Spectroscopic methods combined with density functional calculations were used to study the disulfide-Cu(II) bonding interactions in the side-on micro -eta(2):eta(2)-bridged Cu(2)(S(2)) complex, [[Cu(II)[HB(3,5-Pr(i)(2)pz)(3)]](2)(S(2))], and the end-on trans- micro -1,2-bridged Cu(2)(S(2)) complex, [[Cu(II)(TMPA)](2)(S(2))](2+), in correlation to their peroxide structural analogues. Resonance Raman shows weaker S-S bonds and stronger Cu-S bonds in the disulfide complexes relative to the O-O and Cu-O bonds in the peroxide analogues. The weaker S-S bonds come from the more limited interaction between the S 3p orbitals relative to that of the O 2s/p hybrid orbitals. The stronger Cu-S bonds result from the more covalent Cu-disulfide interactions relative to the Cu-peroxide interactions. This is consistent with the higher energy of the disulfide valence level relative to that of the peroxide. The ground states of the side-on Cu(2)(S(2))/Cu(2)(O(2)) complexes are more covalent than those of the end-on Cu(2)(S(2))/Cu(2)(O(2)) complexes. This derives from the larger sigma-donor interactions in the side-on micro -eta(2):eta(2) structure, which has four Cu-disulfide/peroxide bonds, relative to the end-on trans- micro -1,2 structure, which forms two bonds to the Cu. The larger disulfide/peroxide sigma-donor interactions in the side-on complexes are reflected in their more intense higher energy disulfide/peroxide to Cu charge transfer transitions in the absorption spectra. The large ground-state covalencies of the side-on complexes result in significant nuclear distortions in the ligand-to-metal charge transfer excited states, which give rise to the strong resonance Raman enhancements of the metal-ligand and intraligand vibrations. Particularly, the large covalency of the Cu-disulfide interaction in the side-on Cu(2)(S(2)) complex leads to a different rR enhancement profile, relative to the peroxide analogues, reflecting a S-S bond distortion in the opposite directions in the disulfide/peroxide pi(sigma) to Cu charge transfer excited states. A ligand sigma back-bonding interaction exists only in the side-on complexes, and there is more sigma mixing in the side-on Cu(2)(S(2)) complex than in the side-on Cu(2)(O(2)) complex. This sigma back-bonding is shown to significantly weaken the S-S/O-O bond relative to that of the analogous end-on complex, leading to the low nu(S)(-)(S)/nu(O)(-)(O) vibrational frequencies observed in the resonance Raman spectra of the side-on complexes.