Ocean as a stage name and released "Love Really Hurts Without You" as his first single on the label. The follow-up, "L.O.D. (Love on Delivery)," made #106 in the US and was his last chart entry there until "Night (Feel Like Getting Down)" reached #102 in 1981. His downward trend abruptly reversed in 1984 with "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)," a #1 hit. He went on to land two more: "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)," and "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car." His only UK chart-topper came in 1986 with "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going."

Comments: 1

  • Anthony from New Jersey“You painted a smile and you dress all the while to excite me. But don't you know you're turning me on.”

    Wellll, if she’s done all of that, dressing to “excite” you, which is half the battle for a man, then how is she not going to know that you’re being turned on? Some questionable lyrics.

    Billy must’ve had a brain fart there. Maybe he got TOO excited to really think about it. In any case, hope things worked out for him.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Jonathan Cain of Journey

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn YankeesSongwriter Interviews

Revisit the awesome glory of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees: cheesily-acted videos, catchy guitar licks, long hair, and lyrics that are just plain relatable.

Chris Isaak

Chris IsaakSongwriter Interviews

Chris tells the story of "Wicked Game," talks milkshakes and moonpies at Sun Records, and explains why women always get their way.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.