The J. Geils band told us in 1980 that "Love Stinks," but Def Leppard reminds us that it also bites. In this song, Joe Elliott has a lot of questions: When you make love, do you look in the mirror? Who do you think of, does he look like me? It sounds like his girlfriend has taken up with another guy, but then it becomes clear that Joe is still in the picture: When I'm with you are you somewhere else? Am I gettin' thru or do you please yourself? Ah, seems she's a bit disconnected when it comes to intimacy, and if there is another guy, he's part of her fantasy. Joe has the opposite problem: I don't wanna touch you too much baby 'Cos making love to you might drive me crazy So she needs additional mental stimulation, and he can't handle too much of her touch. Love bites indeed.
The title could have a double meaning if you believe that there is some biting going on during this lovemaking. As it says in the song, love also bleeds.
This was the fifth single released from the Hysteria album in the US. The album came out in August 1987, and the first single, "Women," stalled at #80 in September. "Animal" made #19 in December, the title track reached #10 in March 1988, and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" got Leppard fans through the summer, peaking at #2 in July. You might think listeners would be fatigued at this point, but clearly there was still an appetite, as "Love Bites" reached #1 in October 1988, giving the group their only chart-topper. Remarkably, they squeezed two more singles out of the album: "Armageddon It" (#3, January 1989) and "Rocket" (#12, April 1989).
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