If Our Love Is Wrong

## Song by Calum Scott

"**If Our Love Is Wrong**" is a song by English singer-songwriter Calum Scott, released as the lead track from his debut studio album, *Only Human* (2018). He explained the reason for its introduction: "this is one of the most suppressing things I've ever had to deal with and because it's so liberating, it's changed me in ways I've never even imagined. It had to be top of the album".

For the lyrical meaning, Scott stated, "I have written about me coming out to the press, and just how terrified I was of what people would think of me. In the chorus it is me coming out and saying 'do you know what, if our love is wrong, then I don't want to be right'. I wanted the song to be empowering and to make people feel confident about who they love and who they are".

## Background

Scott revealed that the track was one of his very first records going into songwriting. Co-written with Philip Plested and Kane Parfitt in London, it was originally going to be the title of the album at one point, as he struggled with his sexuality for years. He described the song as a "turning point" for himself as an artist and as a person, where he could be more honest in hopes to empower and help himself and others.

He said that "If Our Love Is Wrong" was his "coming out song" and continued:

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> As I was trying to wrap my head around my sexuality and was starting to learn about songwriting, and that my honesty and my authenticity came from my personal experiences and writing about stuff that genuinely bugged me or upset me. At the time I was going through a lot of anxiety, I still hadn't told my dad [I was gay] and the press was asking me about my personal life a lot. At this point I was getting quite anxious and I was panicking thinking that my dad was gonna find out in the wrong way—and I still didn't feel, at that point, that I was ready to talk about my sexuality. It wasn't until I was in a songwriting session where I just said to the [cowriters], "There's something I really need to get off my chest. I'm really feeling the pressure right now, and I just have to talk to somebody about it". Talking to those boys and telling them that I was gay, I mean, I was sweating. My heart was in my mouth. I was shaking, because it was that terrifying to me to talk about my sexuality. They didn't judge me—they were there for me, and they really did help me turn the corner with my sexuality and with my songwriting.
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> I ended up talking about the whole thing. I was really terrified about talking to the press, I didn't want people to think it's a sob story. What if people didn't like it? What if people stopped listening to my music? I was so terrified for so long about what people think about my sexuality, and I didn't wanna find myself in a position where I was losing my fans and couldn't do my job.
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> Because I put myself through torture for so many years, "If Our Love Is Wrong" was kind of like me turning things around going, "*Why should I punish myself? Why should I feel so bad about the fact that I'm gay? I should be confident in the fact that I'm gay, and this is something I can't help, so I shouldn't put myself through hell for it*". And "If Our Love Is Wrong" really gave me that seed, really, to plant into my head and to finally come to terms with it. It's positioned that way at the top of the album because, at the end of the day, this is something I've lost so much time on. This is how I've been feeling for so many years, and as an introduction to my album, you're going to get a really deep, really personal song, because I need my listeners to know that that's me, that I'm sensitive, that the album is personal, that I really wanna try and inspire. It's such a personal message to be confident, because it hurts me to know that other kids might go through what I went through and lose all that time to fear".
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To *CelebMix*, he said that following his appearance on *Britain's Got Talent*, it was assumed by the press that he was straight. He was not yet out to his father, and added, "My dad wouldn't have known and would have found out in a really awful way through the press and not through me so I was in this really weird predicament. So I basically went into a songwriting session and just cried my heart out. I was like I'm in this horrible position, I'm terrified that I'm going to lose my fanbase and I'm terrified that I'm going to disappoint people." This stemmed from his childhood experiences, where he was abandoned by friends when he told them he was or might've been gay. He noted, "So from a very young age, I've always associated telling people I was gay with either losing respect or losing friendship. I was terrified that I'd just created this moment on the show and suddenly received a huge global fanbase. I was terrified that they'd not accept me. 'If Our Love Was Wrong' was definitely a very personal song I had to get off my chest but in doing so, it gave me the biggest relief and empowerment. I'm basically saying in there that I don't know how people are going to be with it but if it's wrong then I don't even want to be right. Kind of trying to empower people and to put it right at the top of the album speaks volumes about how I feel. My journey and stuff hopefully will affect people in a positive way. I could speak for hours about this because I'm so passionate. I just want people to feel like when it's their time to be able to come out, there are people who've been through this and people who know how it feels. There's a lot of love for them in the world for when they do come out".

## Personnel

* Alison Dods, Louisa Fuller, Lucy Wilkins, Natalia Bonner, Nicky Sweeney, Oli Langford, Richard George, Rick Koster – violin
* Bill Zimmerman – mixing assistance
* Calum Scott – vocals, composition
* Chris Worsey – cello
* Claire Orsler, Rachel Robson, Reiad Chibah – viola
* Dan Ewin – record engineering assistance
* Dion Wardle – piano
* Fraser T. Smith – producer, keyboards, guitar, drum programming, programming engineer
* Ian Burdge – cello
* Kane Parfitt – composition
* Manon Grandjean – recording engineer
* Philip Plested – composition
* Phil Tan – mixing engineer
* Richard Pryce – double bass

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Verse 1]

I don't know how I should say it

In my mind, it's every word, that they don't wanna hear

I don't know how they might take it

Maybe you can take the pressure, and make it disappear

Throw out the inhibition

You make me feel a feeling that I've never felt before

I don't know if they're gonna like it

But that only makes me want it more

[Pre-Chorus]

'Cause I'm nobody's but yours

[Chorus]

If it's me, and if it's you

And if our love is wrong

Then I don't ever wanna be right

I don't ever wanna be right

If it's real, and if it's true

And if our love is wrong

Then I don't ever wanna be right

I don't ever wanna be right

[Post-Chorus]

Oh, yeah, oh

I just want you to be mine

[Verse 2]

Why would I need their permission

Skin and bones, I'm only human

It's in my DNA

Suffocating just to fit in

Why do I care what people say

[Pre-Chorus]

'Cause I'm nobody's but yours

[Chorus]

If it's me, and if it's you

And if our love is wrong

Then I don't ever wanna be right

I don't ever wanna be right

If it's real, and if it's true

And if our love is wrong

Then I don't ever wanna be right

I don't ever wanna be right

[Post-Chorus]

Oh, yeah, oh

I just want you to be mine

[Outro]

Oh, yeah, oh

I just want you to be mine

## References

1. ↑ Pettican, Luke (20 March 2018). "Love, Lust, and Longing: A Conversation with Calum Scott". *Atwood Magazine*.
2. ↑ Cooper, Kevin (2017). "Interview: Calum Scott". *UK Music Reviews*.
3. ↑ Kawashima, Dale (26 March 2018). "Rising British Pop Artist Calum Scott Talks About His Debut Album Only Human, Which Hits #1 in Several Countries". *Songwriter Universe*.
4. ↑ Weatherby, Taylor (10 March 2018). "Calum Scott Details How Accepting His Sexuality & Being 'Only Human' Played into His Songwriting". *Billboard*.
5. ↑ Willis, Mark (22 April 2018). "Exclusive Interview: Calum Scott Discusses His Debut Album 'Only Human'". *CelebMix*.