Tina Turner – What's Love Got To Do With It Lyrics - Genius

2025, In ReviewFeaturedChartsVideosPromote Your MusicSign Up11What’s Love Got To Do With ItTina TurnerProducerTerry BrittenTrack 2 onPrivate Dancer (40th Anniversary Edition) May 29, 19841 viewer279.4K views50 Contributors

What’s Love Got To Do With It Lyrics

“What’s Love Got to Do with It” was released as the third single released from Tina Turner’s fifth album, Private Dancer. The song was first offered to Cliff Richard, but it ended up being rejected. Then… Read More [Verse 1]You must understand, though the touch of your handMakes my pulse reactThat it's only the thrill of boy meetin' girlOpposites attract[Pre-Chorus 1]It's physicalOnly logicalYou must try to ignore that it means more than thatOh[Chorus]What's love got to do, got to do with it?What's love but a second-hand emotion?What's love got to do, got to do with it?Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?[Verse 2]It may seem to you that I'm acting confusedWhen you're close to meIf I tend to look dazed, I've read it someplaceI've got cause to be[Pre-Chorus 2]There's a name for itThere's a phrase that fitsBut whatever the reason, you do it for meOhYou might also like[Chorus]What's love got to do, got to do with it?What's love but a second-hand emotion?What's love got to do, got to do with it?Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?Ooh[Instrumental Interlude][Bridge]I've been takin' on a new directionBut I have to sayI've been thinking about my own protectionIt scares me to feel this wayOh[Chorus]What's love got to do, got to do with it?What's love but a second-hand emotion?What's love got to do, got to do with it?Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?(What's love?) Got to do, got to do with itWhat's love but a sweet old-fashioned notion?What's love got to do, got to do with it?Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?[Outro](What's love got to do?) Ooh, got to do with it(What's love but a second-hand emotion?)What's love got to do, got to do with it?Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?(What's love?) Ooh, ooh(Got to do with it) Got to do with it(What's love?) But a second-hand emotion11EmbedCancel

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AboutSong Bio2 contributors

“What’s Love Got to Do with It” was released as the third single released from Tina Turner’s fifth album, Private Dancer.

The song was first offered to Cliff Richard, but it ended up being rejected. Then, the song was given to the late Phyllis Hyman who wanted to record the song, but Clive Davis (from Arista Records) didn’t allow her to.

Donna Summer was later offered the song, but never recorded it. Before Tina Turner recorded What’s Love Got to Do With It, Bucks Fizz was offered the song and it was supposed to be featured on their album I Hear Talk, but after Tina released the song as a single, their version was shelved until 2000.

The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks in 1984 and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It also peaked at #8 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and managed to chart on Billboard’s dance music and R&B singles chart.

Internationally, What’s Love Got to Do With It topped the charts in Australia and Canada. It also peaked at #3 on the U.K. Singles chart.

The song won three awards at the 1985 Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

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Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Ask a questionIs there a live performance of "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner?Genius Answer1 contributor +2Who produced “What's Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner?When did Tina Turner release “What's Love Got To Do With It”?Who wrote “What's Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner?Private Dancer (40th Anniversary Edition) (2025)Tina Turner

1. 1. I Might Have Been Queen
2. 2. What’s Love Got To Do With It
3. 3. Show Some Respect
4. 4. I Can’t Stand the Rain
5. 5. Private Dancer
6. 6. Let’s Stay Together
7. 7. Better Be Good to Me
8. 8. Steel Claw
9. 9. Help!
10. 10. 1984
11. 11. I Wrote a Letter
12. 12. Rock ’n Roll Widow
13. 13. Don’t Rush the Good Things
14. 14. When I Was Young
15. 15. Keep Your Hands Off My Baby
16. 16. Let’s Stay Together (Single Version)
17. 17. Help (Single Edit) [2025 Remaster]
18. 18. Better Be Good to Me (Single Edit)
19. 19. Private Dancer (Single Edit)
20. 20. What’s Love Got to Do with It (Extended 12" Remix)
21. 21. Better Be Good To Me (Extended Edit) (Missing Lyrics)
22. 22. I Can’t Stand The Rain (Extended 12" Remix)
23. 23. Show Some Respect (Extended Mix) (Missing Lyrics)
24. 24. Hot For You Baby
25. 25. Let’s Stay Together (Alternate Radio Mix, 1983) (Unreleased)
26. 26. Let’s Stay Together (TV Instrumental)
27. 27. What’s Love Got to Do with It (Dub Mix)
28. 28. Private Dancer (Sterling Version)
29. 29. Total Control
30. 30. Ball Of Confusion (Remix) (Missing Lyrics)
31. 31. We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
32. 32. One of the Living
33. 33. We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) [Extended Mix] (2025 Remaster) (Unreleased)
34. 34. One of the Living (Special Club Mix) [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
35. 35. We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) [Instrumental] [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
36. 36. One of the Living (Dub Version) (2025 Remaster) (Unreleased)
37. 37. Let’s Pretend We’re Married (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
38. 38. Show Some Respect (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
39. 39. I Might Have Been Queen (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
40. 40. River Deep, Mountain High (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
41. 41. Nutbush City Limits (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
42. 42. What’s Love Got to Do With It (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
43. 43. I can’t Stand the Rain (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
44. 44. Better Be Good to Me (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
45. 45. Private Dancer (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
46. 46. Let’s Stay Together (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
47. 47. Help (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
48. 48. Proud Mary (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
49. 49. Legs (Live at Park West, Chicago - August 2nd 1984) (Unreleased)
50. 50. Show Some Respect (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
51. 51. I Might Have Been Queen (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
52. 52. What’s Love Got To Do With It (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
53. 53. I Can’t Stand The Rain (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
54. 54. Better Be Good To Me (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
55. 55. Private Dancer (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
56. 56. Let’s Stay Together (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
57. 57. Help (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
58. 58. It’s Only Love (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
59. 59. Tonight (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
60. 60. Let’s Dance - Version I (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)
61. 61. Let’s Dance - Version II (Live from NEC, Birmingham, 1984 [2025 Remaster] (Unreleased)

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