

Voltaire released an acoustic cover on his album Then and Again. Naimee Coleman included an interpretation of the song on her 2001 album Bring Down The Moon. Solo artists have performed covers as well, such as Tori Amos during several live performances, most famously on the radio station KROQ-FM. Dutch Indieband This Beautiful Mess recorded a version for a compilation of 80's cover hits. Canadian psychobilly band The Brains recorded their version of the song in 2014 on their The Cover Up EP. Canadian musical duo Dala recorded their cover of the song on the 2005 album Angels & Thieves. The song has also been covered by the bands A Perfect Circle (as a mashup with " Diary of a Madman"), Good Charlotte, The Deluxtone Rockets, Jack Off Jill, Snake River Conspiracy, Azam Ali/ Niyaz, Death Cab for Cutie, Anberlin, Seafood (who released their cover of the song as a single in June 2007) and Fordirelifesake. The track has been covered by Jes in various trance and acoustic styles, as well as The Brunettes for the 2008 American Laundromat Records tribute album Just Like Heaven – a tribute to The Cure. While not featured in the version on YouTube, the version initially released for the song in conjunction with, and featuring footage from, 50 First Dates, features a cameo from former Cure member Lol Tolhurst as a bartender. The music video features 311 playing the song in a bar. 311's cover was also very successful in the adult contemporary radio market, hitting the top 10 on the Adult Top 40 chart at number 7. 311's cover also reached number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's first single to make the chart. While the Cure's original version hit number 2 on the Alternative Songs chart, 311's cover was more successful on the chart, hitting number 1. It is also featured on 311's greatest hits album, Greatest Hits '93–'03. " Love Song" was released as a single by the band 311 and is featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film 50 First Dates.

The extended mix version of the song was included on the bands 1990 remix album Mixed Up. Smith originally wrote the song for his long-time girlfriend and then fiancée, Mary, as a wedding present. The song also charted at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 30 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. Upon release as a single, the song received worldwide success, and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the group's most successful single in the United States. 2004's Join the Dots also uses "Lovesong" within the booklet presentation. Subsequent releases of Paris and Galore both use "Lovesong" exclusively, while 2001's Greatest Hits compilation uses "Lovesong" on the track listing and "Love Song" within the liner notes. When released as a single in 1989, the cover artwork displayed the title as "Lovesong", while the printing on the disc itself read "Love Song" all three times. The original 1989 artwork for the album Disintegration uses "Love Song" on the track listing and "Lovesong" on the lyrics sheet the revised art for the 2010 remaster of the album consistently uses "Lovesong".

Similar to the title variations of the Cure song " In Between Days", there is not a universally agreed-upon spacing method of the title of "Lovesong", as it varies between "Lovesong" and "Love Song" on many official Cure releases. In addition, in the instrumental section between the first two verses, the guitar does not join the keyboards as it does on the album. The single version of the song is almost exactly the same as the album version, but the mix is slightly different, with extra reverb and harmonies added to Smith's vocals.

It's taken me ten years to reach the point where I feel comfortable singing a very straightforward love song". Speaking of its simplicity and unusually upbeat nature compared to the other tracks on Disintegration, Robert Smith stated, "It's an open show of emotion. The lyrics are simple, with each verse having the same structure ("Whenever I'm alone with you / you make me feel like I am. The verses follow an Am/G/F/Em chord progression, which changes to F/G/Am/C in the choruses. The song is performed in A minor and is built around a distinctive bass riff. Problems playing this file? See media help.
