What do you think Love On The Brain means?

Rihanna: Love On The Brain Meaning

Album cover for Love On The Brain album cover

Song Released: 2016


Love On The Brain Lyrics

And You got me like ahh
What you want from me
and I try to buy your pretty heart
But the price to high
baby, you got me like I.......
ohm I........
wont you stop loving me
Just quit loving me
Don't stop loving me

And babe I'm fist...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jun 25th 2017 !⃝

    In my opinion this song is about on-sided love, that hurts the narrator because the other person only uses their feelings and plays with them ("I'm tired of being played like a violin".)
    The narrator is head-over-heels for the other one. They put so much effort into this relationship ("And I tried to buy your pretty heart/ but the price too high") and are left with nothing else to give ("What do you want from me?") as the other has treated them in such a bad way ("So you can put me together/ And throw me against the wall") and has exhausted them emotionally.
    However, the narrator's love towards the other mentally abusive lover is so strong that they are "fisting with fire/ just to get close to you". This love is so strong yet so tiring, probably both mentally and physically, ("And I run for miles just to get a taste"). The narrator is desperate for the other's love, attention and appreciation and even though it hurts them, I believe it's more of a mental pain that this song is about, ("It beats me black and blur/ but it fucks me so good") they are so intoxicates by it that they "can't get enough" and it keeps reminding of itself all the time, probably by dreams, memories, ect., ("And it keeps cursing my name") that all effort the narrator puts into forgetting the other one is basically pointless, because the need and the wanting are stronger that their will to get over it.
    All the narrator asks for is for the other to love them and to stop this mentally abusive relationship ("All you need to do is love me yeah").
    This love that has savoured the narrator is in their brain and this is the only reason why they cannot get over it, becaue biologically all feelings are commanded by it. Hence the "Must be love on the brain" lines which state the narrator's helplessness in the situation and their lack of control over their feelings which get us to one of the most emotional parts ("What do I gotta do to get in your motherfuckin’ heart?"). The narrator's lack of control means that they have to somehow cope with the situation and since this feeling is so strong this line states that they are willing to do everything to win the other's heart, regardless of how hard and emotionally draining it may be. The narrator is already broken and the last thing left for them to do is try, and try harder.

    Although this song might be dedicated to Rihanna's abusive relationship with Chris Brown, I believe that it is more emotionally related, since it has affected the brain (where all emotions are conveyed).- songmeanings

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 6th 2017 !⃝

    I believe this song is about abuse in every sense. "You got me like ah. What you want from me?" ... "Baby you got me let go.. You love when I fall apart so you can put me together and throw me against the wall" This shows misogyny. The abuser plays the role of the villain and the hero, by pulling her apart emotionally and then comforting her so she is sent back into his arms, which is the cycle of abuse, by practising control over the victim.
    "Baby you got me like ah, woo, ah... don't you stop loving me, don't quit loving me, just start loving me" This again is the cycle, he grabs her rough and hurts her and when she tries to ask for him to let her go, he proceeds with the abuse. This cycle makes her delusional and perceives this as "Love". She tries to rationalise why she stays and concludes that if it was love in her heart, surely her brain would dispute this but her brain keeps trying to rationalise and conclude it's love, so she concludes that it's definitely love on the brain.
    The second verse reveals a much darker side. The feelings of worthlessness and feeling unloved seep through when she says "No matter what I do, I'm no good without you". She begs her abuser to keep loving her, even as he continues to beat her, she begs to be loved and asks what she has to do to get into his heart so she can be loved by him. She says "I'm tired of being played like a violin... What do I gotta do to get into your motherfuckin' heart" This shows that she does not want to be loved by anybody else anymore because they've played her in the past, so she begs him to tell her what to do so he can just love her, she begs for this while he proceeds beating her , we observe this when she says again "Baby let go!like ah..."

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 13th 2016 !⃝

    Its about pinning and being desperately in love with someone. YOU'RE completely overtaken by love and unable to fight the feeling and craving it.

  4. anonymous
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    May 19th 2023 !⃝

    I worry this is subliminal for child abuse and child trafficking. Adrenacrome etc. Like they give her the crown (giving her power and youth and maybe even virginity [absolutely fking awful I know) the children are dressed as poor orphans and at the end they're dead and but in heaven (smoke=clouds) where they can play happy with their toys now they've been used up by the abusers.

  5. anonymous
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    Sep 16th 2022 !⃝

    Obviously about heroin addiction. Fire is the lighter flame. Just to get a taste. Black and blue bruises from needles. Fs me so good is about the buzz. Not even a debate. This is heroin addiction.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 9th 2019 !⃝

    This is a Left field interpretation. I too believed it was about a love sick addiction to those chemically derived emotions our brains use to convince us we are codependent upon and thus bound by an unrelenting need for a man’s “conditional love.”

    Then notice...she is alone and expressionless. Not one man interests her as She still walks past how many of them?...none of them are even phasing her. She continues her course knowing, come what may, this it is my destiny. “I’m fist fighting with fire just to get close to you.” A white Woman is waiting beyond another door to point her in the “right” direction...”because no matter what I do I’m no good without you..” she walks past golden calculators holding her accountable for lost time? Soon thereafter she is handed a golden crown by a child. To me, she is empowered by this little one and continues further. “It must be love on the brain,” to continue to travel this far.. “it beats me black and blue” (sure nothing about children insinuates “but it fucks me so good,” but have you ever prevailed in a custody battle?) This woman has made it to “her children” despite the men and possibly lustful obstacles in her path. Real love on the brain is about being able to show it. Her end goal is to be with her children and she is able to “go for miles just to get a taste” of real Love by being with them. Regardless of my interpretation, Love on the brain is certainly a powerful influencial song. Rihanna is captivating!!

  7. anonymous
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    May 9th 2018 !⃝

    I believe the song is about addiction of the love, (not)
    addiction of sex that is so good, she accepts the physical abuse (hurt) then the physical, personal, contact of skin to skin (sex).

  8. anonymous
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    May 4th 2018 !⃝

    Guys guys guys!! It’s a goddam song.
    It sounds good great video all about the money. Get over the fact about interpreting the lyrics!! They may be bought! Get over it. Artist pay lyrics to sing songs!

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 24th 2017 !⃝

    Love On The Brain is a destructive and addictive relationship.
    For the girl who is currently in this situation. please wake up! He is with someone else now! That means he is not in love with you and he is in love with another! You are wasting your thoughts and feelings! Let go of him. Face reality and face life without him in your life! But you have to be strong!
    Hope you have a Merry Christmas anyway

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 22nd 2017 !⃝

    I'm currently in it . I love someone who was with me and is now with someone else but I'm still convinced that I love him and we have a chance to be together again .I can't let go in the mind .I'm overwhelmed by the notion of breaking in to that pretty heart still .just can't let go.totally overwhelmed by the fight there is no rationality .no clear logic

  11. anonymous
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    Nov 21st 2017 !⃝

    I interpret the song much differently than anyone else and believe which is always best depicted artist's music video. Rhianna is trying to find love for herself (hence the little child).

  12. anonymous
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    Sep 6th 2017 !⃝

    It's like in fifty shade of grey, he beat her black and blue but she can't get enough.

  13. anonymous
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    Sep 5th 2017 !⃝

    Ok so if it's referring to Chris brown why do children come out on the video ? In the beginning it's creepy and at the end she lays down with two kids ? Like why?!

  14. anonymous
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    Jun 25th 2017 !⃝

    "Love on the Brain" has dark lyrics that depict a destructive, yet addictive relationship, with themes of "swinging back and forth between the highs and lows of love". Some critics believed the song was an "ode to a violent lover", possibly referring to Chris Brown after the pair's highly published domestic violence case. Lyrical examples include "It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good / That I can't get enough / Must be love on the brain." Adam R. Holz of the conservative organization Focus on the Family's website PluggedIn.com noted the song "mingles nihilism, lust and at least the metaphorical presence of physical abuse".Jessica Eggert of Mic agreed, noting that "Rihanna wears her heart right on her sleeve and takes no prisoners in expressing the pain of a metaphorically and physically damaging-yet-undying love." - wikipedia

  15. anonymous
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    Jun 25th 2017 !⃝

    No way to fight nor control this feeling that's overtaken of my heart and brain for that someone.... you just love beyound measures......

  16. anonymous
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    Jun 10th 2017 !⃝

    Addiction. Drugs. Love. Pining for that someone. - Marsha -

  17. anonymous
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    May 30th 2017 !⃝

    I'll said that this song is more spiritual, love on the brain, it is about a love story that live in her head, and she fights against fire cuz she can't get her lover it is not a reciprocal love the second meaning that i see is that the brains controls her heart the relationship is toxic but her brain can't get enough of it

  18. anonymous
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    Apr 7th 2017 !⃝

    Addiction. 'Burn something'

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