Discover the story of the song > Cruel to Be Kind – Nick Lowe

The protagonist is in a difficult situation with his friend/romantic partner, who claims to love him but keeps hurting him. When asking her to be nice, she says that she has to be cruel to be kind, which means that her actions are a sign of her love. Even though he tries to understand her, he still gets knocked down and confused. In the end, the repeated chorus emphasizes that being cruel to be kind is necessary in their relationship.