Once again, the release date on this will look funky....I've had a number of days recently when I couldn't write until late in the evening and publish until after midnight....buy by Golly....it still feels like Wednesday, March 12 to me, so that's what I'm going to call this one!  ;-)

Oh man, I really love this song.  First, in case you didn't know, I'm a hopeless romantic and a total sucker for great love songs, especially in the "soft rock" genre.  Basically, professional music critics writing for Rolling Stone, Billboard, and other trade publications would hate me with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, and I couldn't care less.

I'm also a massive fan of singer songwriters, and Lobo was one of those guys who made feel good records....even when they were sad.  This tune was his biggest ever hit record, climbing to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reaching #1 on the US Easy Listening chart (now the Adult Contemporary chart), as well as topping the charts in Canada, West Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia, and hit the top 10 in a smattering of other major countries including the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Denmark, Mexico, Malaysia, & Brazil.  Let's just say it was universally liked by audiences across the globe.

According to Lobo, he had stumbled upon the hook, "Baby, I'd love you to want me" and had the melody already in place, but didn't have a story to back it up with.  As they began working on a backing track, he was eventually inspired by the size of the arrangement (which included many layers of guitars, piano, drums, and bass, along with strings, and lush backing vocals that were often recorded in different cities) to make the story one of "forbidden fruit".  Basically, he thought the most intense expression of the idea would be two people who badly wanted each other, but couldn't be together because the one is already attached to someone they don't feel as strongly about, and that intensity of passion would match the size, scope, and intensity of the backing track they were constructing.

What I love most about this song is the simplicity of the chord structure, which couches a very beautiful and intimate melody, even in the midst of such a big arrangement behind it.  I had always enjoyed this song as a listener, but I had no idea I would love singing it as much as I did when I made this video, which to my great surprise was actually the first time I had ever done it.  The simplicity leaves it wide open for vocal expression and improvisation.  By the time I finished it, it was one of my favorite covers I had ever made.

It's a lovely dramatic theme, but honestly....don't tell anybody this....I don't believe in forbidden fruit.  I think there are many good reasons to take a pass on any number of things, but I don't believe anything should just be "off limits" because of societal conventions.  I think that should pretty much be up to the judgement of the parties involved, and they should be prepared to bear the consequences, good and bad, of whatever choices they make.  

Maybe that's a scandalous opinion, but I think the greater scandal is denying yourself something you know you want more than anything (I'm not talking about a donut on the way to work here either....I mean BIG decisions like a lover, or moving to a new city, or having children, or a job you've always dreamed of, etc.) because you feel "duty-bound" to a habit, a person, or a decision you made at a totally different time in your life when you simply didn't know what you now know.  It can shake your life up and ruffle some feathers to be sure, but the regret of not pursuing such a strong impulse can be soul crushing, and we only get to do this life once, and it doesn't last forever.

So...as much as I love the song for it's musicality and emotion, I can't say that I love the martyrdom of the character he's chasing....by the way, this is one of those posts where you get to see how much time I spend contemplating and analysing ridiculous fiction LOL.  Imagine if I were to dedicate this energy to curing diseases.....    

Enjoy my cover of this song from May 28, 2024, and then check out my favorite performance of it by Lobo himself in Sri Lanka a few years ago. 

If you'd like to explore my piano method more deeply, my best students use my video courses and join me for conversation and twice monthly Q&A Livestreams in my private community...you can find it all HERE. Thanks.

If the video doesn't show above, use THIS LINK to see it on YouTube

If the video doesn't show above, use THIS LINK to see it on YouTube