Lyric Interpretation

"Hate That I Love You"(feat. Ne-Yo)

Darcie Russell & Laura Rozario

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMOOr7GEkj8

[Rihanna:]

That's how much I love you

That's how much I need you

And I can't stand you

Must everything you do make me wanna smile

Can I not like you for awhile? (No....)

The girl is suggesting that she loves and needs someone so much, she is willing do anything to have them as she is saying ‘That’s how much’

She then contradicts what she recently just said about loving someone and needing someone, to then saying she can’t stand them

after everything that the boy does she still smiles, and she doesn’t want to ‘forgive’ so easily anymore, and doesn’t want him to make her smile for awhile

[Ne-Yo:]

But you won't let me

You upset me girl

And then you kiss my lips

All of a sudden I forget (that I was upset)

Can't remember what you did

The boy is almost carrying on the with what the girl has said but as if he had said the exact same thing as well. They are both feeling the same about each other

He is saying that even though the girl upsets and hurts him, all she has to do is make him happy and he forgives and forgets her for what she did. She is taking advantage of how he feels for her.

[Rihanna:]

But I hate it...

You know exactly what to do

So that I can't stay mad at you

For too long that's wrong

Again they are both telling the same story, but for each verse you’re hearing each of the two people say it. She girl is carrying on with what she is saying. It’s almost as if they are having a conversation with each other

She is still saying about how even though the boy she loves can really hurt and upset her, she can’t stay angry with him for too long about it and she doesn’t like that. She thinks it’s wrong she forgives him so easily.

[Ne-Yo:]

But I hate it...

You know exactly how to touch

So that I don't want to fuss.. and fight no more

Said I despise that I adore you

ASK WHAT IS CALLED WHEN TWO PEOPLE ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION BUT NOT WITH EACH OTHER.

There is a lot of repetition throughout this song as they are both making the point very clear that they hate how much they love each other, because they forgive so easily and they don’t like it.

[Rihanna:]

And I hate how much I love you boy (yeah...)

I can't stand how much I need you (I need you...)

And I hate how much I love you boy (oh whoa..)

But I just can't let you go

And I hate that I love you so (oh..)

The chorus is very clear as the repetition does have a big impact

Even the girl may want to let go, she can’t because she is so in love with the boy. Its sad because she hates how much she loves him, instead of enjoying it.

[Ne-Yo:]

You completely know the power that you have

The only one makes me laugh

The boys verses tend to be very short but sweet.

The word power here shows how powerful the feeling of lust and love can be. This verse is a bit cliché as it is saying how she is the only one who makes him laugh. She won’t be the only person in the world who makes him laugh, but because love has so much influence it clouds his vision and this is how he thinks

[Rihanna:]

Said it's not fair

How you take advantage of the fact

That I... love you beyond the reason why

And it just ain't right

‘love you beyond the reason why’ is suggesting that she loves him so much that there is now no logic behind why she feels like she does. Because logic would suggest after all the ‘hurt’ that has been caused she wouldn’t want to be with him anymore

[Ne-Yo:]

And I hate how much I love you girl

I can't stand how much I need you (yeah..)

And I hate how much I love you girl

But I just can't let you go

But I hate that I love you so

Possibly these lyrics could suggest that instead of breaking up with someone, or arguing with someone its about wanting someone so bad that you hate how you feel for them because you cant have them

[Both:]

One of these days maybe your magic won't affect me

And your kiss won't make me weak

But no one in this world knows me the way you know me

So you'll probably always have a spell on me...

Again there is more repetition, this could give us more freedom to be creative with our video

[Rihanna:]

And I hate that I love you so

And I hate how much I love you boy

I can't stand how much I need you (can't stand how much I need you)

And I hate how much I love you boy

But I just can't let you go (but I just can't let you go no..)

And I hate that I love you so

And I hate that I love you so.. so... ..