25 Songs About Hating Someone You Love

“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac

Song Year: 1977

Songs about lovers can be nasty, but songs about bandmates can be worse. Written by lead vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, the song is full of personal indignation and tells the target that loving them is wrong and that it’s fine for them to head off and go their own way.

Notably, each member of the band went through a breakup while working on the album Rumours, but despite the lyrics of this song, they continued to work together for a while. They briefly split off entirely in 1995 but reformed shortly after and remain one of the best-selling rock bands of all time.

“Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)” by The Plain White T’s

Song Year: 2006

This song is about uncertainty and confusion. The singer isn’t sure if hate is the right feeling, but they’re pretty confident that they don’t like someone once their relationship is over. At the same time, though, they’re acknowledging that what they wanted was love.

“Brick” by Ben Folds Five

Song Year: 1997

Brick is an autobiographical song, with Ben Folds citing it as an experience from high school. While it’s ultimately about his partner choosing to get an abortion and the stress of going through that, his lyrics also show that it ultimately ended their relationship, and she was an emotional brick weighing him down afterward.

The negativity isn’t something he sought in the relationship. It’s something that developed naturally based on their actions. When a relationship sours that way, there’s rarely any going back.

“Unintended” by Muse

Song Year: 1999

“Unintended” is a more optimistic song than many other tracks on this list. In it, he explains his unexpected development of feelings after a phone call he had and a sudden pang of love. However, while he genuinely cares for her, he’s also upset because he’s currently getting over a breakup and can’t process those feelings yet.

“Insensitive” by Jann Arden

Song Year: 1994

It’s easy for hatred to turn inward in a relationship, and Arden has that on full display in this song where she asks how to become insensitive after feeling so much emotion toward someone else. She hates herself for feeling that way and hates her short-term lover specifically because of all the passion she felt.

“For No One” by The Beatles

Song Year: 1966

The Beatles have plenty of hits, but this song is often suspected to be about Paul McCartney and Jane Asher. The lyrics emphasize the pain of separation as someone else is moving on, and how difficult it can be to stop feeling emotions toward someone even when you dislike something that should have lasted a long time.

“Solitary Man” by Johnny Cash

Song Year: 2000

A song made towards the end of Cash’s storied life and career, “Solitary Man,” focuses on his desire to be alone after several previous loves in his life had left him. He’s upset at people who play games and long for a better, steadier relationship, willing to give up entirely on romance unless he can finally find that.

“Tsundere no Uta” by Komiya Mao

Song Year: 2010

A “tsundere” is a Japanese character archetype, and in modern times represents someone who swings wildly between passionately affectionate and aggressive towards the target of their love because they don’t know how to handle their emotions. This upbeat anthem is ultimately a positive look at the idea but does hint at the underlying complexity emotions can have.

“So Long, Marianne” by Leonard Cohen

Song Year: 1967

Love and hate can intersect in strange ways, and that’s on full display in this song written to an ex-girlfriend. Through this folk song’s story, Cohen explains that he wanted more than happiness and love and that the affection he received ultimately smothered and trapped him.

Hate that arises from love can be extraordinarily passionate, but ultimately it turned to indifference when he felt he needed to separate. At the same time, he still held affection towards her, and these feelings all mixed together in one of the best songs from the ‘60s.

“Is She Really Going Out With Him?” by Joe Jackson

Song Year: 1978

Although written as a funny song about beautiful women dating less-than-attractive men, many people interpret this song as having a biting edge of hatred and resentment mixed in with love. As written, the lyrics emphasize confusion and a feeling that something is going wrong when two people who seem so far apart are interacting.

Ultimately, the complexity of this song may come from the feeling many people have when they see someone they cared about with someone they don’t. If you care about someone, you want the best for them, and seeing them willingly choose something you see as bad can be hard to tolerate.

“Green Light” by Lorde

Song Year: 2017

Lorde’s first real breakup song is a pop tune about her complicated feelings and how upset she could be when seeing someone else tell lies in a new relationship. Alongside that hatred is an understanding that love is difficult to get over. The hatred comes from the love because if she didn’t care, she ultimately wouldn’t feel anything here.

“One” by U2

Song Year: 1992

“One” is among U2’s most complicated songs, mixing some negative effects on the band’s relationship from time in Berlin with a backstory about a son afraid to come out as gay to his father. The result is a mix of unhappiness that stems from a desire to be together, all backed by the band’s powerful instrumentals.

Top Songs About Hating Someone You Love, Final Thoughts

Songs about hating someone you love explore a range of themes, from hating others to hating yourself. Regardless of the subject, these songs speak directly to the complexity and occasional incoherence people can feel when they care.