Carole King has said she wishes she had not contributed to the 1962 song ‘He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)’, describing herself as complicit in its creation. The song has remained controversial because its lyrics portray domestic abuse as evidence of love, illustrating attitudes that King later rejected.

King wrote the music while her then-husband and songwriting partner Gerry Goffin wrote the lyrics, reportedly inspired by a babysitter who had been assaulted by her partner. Recorded by The Crystals and produced by Phil Spector, it received little radio play and was not a hit; the group themselves were uneasy about recording it. King later acknowledged that some abuse victims may interpret violence through the lens of love, but said this was wrong and regretted her involvement.