 "Hurts So Good" was written by Mellencamp and George Green, Mellencamp's childhood friend and occasional writing partner.The song was first conceived, Mellencamp claims, when he had uttered the phrase "hurt so good.” Mellencamp repeated the lines to Green, and they finished the song very quickly.In 2004, Mellencamp expounded on the writing of "Hurts So Good" in an interview with "American Songwriter" magazine