Written by: Chuck Howard
Recorded: 25 June 1970
Producer: Pete Drake
Engineer: Scotty Moore
Released: 25 September 1970 (UK), 28 September 1970 (US)
Available on:
Beaucoups Of Blues
Personnel
Ringo Starr: vocals
Charlie Daniels, Chuck Howard, Jerry Kennedy, Dave Kirby, Sorrells Pickard, Jerry Shook: guitar
Roy Huskey Jr: upright bass
Charlie McCoy: harmonica, piano
Jim Buchanan, George Richey, Grover Lavender: fiddle
Buddy Harman/DJ Fontana: drums
Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews Jr, Gordon Stoker, Ray Walker: vocals
‘Love Don’t Last Long’ is the second song on Beaucoups Of Blues, Ringo Starr’s second solo album.
It was written by Chuck Howard, who played guitar on the recording. Howard also wrote ‘I Wouldn’t Have You Any Other Way’ and ‘Waiting’, and co-wrote ‘I’d Be Talking All The Time’ with Larry Kingston.
In the studio
Beaucoups Of Blues was recorded at Music City Recorders in Nashville, TN, with a number of local musicians, some of whom had appeared on Bob Dylan’s albums Nashville Skyline and Self Portrait. The album was produced by Pete Drake, with Elvis Presley’s guitarist Scotty Moore engineering.
The sessions took place from 6pm-9pm and 10pm-1am over three nights, from 25-27 June 1970. ‘Love Don’t Last Long’ was recorded during the second session on the night of 25 June.
Lyrics
Her mother wrote a letter
Said she thought it would be better
If she would just stay gone
She knew of her condition
But she wouldn’t give permission
For her to come back home
So she called the boy who loved her
But all he did was snub her
Said ‘Face it on your own’
Mm-mm, love don’t last long
A young man got unlucky
And got busted in Kentucky
Asked his dad to go his bail
But his dad had big ambitions
With the local politicians
Told his son to go to hell
He hung himself that morning
And the note that they found on him
Said ‘Dad, please take me home’
Mm-mm, love don’t last long
A woman told her husband
She lived every day to love him
Nothing else fits in her plans
Then without a warning
He came home from work one morning
Found her there with another man
In a fit of anger
He took her life and the stranger’s
Then he took his own
Mm-mm, love don’t last long