Love Bites

"Love Bites"
Single by Def Leppard
from the album Hysteria
B-side	Billy's Got a Gun (Live)
Released	1988
Format	7"
Recorded	1984-1987
Genre	Hard rock
Length	5:46
Label	Mercury
Writer(s)	Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Producer	Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Def Leppard singles chronology
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" (1988) "Love Bites" (1988) "Armageddon It" (1988)

"Love Bites" is a power ballad recorded by British rock band Def Leppard in 1987 on the album Hysteria. It is Def Leppard's only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 to date.

Song

The title "Love Bites" was originally used for a very different song that was eventually re-titled "I Wanna Be Your Hero", and which appeared as a Hysteria B-side and later on the album Retro Active.

Following the huge momentum generated by "Pour Some Sugar On Me", the song was released in August of 1988 and quickly shot to the top of the U.S. charts, dethroning Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy". It stayed there for one week before giving up the position to UB40's "Red Red Wine". The song also hit number eleven in the UK (their second best showing from the album).

"Love Bites" was ranked #8 on the list of "VH1's 25 Greatest Power Ballads" and #52 on the list of "VH1's 100 Greatest Love Songs".

Ending of "Love Bites"

A popular rumor about the song concerns the final seconds. After the line "If you got love in your sights, Watch out, Love Bites", what is seemingly heard is "Jesus of Nazareth, Go to Hell". This rumor has been refuted by the band, most notably on a Hysteria documentary. The line is in fact producer Mutt Lange rambling in a Yorkshire accent, to the effect of "Yes it does, It Will Be Hell", with the aid of a vocoder.

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq6OYpJjG0Y

In pop culture

• The song was given a Portuguese version (called "Mordida de Amor") by Brazilian pop rock band Yahoo. Recorded on their 1988 debut album, it received very strong radio play and became one of the most well-known 1980s hits in Brazil.
• The song was also covered by Techno band, QED on their album Mobius.
• "Love Bites" was featured in 2006 Sirius Satellite Radio TV commercials.
• The song was not released as a single in France, apparantely because of the sexual connotation of the French word "bite" that designs the male sexual organ.

Track listing

7": Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram / 830 675-1 (USA)

1. "Love Bites"
2. "Billy's Got a Gun (Live)"

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1988 (U.S.)
• Hysteria (Def Leppard album)

External links

• Song lyrics