Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?The 100 most repeated chord transitions extracted from thousands of songs. Even the first 10 will transform your guitar practice routine.

Paloma Faith - Only Love Can Hurt Like This Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, Em, C, D
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

[Opening]
[G] [Em] [C]
[G]I’d tell myself you don’t mean a thing, [Em]that what we got ain’t got a hold on me
But [C]when you’re not there I just crumble, [G]I tell myself that I don’t care that much
[Em]But I feel like I’m dying till I feel your touch. [C]Only love

[chorus]
Only love can hurt like [G]this, only love can hurt like [Em]this
Must have been a deadly [C]kiss, only love can hurt like [G]this

[verse 2]
[G]Say I wouldn’t care if you walked away, [Em]but every time you’re there I’m begging you to stay
[C]When you come close I just tremble, [G]and every time, every time you go
[Em]It’s like a knife that cuts right through my soul. [C]Only love

[chorus]
Only love can hurt like [G]this, only love can hurt like [Em]this
Must have been a deadly [C]kiss, only love can hurt like [G]this
Only love can hurt like [Em]this, must have been a deadly [C]kiss
Only love can hurt like [G]this

[verse 3]
[Em]And it’s the sweetest pain, [C]burning hot through my veins
Love is [D]torture makes me more sure

[Closing]
Only love can hurt like [G]this, [Em] [C]only love can hurt like [G]this
Only love can hurt like [Em]this, must have been the deadly [C]kiss
Only love can hurt like [G]this, only love can hurt like [Em]this
Your kisses burning to my [C]skin, only love can hurt like [G]this [Em]
Only love can hurt like [C]this, [G]save me, save, only [Em]love, only
Only love can hurt like [C]this, and it must have been the deadly [G]kiss

Report Error
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistPaloma Faith
AlbumA Perfect Contradiction
GenresPop, Soul
Year2014
KeyG

How to play Only Love Can Hurt Like This on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Paloma Faith - Only Love Can Hurt Like This on guitar requires 4 chords and 5 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This uses these transitions most often: Em → C (14), G → Em (14), and C → G (13). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with G - Em chord transition.

1. G → Em chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from G to Em;

  1. While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
G to Em

2. Em → C chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from Em to C;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.
Em to C

3. C → G chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from C to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
C to G

4. C → D chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

To move from C to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
C to D

5. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Only Love Can Hurt Like This.

  • Only Love Can Hurt Like This includes 43 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Only Love Can Hurt Like This contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Only Love Can Hurt Like This connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → Em: 9%
    After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).
    • Em → C: 26%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.