“Your Love” by The Outfield
The storyline of The Outfield’s “Your Love” is for the most part simple. The singer’s current girlfriend is named “Josie”. In fact she is the only person in this triangle who is identified by name. And as is made known in the very-first line, “Josie’s on a vacation far away”.
This is important because it is the part of the premise upon which the vocalist has reached out to the addressee, who is another romantic interest. But more to the point is that he is trying to seduce the lady whom he is singing to. In other words, Josie’s absence has rationalized him reaching out to this lady in his lonliness – if you want to call it so.
And from the looks of things, he really does love the addressee. Or another way of looking at it is that whereas his main goal is for her to “stay the night”, he uses some really-intimate language to try to bring this about. For instance he implies that he really does love her. Indeed he considers her to be the only one who stays by his side in times of need. Moreover the implication is that this is an ex-girlfriend as opposed to someone he is now becoming familiar with. And basically, what it seems he is doing is playing the sympathy card. That is he is expressing a genuine emotional dependency on her and to some extent even regret that they did not remain an item, all more or less to achieve the aforementioned goal.
Conclusion
In fact the general conclusion is that he’s just looking for a quick score, not a genuine reinstatement of a romance they may have once shared. But based on the lyrics such is arguable. For instance, maybe Josie isn’t returning at all, as in her “vacation far away” being an indication that she and the singer are not on good terms. So perhaps he really does love the addressee. But that doesn’t negate that, as of right now, what he desires the most is her “love tonight”.
Release Date of “Your Love”
The Outfield were initially known as “The Baseball Boys”. And shortly after they changed the name of their band to “The Outfield”, they released their first album titled “Play Deep“. And “Your Love” was released on February 14th, 1986 as the second official single from “Play Deep”.
Massive 80s Hit in America
“Your Love” climbed up to the top 10 songs on US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #6 in May of 1986. It went on to spend a total of about 22 weeks on the charts of Hot 100. Actually it went on to sell over 3 million copies in the United States alone.
Despite being a massive hit in the United States, the song did not really gain grounds in the UK, ranking at #83 on UK Singles chart.
It reached number 52 in Germany, number 37 in Canada and number 33 in Belgium.
Who wrote “Your Love”?
The song was one of the many written by the group’s guitarist, John Spinks who died in 2014, after suffering from liver cancer.
Covers
There have been several covers of the song, from various bands and artists, prominent amongst them are as follows:
- Wyclef Jean in 2004
- Morgan Page in 2013
- Midtown in 2005
- Ninja Sex party in 2016
- Katy Perry, who changed the title to “Use Your Love” in 2007
A Famous Cheating Song
Themed on the writer’s desire for a one-night stand with another girl, while his lover, “Josie” was away, “Your Love” is by far one of the most popular cheating songs ever released!
One of the most popular cheating songs ever? Does “Love the One You’re With” by CSN ring any bells?
Naming one other popular song on the topic doesn’t negate this one as one of the most popular in that category.
Is cheating a bad thing?
If you have to ask this then you’re already too far gone lol. But yes… cheating is bad lol.
I think he knows that Josie is cheating on him whiles she’s on “vacation” and that is why he feels down on the dumps and needs “emotional” support.
Yes also business vacation possibly but the premise is the same. Couples don’t tend to take separate vacations. Maybe he’s lonely even when Josie’s home and doesn’t want her to know that he knows she’s cheating. He wants to end it but he doesn’t want to seem as the cheater ?
Totally agree with you. I also think that he is in that rage and sadness of being left alone and misunderstood again. His first decision and wish is to find anyone just anyone maybe even a girl from his old connections. When left alone he almost cries and begs his new (or old) companion to stay with him, maybe at least for one night.
Allegedly a song was written by the guy on the album cover and presented to a mobile recording studio in a Canadian city at a song land contest in 1985, the equivilant of American idol today. The creator arrived with the lyrics and chord progressions, presented them to the producers and they recorded the song 1 take live in front of a live audience. Once they finished recording and and started talking there was a lady contestent/participant that made allegations the song was hers making reference to Josie and that she had brought the lyrics. The day ended with confusion and the mobile studio packed up and left town never to be heard from again. Really would like somebody with any knowledge or that may have been in attendance that day. Apparently it started raining as the show ended and the conflict began.
Your Love was written by John Spinks! As well as every single song that the Outfield ever sang. To say otherwise is sacrilegious.
I am a huge fan and have collected over 160 lyrics. All written by John.
I heard the lyrics and chord progressions were written by somebody else and the song’s instruments and original tracks were recorded in Canada at a song writing competition like songland or idol. The song was allegedly recorded live in front of an audience as the red light flashed to tell the audience they were recording. Supposedly a lady claimed she had written the lyrics after a young man that looks like the face on the album cover sang it, and the event never returned. Can anyone provide any details from 1985 in Canada Aug/Sept 1985 as a crowd of maybe 100 people left the venue in the rain that evening after waiting for the final contest results that never got announced. This was during the carnival fair called the Ottawa Exhibition at the Aberdeen pavilion where the local pop rock AM 1200 radio station MC’d the event. Any details or information would be appreciated fact finding.
Maybe the video girl knows something?
This seems like a college essay topic. If the author got an “A” on this paper, was the grade lowered/changed after the comments above were received? If any part of the above commentary is true, it is evidence that this essay topic was poorly researched. I’m pretty sure any surviving band members would be tickled to death to get a call from a college student doing a paper about the Outfield. Next time phone first before submitting a final draft?
It seems really unlikely that The Outfield would have participated in a songwriting contest in Canada in the fall of 1985, because a) they weren’t from Canada, they were English, b) they’d been signed with CBS/Columbia for over a year by then, c) this song in particular was already “in the can” having been recorded a couple of months prior and would appear on their debut album early in 1986. I don’t see any benefit to them in leaking their song early to some fly-by-night recording agency. The most likely possibility would seem to be that you’re conflating a song you heard once at an event with a song about a possibly similar subject that was wildly popular a few months later.
The subject of desire in this song is a little younger than he claims he likes. It has been noted in the past that perhaps this desire for her across is some lines of legality.
Perhaps it’s the most popular song on the subject of pedophilia of all time.
Not so sure of that. The lyrics state “you know i like my girls a little bit older” . Insinuating that josie his known girlfriend is of legal but younger than him age. The interest hes asking to come over is of more mature and experienced in age and issues hence “come over and talk it over” . He might not even have any sexual desire it might be he’s needing true companionship. Of which the younger girlfriend cant or wont give him .
It’s a cheating song. He wants to have a fling with this person while his girl is “away”. But, he tells the potential fling that he wants to keep it “under cover”. What a tool!
Josie is never actually referred to as the girlfriend, it’s only ever stated that she’s on a vacation far away.
i think the song is about 2 people who actually do love each other but cant be together because one is in a relationship and the line josi is far away is letting the other person know that they can spend time together yes it’s a cheating song but i do believe there is true feelings between the two of them
I always thought Josie was the girl’s boy friend, and he went on vacation, so he’s hitting on her. I reckon I was wrong all these years. Ain’t the first time. Thanks everyone
What DID you think? He was queer or something? It’s perfectly clear, Josie is the singers girlfriend and she went away, on “vacation” , for whatever reason. The guy isn’t queer so knock it off.
I thought the same thing.
You might be on to something. Everyone assumes Josie is a woman. Josie can be a man’s name. ( Clint Eastwood in the outlaw Josie wales for example)
He said on the way out don’t forget to close the door…pimp sh!t.
I always felt it was an ongoing affair the singer had with an older woman, maybe a teacher or friend of parents… like a Mrs. Robinson type thing. Basically- a lover they can’t quit and return to when the opportunity arises- even if it’s wrong.
Josie was a friend of the song writer’s mother. Though Spinks is credited in the lyrics, rhythm and chord progressions were written by a label contract drummer.
Definitely a cheating song. Having played in bands in bars for years, there would be girls who followed the band, and made it clear to the lead singer that she was down for a one night stand. The singer comes off as a dick by saying “Don’t forget what I told you” about keeping it under cover. That said, this song is a HUGE crowd pleaser. ALL the girls happily sing along saying “I just wanna use your love, tonight.”
Ok, Josie can be a guy’s name. He doesn’t have a lot of friends. Josie is far away. And he likes his girls a little he older.
The object of his affection is Josie’s mom.