The Hook You Can't Unhear
Remember 2004? Low-rise jeans were everywhere, and Maroon 5's "This Love" was basically the soundtrack to every car ride, mall trip, and awkward middle school dance. But if you listen closely to those famous Maroon 5 too many times before lyrics, there's a lot more going on than just a catchy piano pop-rock tune. Most people hum along to the "this love has taken its toll on me" part without realizing the song is actually a pretty gritty, slightly NSFW account of a relationship falling apart in real-time.
It's raw. Honestly, it’s a bit desperate. Adam Levine wrote it during what he calls the "most emotionally trying time" of his life, and you can feel that friction in every verse.
Who Was Jane, Anyway?
You’ve probably seen the album title Songs About Jane. It’s not a mystery—Jane is real. Her name is Jane Herman, Levine’s high school sweetheart and long-time muse. They dated for years, and when it finally ended, it didn't just "fizzle out." It crashed.
Levine has admitted that almost every song on that debut album has at least one line about her. But "This Love" is special because it was written the very day she moved away after their breakup. Imagine that. You’re watching someone pack their life into boxes, they get on a plane, and you’re left sitting there with a piano and a broken heart.
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The line "she said goodbye too many times before" isn't just poetic filler. It’s a literal reference to the "on-again, off-again" nature of their relationship. They were stuck in a loop. Breaking up, making up, and doing it all over again until the "toll" became too much to pay.
Why the Lyrics Are More Explicit Than You Think
A lot of fans don't realize how erotic the lyrics actually are. Back in the day, MTV even had to edit the music video because the word "coming" in the line "keep her coming every night" was deemed a bit much for daytime television. Levine didn't care. He was tired of "vague" love songs that just said "I love you, baby."
- The "Appetite" Metaphor: When he sings about trying to "feed her appetite," he’s not talking about dinner. He’s talking about physical intimacy and the pressure of trying to keep a partner satisfied when the emotional connection is already dead.
- The Sinking Fingertips: The line "sinking my fingertips into every inch of you" was another one that raised eyebrows. It’s tactile. It’s intense.
Levine once told Rolling Stone that he liked the idea of being explicit without being totally explicit. He knew the lyrics would go over his grandparents' heads but "hit my ex-girlfriend like a ton of bricks."
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The Stevie Wonder Influence
If the song feels a bit funkier than your average 2000s pop hit, that’s because the band was obsessing over Stevie Wonder at the time. You can hear it in that "strutting" piano line and the R&B-influenced groove. It’s a "happier" sounding track musically, which creates this weird, cool contrast with the lyrics about heartbreak and "chaos that controlled my mind."
The Video Controversy
We have to talk about the music video. It was directed by Sophie Muller and featured Levine and his then-girlfriend, model Kelly McKee. It was scandalous for 2004. There were lots of strategic camera angles and well-placed flowers to hide the fact that they were seemingly nude.
Levine later said the concept was inspired by Prince. He wanted to lean into that overt sexuality because, in his words, "sexuality confuses people." It worked. The video helped "This Love" become the third most-played song of 2004 and even bagged them an MTV VMA for Best New Artist.
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What Most People Miss
The most interesting thing about the Maroon 5 too many times before lyrics is the timing. Levine was caught in this bizarre emotional tug-of-war. On one hand, his personal life was a mess. His relationship was ending, and he was devastated.
On the other hand? The band was finally about to go into the studio to record their debut album. He was ecstatic. He was in "prime emotional condition" to write because he was feeling both extreme pain and extreme professional excitement at the same time. That’s why the song feels so high-stakes.
Key Lyric Breakdown
- "I was so high I did not recognize the fire burning in her eyes" – This isn't about drugs; it's about being blinded by the relationship's intensity or his own ego.
- "This love has taken its toll on me" – The core of the song. Relationships aren't free. They cost time, sanity, and emotional energy.
- "Keep playing love like it was just a game" – A nod to the power struggles and the "too many times before" cycle of their breakup.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Writers
If you’re a songwriter or just a fan of the "Songs About Jane" era, there are a few things you can take away from how this track was built:
- Specificity Wins: Instead of writing "I'm sad you left," Levine wrote about the specific day she got on a plane. The more specific the detail, the more universal the feeling becomes.
- Contrast is King: Pairing dark, heavy lyrics with an upbeat, funky R&B track makes the song more memorable than a standard ballad.
- Don't Be Afraid of the Toll: Great art often comes from the things that exhaust us. "This Love" wouldn't exist if the relationship hadn't been a struggle.
Next time you hear those opening piano chords, listen past the "pop" polish. You're hearing a guy basically having a breakdown while simultaneously realizing he's finally found the hit song that's going to make him a superstar. It's the sound of a ending and a beginning happening at the exact same time.
To dive deeper into the early 2000s music scene, look into the production of the 1.22.03.Acoustic EP, which features a stripped-back version of this track that highlights the raw vocal grit even more than the radio edit. You can also explore the work of Jane Herman today; she moved on to become a successful writer and editor, proving that even "taking a toll" can lead to new chapters for everyone involved.