What does Love the Way You Lie mean?

Eminem: Love the Way You Lie Meaning

Album cover for Love the Way You Lie album cover

Song Released: 2010


Covered By: Skylar Grey


Love the Way You Lie Lyrics

[Chorus - Rihanna]
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
Well that's all right because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

[Eminem -...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    Myinterps
    click a star to vote
    Jul 21st 2010 !⃝

    This song is not only about Eminem's relationship with Kim, but about bad and abusive relationships in general. Better yet, the ups and downs of relationships in general.

    First let's look at the choice in a featured singer. Rhianna. Now, don't get me wrong Rhianna is a fantastic singer and he could have chosen her based on just her voice, but why for this song? Everybody knows about Rhianna's abusive relationship with Chris Brown and Eminem and Rhianna are playing off of that.

    Now, the chorus in the song: "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn? Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts. Just gonna stand there and hear me cry? Well that's alright because I love the way you lie."

    This shows the forgiveness that comes with love. How love blinds us, if you will. She's making excuses for the way her partner treats her. It's as if to say "Whatever you do, I'm still going to be here, and it's not your fault. I love everything you do, even if it's wrong"

    In the first verse Em shows an argument between two people, and how she stays even though she wants to leave.
    "Where you goin?
    I'm leaving you.
    No you ain't, come back"

    "We're running right back here we go again its so insane cause when it's goin good its goin great but when it's bad it's awful."

    This is eminem stating the ups and downs of relationships.
    Then, he talks of sinking so low as to lay hands on her:
    "I snap, who's that dude? I don't even know his name. I laid hands on her, I'll never stoop so low again. I guess I just don't know my own strength."

    Not only does he lay hands on her, but he makes an excuse for it.

    In the second verse,

    "You ever love somebody so much you can barely breathe when you're with them? You meet and neither one of you even know what hit them? Got that warm fuzzy feeling, yeah them chills, used to get them. Now you're getting f****ing sick of looking at them? You swore you'd never hit them never do nothing to hurt 'em, now you're in each other's face spewing venom in your words when you spit 'em. You push, pull each other's hair, scratch, clawed and bit 'em, pin 'em down, so lost in the moments when you're in them"

    This shows the initial downfall of a relationship. It shows how great it starts off and how it changes so quickly. How you break promises that you said you swore not only to them, but to yourself, that you'd never do.

    "sound like broken records playing over but you promised her, next time you'll show restraint. You don't get another chance, life is no nintendo game, but you lied again. Now you get to watch her leave out the window, guess that's why they call it window pane."

    This is the initial crawl back. After the relationship is broken off, the person who caused it is upset and wants another chance.

    Now in the final verse:
    "Baby please come back, it wasn't you baby it was me, maybe our relationship isn't as crazy as it seems. Maybe that's what happens when a tornado meets a volcano, all I know is I love you too much to walk away now. Come inside pick up your bags off the sidewalk. Don't you here sincerity in my voice when I talk? Told you this is my fault look me in the eyeball. Next time I'm pissed I'll aim my fists at the drywall. Next time, there won't be no next time. I apologize even though I know its lies. "

    This is him begging for her back. He says everything she wants to hear, but knows he's lying. because immediately after this it shows that nothing will change.

    "I'm tired of the games I just want her back. I know I'm a liar. If she ever tries to f***ing leave again, I'm gonna tie her to the bed and set this house on fire."

    This also plays off the chorus "watch me burn" ties back to him saying he'll set the house on fire.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    Uruguayancerpian
    click a star to vote
    Apr 23rd 2012 !⃝

    As I see it, both parts are sorry but they cannot escape their pathologic relationship. The hitter, in this case, Eminem’s character, has two faces regarding his partner: he cannot live without her but instead of treating her well and respecting her will, he cannot help securing her in such a way that dooms her to death. Rihanna’s character, plays the woman who thinks is in love with her partner, - she is probably under the impression that if she sexually connects in a pleasant way with him, he must be her prince charming. She strikes me as a woman whose low self esteem, and sad life background allows her to permit that kind of violence in spite of her deep psychological suffering and physical pain.

    Probably because the two singers are said to have lived similar experiences of domestic violence themselves, the song acquires an interesting and appealing psychoanalytic dimension.. They are neither justifying what happened in their lives, nor saying it is alright. To me, they are trying to describe an average situation of DV by impersonating a third couple, in order to tell the world in first person that in spite of being such a sad and despicable reality, it could happen to anyone.

    Thus, the hidden persuasive force of the criticism-On the one hand, the song is a sad, ironic, cry to denounce domestic violence but on the other, it opens the “window pane” to the more intimate, introspective view of both speakers who seem to be trapped in an ill and obsessive relationship

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 30th 2010 !⃝

    This is a song about abusive relationships, but I think people don't realize the underlying part of it: just because the relationship is abusive doesn't mean there isn't love there. In fact, sometimes love borders on obsessive and it is very passionate which leads to passionate arguments that can end in abuse. Just gonna stand there and watch me burn/That's all right because I like the way it hurts. This is pretty clear: she likes that he hurts her because it makes her feel alive, even if it is pain he is causing. Just gonna stand there and hear me cry/That's all right because I love the way you lie. Again, pretty clear: she is mad that he stands there to watch her cry but is already waiting for an excuse to come running back.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 4th 2021 !⃝

    I can’t tell you what it really s I can only tell you what it feels like and right now there’s a steel knife in my windpipe I can’t breath but I still fight while I can fight

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 3rd 2019 !⃝

    I wrote this song with black river record director he filmed it with Kelsea and then my writers from Minneapolis and Ben talked to the producer, he wanted a song from his playlist blurred lines from robin thicke, he came with his wife, she worked with me, she’s so sweet.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 31st 2018 !⃝

    I love Rihanna she’s really beautiful with her red hair. Because this album looks more beautiful and especially to my parents they’re proud of me. Accept my band mates. Philip, and Hayden, and of course, Luke! He’s incredibly awesome, and a writer. He does the same thing?

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 27th 2017 !⃝

    This song is being told from the mans piont of view completely, which is a powerful message and brings clarity to the mindset in abusive men.
    He minimizes whats happening, he makes it seem like they are both destructive and almost equally to blame. This is how they justify and gaslight their victim. The woman is actually naturally reacting to the horrible abuse thats happening to her, she is not the one with the problem.
    He says she hates him and he loves it (makes him feel powerful/in control/excited) and he gets high off of it all. Believe me, she is not enjoying any of this... but in his mind she "loves" it: "love the way you lie" is what he sees her as saying, after all...she is still there loving him right?
    But from her point of view (which we dont have) she is trapped, scared, confused, and in pain. He wants her to blame herself, at least for half of the chaos and pain she feels...that way it takes some focus off of him as the bad guy and she clings to a false hope that if she changes things would improve. This also makes it seem like she still has some control over her life, but she doesnt and he wont allow it.

    Listen again,this is how abuse plays out. I know this from years of experience, even my life right now.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 7th 2014 !⃝

    I think its about a relationship that the couple thought was a match made in heaven...but as it went on one of them realised that it might not be working as well anymore and as she tried to leave the first time he got angry and persuaded her to stay... she ended up staying and then things got serious and he became over-protective and abusive and when she confronted him about it he got angry and said its because he loves her to much to let her go... then one day they had a really bad fight and he was threatening her and she was just saying "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn?" And then finishes saying "Thats alright because i love the way you lie" this is implying that hes lying and he would try and save her.... i dont even know if this makes sense so yeah

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 24th 2013 !⃝

    This song is about a relationship that Eminem hopes will never be broken. He is striving to keep it even when it means being abusive with each other. He shows us that love is such an amazing emotion and can get really strong.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 19th 2013 !⃝

    The more she lies the more he loves her.
    But it should be on personality.

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 21st 2012 !⃝

    he telling us right now he's lying about his previous song (not afraid)
    'Cause today that was yesterday'
    the powers are controlling them is to powerfull to reject
    so and there you go illuminati...but there is even behind a much more greater power we don't now...
    o and besides 2pac is not dead!!!!!! look to his 'deaht' and all his songs he told everyone about his death from the beginning:P
    and listen to the helicopter incoming message at the beginning off the video of his very last song came in public after his death but recording a day before his deaht... do your research like me and you know what i know 2pac renamed himself makaveli
    haha we all know the real makaveli from assassin's creed but people knowing this was a real person who make is own death in scene when he was 25 Niccolò Machiavelli was his name take those 2 people and you read almost the same stories
    don't believe me??search for the interview with the mother of tupac shakur
    she saying in that interview 'it was his choice'

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  12. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 13th 2012 !⃝

    Most of the rap is actually about his daughter. FOr example "I snap, who's that dude? I don't even know his name. I laid hands on him, I'll never stoop so low again. I guess I just don't know my own strength." Hailie had a boyfriend that cheated on her and he punched him in the face. And "now you get to watch her leave again out the window. guess that's why they call it window pane." Halilie snuck out through her bedroom window and tried to run away.

  13. maxilo20
    click a star to vote
    Jun 4th 2012 !⃝

    This is basically a song that describes ABUSE-not relationships! this is not to be confused. Relationships can contain abuse, however this is not talking about relationships. Its talking about the Psychological state of someone who is abused. In order for you to understand abuse you have to be abused. For many abuse victims leaving isn't a rational answer, its their biggest mistakes. Although, there has to be some neuropsychological evidence for this, this is usually called the pink effect in psychology because its a sense of weakness and claustophobia.

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 16th 2012 !⃝

    Talking about lust and obsession.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 21st 2012 !⃝

    Beautiful lies. He will always be my hero eventho he's losing his mind cos he knows when to feed me with fables and romance touch. Nightie night..

  16. a7xsynner6661
    click a star to vote
    Aug 28th 2011 !⃝

    ugh, they say i would like eminem lyrics but no. guess what? eminem took A7X's place at the top of... i think a chart? they would have been #1!

  17. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 28th 2011 !⃝

    this song is about the abusive relationship of two people who are each others true loves ;)

  18. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 18th 2011 !⃝

    this can have double sense..
    illuminati and yeah normal problems on a relationship..
    read becareful...
    "I can't tell you what it really is(ILLUMINATI), I can only tell you what it feels like
    And right now it's a steel knife in my windpipe
    I can't breathe but I still fight while I can fight"
    if he tell us ..directly..then he can end like tupac

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