Growing up, I only knew Nazareth's classic rock version of Love Hurts. The Everly Brothers sing it in their classic velvet close harmony style, each voice mirroring the other perfectly. And whereas Nazareth perform it with amped up bitterness, the Everlys sing with empathy and tenderness, offering just a hint of resentment. Their version was recorded in 1960, a simpler, more innocent time of heartbreak and longing, but perhaps with fewer avenues for expressing grief than in the mid-70s. The result is more confusion and repression, some poor soul laying in his bed staring at the ceiling, as opposed to some macho beer guzzler wailing in his Trans-Am. Of course, the sentiment is nowhere near as messed up as J Geils Band's Love Stinks.
Love Hurts was written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, composers of other Everly hits like All I Have to Do is Dream and Bye Bye Love.
Phil (left) and Don Everly
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