‘For Your Love’ is a rock song by English group the Yardbirds. Released in March 1965. It was their first top ten hit in both the UK and the US. The song was a departure from the group's blues roots in favour of a commercial pop rock sound. Guitarist Eric Clapton disapproved of the change and it influenced him to leave the group. The song was written by future 10cc member Graham Gouldman, was the Yardbirds' third single and its first big hit, rising to Number Six on the Billboard Top 100 and Number 3 on the U.K. chart.
Gouldman wrote the song at the age of 18 while working by day in a gentlemen's outfitters near Salford Docks and playing by night with the semi-professional Manchester band the Mockingbirds. Gouldman cited the Beatles as his influence:
“We went down to Denmark Street and went round all the publishers trying to find a song ... we didn't get any songs that we liked or we weren't given any songs period and the Beatles had started and I thought 'well, I’m gonna really have a crack at song-writing.' I had dabbled a bit, but they were really my inspiration and gave me and I think a lot of other people the courage to actually do it. We all wanted to be like the Beatles. I wrote two songs and the record company we were with turned down one of the songs. The song they turned down was 'For Your Love', which eventually found its way to the Yardbirds.”
The Yardbirds were performing on a Christmas show at the Hammersmith Odeon in London and song publisher Ronnie Beck played the song to their manager, Giorgio Gomelsky, and the band.
The Yardbirds recorded ‘For Your Love’ at the IBC Studios in London on 1 February 1965. Shortly after its release on 5 March 1965, it became a hit in the UK. When it was released a month later in the US, it became the group's first charting single. By then, Clapton had already left the group for various reasons, including their more commercial aspirations.
Clapton, unhappy with the more polished, commercial direction that was signalled with ‘For Your Love,’ left the band in March of 1965 to join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and was replaced by Jeff Beck.
Labels – Columbia (UK), Epic (US)Songwriter – Graham Gouldman
Producer – Giorgio Gomelsky
SONG LYRICS
[Intro]For your love
For your love
[Verse 1]
(For your love) I give you everything and more, and that's for sure
(For your love) I bring you diamond rings and things right to your door
(For your love) To thrill you with delight
I give you diamonds bright
There'll be days that will excite
They'll make you dream of me at night
[Chorus]
For your love
For your love
For your love
[Bridge]
For your love, for your love
I would give the stars above
For your love, for your love
I would give you all I could
[Refrain]
For your love
For your love
[Verse 2]
(For your love) I'd give the moon if it were mine to give
(For your love) I'd give the stars and the sun, for I live
(For your love) To thrill you with delight
I give you diamonds bright
There'll be days that will excite
They'll make you dream of me at night
[Chorus]
For your love
For your love
For your love
For your love