‘Love Stinks’ is a song written by Peter Wolf and Seth Justman that was the title track of the J. Geils Band's 1980 album Love Stinks. The song was released as a single and peaked in the US at #38, spending three weeks in the Top 40. In Canada, the song reached number 15, as it did on WLS-AM in Chicago. This was the title track to the band's ninth album, which found them moving in a pop direction while remaining rooted in blues. Their next album, Freeze Frame, was a commercial breakthrough, making them stars on MTV and Top 40 radio.
The lyrics describe a love triangle in which two participants experience unrequited love, before segueing into a description of love gone sour in general. The lyrics may have been inspired by J. Geils Band lead singer Peter Wolf's marriage to actress Faye Dunaway, which ended in a 1979 divorce. Author Maury Dean describes the opening of the song as "ponderous Power Metal." Dean describes the band's playing in the refrain as generating "wild waves of flame," the guitars as "fire-breathing" and Wolf's vocals in the "yeah yeah" portion of the chorus as snarling with "heavy metal glee." Justman provides extensive keyboards, which Associated Press critic James Simon feels gives the song "a little extra zing." Viglione describes the riff as "Lou Reed's 'Vicious' as performed by his Rock & Roll Animal band on Lou Reed Live at half-speed," also noting that it is a hard rock version of the riff from ‘Louie Louie. Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield notes that the riff was later used by Nirvana in the song ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
AllMusic critic John Franck describes the song as "infectious", noting that it was "one of the band's most recognizable FM songs ever." Music critic Robert Christgau describes the song as "broad" and "uproarious". Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh considers it one of the J. Geils Band's greatest songs, considering its lyrics to be "a hilarious spoof on new-wave nihilism as well as soul cliche." Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield calls it "one of the great trash-rock singles of the '80's." Cash Box said that the "playfully virulent lyric...mixed with Seth Justman’s whirling keyboards, creates an exciting march-like rhythm."
Adam Sandler sang this in the 1998 movie The Wedding Singer. It was also used in the film Opie Gets Laid (2005), and the "Foreign Exchange Student" episode of My Name Is Earl (2007). It's also in the 2007 "The Boys of Bummer" episode of The Simpsons as "Bart Stinks." Joan Jett recorded a cover for the 1996 movie Mr. Wrong.
Label – EMI Records
Songwriters – Peter Wolf, Seth Justman
Producer – Seth Justman
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]You love her
But she loves him
And he loves somebody else
You just can't win
And so it goes
Till the day you die
This thing they call love
It's gonna make you cry
I've had the blues
The reds and the pinks
One thing for sure
[Chorus]
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
[Verse 2]
Two by two and side by side
Love's gonna find you, yes it is
You just can't hide
You'll hear it call
Your heart will fall
Then love will fly
It's gone, that's all
I don't care what any Casanova thinks
All I can say is
Love stinks
[Chorus]
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
[Interlude]
Shoo doo wop
Shoo doo wop
Shoo doo wop, shoop, shoop
Shoo doo wop
Shoo doo wop
[Bridge]
I've been through diamonds
I've been through minks
I've been through it all
Love stinks
[Outro]
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
Love stinks!