 Why Do It Hurt So Bad  is an R & B ballad . The song was written and produced by Kenneth Brian Edmonds , popularly known as " Babyface " . According to the sheet music book for The Greatest Hits at Sheetmusicplus.com , the song is written in the key of B ♭ major , and moves at a tempo of 69 beats per minute . It is set in time signature of common time and feature a basic chord progression of B / E – Em – C ♯ m – G ♯ 7 . Houston 's vocals span from the note of Am7 to the note of D5 . According to Stephen Holden of New York Times , the song is a " lovelorn lament with a realistic twist " . He noted that , through the verses , the singer congratulate herself for breaking up with an abusive boyfriend and admit that she is still in love .