“It Must Have Been Love” is one of those songs that just sticks. Released in December 1987 with “Turn to Me” on the B-side, it started out as a Christmas-themed ballad in Sweden—but it wasn’t until 1990, when it landed on the Pretty Woman soundtrack, that it truly exploded. Suddenly, Roxette’s bittersweet breakup anthem was everywhere.
The Pretty Woman Effect
Back in ’87, the track was called “It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted),” and it did well in Sweden, but it wasn’t meant to be a global smash. That changed when director Garry Marshall needed a song for a key moment in Pretty Woman. Roxette got the call, and they tweaked the lyrics to drop the holiday references. What came out was a timeless ballad about love lost—and it hit like a freight train.
Lyrics That Hit Home
The song’s message is simple but powerful: it’s over, and it hurts. Lines like “It must have been love, but it’s over now” say everything without needing to explain. It’s not dramatic for the sake of it; it’s honest.
Unlike many love-gone-wrong songs, It Must Have Been Love doesn’t plead or try to fix anything. It’s past that. It’s the cold morning after, with no one left to blame. Marie’s delivery walks the line between strength and sadness. She sounds heartbroken, but clear-eyed.
Sound That Builds and Breathes
Musically, “It Must Have Been Love” is a soft pop ballad with a clean, spacious arrangement. The original 1987 version leans more toward a gentle, reflective tone, with ambient textures and a piano that steps in during the bridge to add emotional weight. But the 1990 Pretty Woman version kicks things up a notch. It opens with a different intro, adds more guitar layers, and has a bit rockier, more polished sound. The chorus hits harder, and the production feels bigger—designed to match the emotional sweep of the film. Marie Fredriksson’s vocals still lead the way, but now they’re riding a fuller, more cinematic wave.
Chart Domination
When Pretty Woman hit theaters, the song went right along with it. It shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in Canada, Spain, Australia, and more. In the UK, it reached No. 3. It became one of Roxette’s defining songs—right up there with Listen to Your Heart and The Look—and helped the duo stay in heavy radio rotation through the early ’90s.
Over time, “It Must Have Been Love” became one of the defining ballads of the ’90s. It’s been re-released, re-recorded, and covered—but nothing beats the original. It’s the kind of song that still hits hard, whether you’re nursing a broken heart or just feeling nostalgic.
It Must Have Been Love works because it understands the truth: sometimes, love is perfect—but only for a moment. And when it’s gone, the echo is almost louder than the real thing ever was.
Roxette – It Must Have Been Love – Lyrics
