Released in 1983 as a new studio track on the primarily live album Live from Earth, "Love Is a Battlefield" marked a compelling stylistic evolution for rock powerhouse Pat Benatar. Written by hitmakers Mike Chapman and Holly Knight, the song brilliantly blended her rock vocal edge with infectious Pop hooks, insistent Dance-rock rhythms, and contemporary Post-disco synthesizer sounds.
"Love Is a Battlefield" became a massive global hit, reaching the Top 5 in the US and earning Benatar her fourth consecutive Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Its iconic, heavily choreographed narrative music video was a landmark achievement on MTV. The song's powerful metaphor for relationship struggles continues to resonate, solidifying its legacy today, April 13, 2025.
SONG MEANING: "Love Is a Battlefield" uses the powerful metaphor of war and combat to describe the intense conflicts, emotional struggles, pain, and resilience often experienced within passionate relationships, particularly young love potentially facing disapproval. Lyrics like "We are young / Heartache to heartache we stand" and the defiant chorus ("We are strong / No one can tell us we're wrong") frame love as a fight requiring strength and unity to survive.