Significance of repeated use of Irma Thomas's song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is'?

Significance of repeated use of Irma Thomas's song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is'? - Happy young couple doing purchase on Internet together at home

In Black Mirror, Irma Thomas's song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is' got featured a lot:

  • In Fifteen Million Merits: Abi sings "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" for the judges.

  • In White Christmas, song is used in a karaoke segment.

  • In Men Against Fire, Hunter sings this song in Heidekker's farmhouse while holding him at gunpoint.

  • In Crocodile, while the insurance lady was driving

But why is this real life song used so prominently? Is there any significance of the song to Black Mirror theme?



Best Answer

It's simply an Easter Egg:

When asked if they had a favorite Season Three Easter Egg, Brooker immediately mentioned “Nosedive.” “I think my favorite, currently, is the status update from Michael Callow [the Prime Minister in “The National Anthem“] that appears in ‘Nosedive’ because I had forgotten that I typed it in, and I thought it hadn’t made it into the finished show,” he said. “Somebody found it and screen-capped it where he says, he’s sort of moaning about being thrown out of a zoo.”

Brooker also added that he enjoyed Irma Thomas’ “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” reappearing in “Men Against Fire.” The song is known in the series for Abi’s (Jessica Brown Findlay) haunting performance of it on the reality show Hot Shot in “Fifteen Million Merits.”




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Significance of repeated use of Irma Thomas's song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is'? - Happy Young People Watching On A Laptop
Significance of repeated use of Irma Thomas's song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is'? - Satisfied African American female with closed eyes listening to anonymous black boyfriend playing song on acoustic guitar while spending time together
Significance of repeated use of Irma Thomas's song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is'? - Anonymous father playing guitar on couch for baby and wife



What movie has the song anyone who knows what love is?

Following its use in Black Mirror, the song began to appear more widely in film and television, for example in The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018), The Deuce's "Inside the Pretend", Dead to Me's "I Can Handle It" (2019), and a trailer for the film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).

Who sings anyone who knows what love is in black mirror?

SealBoyz II MenIrma ThomasJeannie SeelyRuby Amanfu

What episodes of Black Mirror is anyone who knows what love is?

The song "Anyone who knows what love is" is heard again in the season 4 episode Black Mirror: Crocodile (2017). Also in that episode, the hotel receptionist refuses to give out the name of a guest, citing a scandal involving a rent boy and a judge from Hot Shot - the talent show from this episode.



Irma Thomas - Time is on my side | The Story Behind The Song | Top 2000 a gogo




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Andrea Piacquadio, Cliff Booth, Andres Ayrton, Helena Lopes