7 Shocking Secrets Behind Roxette's 'It Must've Been Love' Lyrics That You Never Knew

Roxette's "It Must've Been Love" is one of the most enduring power ballads of all time, a soundtrack to heartbreak and cinematic romance that continues to resonate decades after its release. As of late 2024 and early 2025, the song's legacy remains stronger than ever, recently celebrating a monumental milestone of over seven million plays on US radio, earning it the prestigious 7-Million-Air Award. This incredible longevity proves the simple, aching lyrics—"It must have been love, but it's over now"—are timeless, yet the story behind the song is anything but simple.

The song that defined a generation and became synonymous with the 1990 blockbuster Pretty Woman has a hidden, seasonal past and a creation story driven by a desperate phone call. Dive into the world of Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson's biggest hit to uncover the secrets, the original version, and the subtle lyrical changes that turned a Christmas single into a global phenomenon.

The Shocking Origin: From Christmas Single to Global Hit

The version of "It Must've Been Love" that everyone knows and loves—the one featured in Pretty Woman—is not the song’s original form. This is the biggest secret behind the track, a twist of fate and a clever re-edit that saved the song from obscurity and launched it into the history books.

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1. The Original Title: 'Christmas for the Broken Hearted'

The song was initially written and released in 1987, not as a track for a movie soundtrack, but as a Christmas single. The full original title was "It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted)." This version was a local hit in Sweden but failed to make a major international impact. Songwriter Per Gessle penned the track after EMI Germany requested Roxette contribute a Christmas-themed song.

2. The Lyrical Surgery for Pretty Woman

When the producers of the movie Pretty Woman came calling in 1990, Roxette was on tour and unable to record a brand-new song. Instead, they offered the earlier Christmas track. The only problem? The lyrics contained explicit Christmas references that wouldn't fit a spring movie release. The most famous line that had to be changed was: "It's a hard Christmas Day."

The final, iconic version used in the film, and the one that topped the charts, had all of its seasonal references removed and the mix slightly altered. Marie Fredriksson even had to re-record a vocal line to complete the transformation. This re-edited version is the one that became the smash hit.

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3. The Pretty Woman Phenomenon

"It Must've Been Love" became inextricably linked to the success of the 1990 romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. The song plays during a critical, emotional montage in the film, solidifying its status as the ultimate power ballad of heartbreak and longing. The movie's runaway success propelled the song to a global audience, making it Roxette's third number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1990.

Deconstructing the Core Lyrics: A Masterclass in Melancholy

The enduring power of "It Must've Been Love" lies in its simplicity and raw emotional honesty. Per Gessle crafted a narrative that perfectly captures the devastating aftermath of a relationship, where the residual feeling is not anger, but a profound, aching confusion about what was lost.

4. The Opening Lines: Setting the Scene of Loss

The song opens with a vivid, melancholic scene, using powerful imagery to establish the sense of finality and separation:

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• "Lay a whisper on my pillow, leave the winter on the ground"
• "I woke up this morning, and all I got was rain"

These lines immediately plunge the listener into a world of coldness and absence. The "winter" and "rain" are metaphors for the emotional chill left behind by the departed lover, a classic technique in the genre of the "sad song queen" that Marie Fredriksson mastered.

5. The Iconic Chorus: The Lingering Question

The chorus is the heart of the song, posing a question that every person who has experienced heartbreak can relate to. It’s not a declaration of hate, but a wistful, almost philosophical acceptance of the past:

"It must have been love, but it's over now"
"It must have been good, but I lost it somehow"

This phrasing—"It must have been love"—suggests a moment of clarity and painful realization. The narrator isn't sure what to call the relationship now that it's gone, defaulting to the most profound term possible: love. The phrase "I lost it somehow" shifts the focus from blame to personal failure or confusion, making the narrator deeply sympathetic.

6. The Imagery of Nature and Time

Gessle uses natural elements and concepts of time to amplify the feeling of loss, embedding LSI keywords naturally into the narrative:

• Time Running Out: "From the moment we touched, 'til the time had run out" emphasizes the finite nature of the good times.
• The River and the Wind: "And it's a long, long way from here" and "The whispers in the morning of lovers sleeping tight / Are rolling by like thunder now, as I look in your eyes" (from the bridge) evoke a sense of vast distance and overwhelming, uncontrollable forces—like a powerful, emotional river or wind.
• The Last Goodbye: The line "Leaving me lonely, standing on my own" is the final, stark image of isolation, a common theme in all great power ballads.

The Enduring Legacy in the 2020s

Decades later, "It Must've Been Love" continues to be a radio staple and a cultural touchstone. The sad song's power has not diminished, especially after the passing of lead singer Marie Fredriksson in 2019, which added a new layer of poignancy to Roxette's entire catalog.

7. The 7-Million-Air Award and 2025 Context

In a testament to its lasting appeal, the song recently earned the prestigious 7-Million-Air Award from BMI, signifying over seven million plays on US radio. This places it in an elite category of songs that have achieved monumental airplay, confirming its status as a timeless classic alongside other Roxette hits like "Listen To Your Heart." Per Gessle continues to discuss the song's impact, often reflecting on Marie Fredriksson's stunning vocal performance which brought his lyrics to life. The song's legacy is central to the ongoing celebration of Roxette's music, including discussions around a potential 2025 tour focusing on the band's history.

The simple, heart-wrenching phrase, "It must have been love, but it’s over now," has transcended its origins as a discarded Christmas track. It stands as a monument to the genius of Roxette, a definitive power ballad that perfectly captures the universal feeling of a broken heart, forever cemented in pop culture by a romantic comedy that needed a hit.