Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
| "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Danish picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by ABBA | ||||
| from the album Ring Ring | ||||
| B-side | "I Am Just a Girl" | |||
| Released | June 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 14 March 1973 | |||
| Studio | Metronome, Stockholm, Sweden | |||
| Genre | Country rock | |||
| Length | 2:57 | |||
| Label | Polar | |||
| Songwriters | Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus | |||
| Producers | Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus | |||
| ABBA singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio video | ||||
| "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" on YouTube | ||||
"Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" is a country rock song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA.[1] It was the fifth single to be released from their album Ring Ring, but unusually, it was not issued in ABBA's home-country of Sweden, but elsewhere in Scandinavia.[2] It was coupled with "I Am Just a Girl" as its B-side upon release in 1973. The song was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album Ring Ring.
The song describes the common phenomenon of a quarrel between lovers, and although the song's title seems to be self-contradictory, it's unlikely that it pertains to a sexual double entendre as some have believed it to be.[3]
History
The song was written and composed by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus. All four members of the ABBA share the lead vocals.
Chart performance
The single's limited release did not generate a Top 10 chart placement anywhere, though it was a minor hit in some countries where it was released. In Sweden, it reached #3 on the Tio i Topp singles chart, even though it wasn't issued as a single in that country.[4]
| Chart (1973) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| Denmark (Top 30)[5] | 21 |
| Sweden (Tio i topp)[6] | 3 |
| Chart (2023) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Sales (OCC)[7] | 48 |
| UK Physical Singles (OCC)[7] | 5 |
| UK Vinyl Singles (OCC)[7] | 4 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Title | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | June 1973 | "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" / "I Am Just A Girl" | Polar | 7-inch vinyl | POS 1175 |
| Europe | 19 May 2023 | 7-inch vinyl, picture disc | 00602448459459 |
References
- ^ "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) : Who, What, Where, When". Servinghistory.com. 2016-09-10. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
- ^ "ABBA Articles | Ring Ring – ABBA's journey towards Eurovision". abbasite.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p. 31
- ^ Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (2012). Tio i Topp - med de utslagna "på försök" 1961–74 [Tio I Topp With The Eliminated On Try 1961–1974] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Premium. p. 34. ISBN 978-91-89136-89-2. OCLC 939611828.
- ^ "Danske Hitlister | Top 20/30 | Tirsdag den 31. juli 1973". danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
- ^ Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (2012). Tio i Topp - med de utslagna "på försök" 1961–74 [Tio I Topp With The Eliminated On Try 1961–1974] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Premium. p. 34. ISBN 978-91-89136-89-2. OCLC 939611828.
- ^ a b c "LOVE ISN'T EASY (BUT IT SURE IS HARD". Official Charts. 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2026-01-29.