Love Ain't for Keeping
Encyclopedia
"Love Ain't for Keeping" is a song written by Pete Townshend
and originally released by The Who
on their 1971 album Who's Next
.
with Kit Lambert
producing, was more of a hard rock
song. This version included electric guitar
s and synthesizer
s, but these were excluded from the version of the song on Who's Next. The hard rock version of "Love Ain't for Keeping" was used as the concert opener for Who live shows for a period.
"Love Ain't for Keeping" was originally conceived as part of Townshend's abandoned Lifehouse project. It has been described as "a blues
-tinged country love song." The lyrics project optimism and contentment and the themes of the song include the peaceful joy of physical love, the power of nature and the need to live for the moment, indeed to share love rather than "keep" it. The lyrics include:
The song has a bouncy tempo. The instrumentation of "Love Ain't for Keeping" is dominated by multitracked
acoustic guitar
s, played by Townshend,, including an acoustic guitar solo. Keith Moon
's drumming is more restrained than usual. Moon plays a Ludwig
drum kit on this song, rather than his usual Premier
kit. John Entwhistle's bass playing is also relatively restrained. It is one of the few songs on Who's Next not to use synthesizer
s. Allmusic critic Tom Maginnis describes Roger Daltry's vocal as using a "clear, soaring voice," and singing sweetly for the line "Lay down beside me/Love ain't for keeping." Sputnik Music's review notes that Daltry's voice is "voice is much lighter and heartier" than on earlier songs on the album. "Love Ain't for Keeping" segue
s into the following song on Who's Next, "My Wife
."
album. Townshend included a version of the song on his solo album The Lifehouse Chronicles
. Milton Mapes covered the song on the 2004 album Who and Who.
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
and originally released by The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
on their 1971 album Who's Next
Who's Next
Who's Next is the fifth studio album by English rock band The Who, released in August 1971. The album has origins in a rock opera conceived by Pete Townshend called Lifehouse. The ambitious, complex project did not come to fruition at the time and instead, many of the songs written for the project...
.
Music and lyrics
At two minutes and ten seconds, "Love Ain't for Keeping" is the shortest song on Who's Next. It is also one of the lightest songs on the album. However, a demo version of the song, recorded in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with Kit Lambert
Kit Lambert
Christopher "Kit" Sebastian Lambert was a record producer and the manager for The Who.-Early life:Kit Lambert was the son of noted composer, Constant Lambert...
producing, was more of a hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
song. This version included electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, but these were excluded from the version of the song on Who's Next. The hard rock version of "Love Ain't for Keeping" was used as the concert opener for Who live shows for a period.
"Love Ain't for Keeping" was originally conceived as part of Townshend's abandoned Lifehouse project. It has been described as "a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
-tinged country love song." The lyrics project optimism and contentment and the themes of the song include the peaceful joy of physical love, the power of nature and the need to live for the moment, indeed to share love rather than "keep" it. The lyrics include:
- Rain is coming down
- But I know the clouds will pass
- You bring me tea
- Say the babe's a-sleepin'
- Lay down beside me
- Love ain't for keeping.
The song has a bouncy tempo. The instrumentation of "Love Ain't for Keeping" is dominated by multitracked
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s, played by Townshend,, including an acoustic guitar solo. Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
's drumming is more restrained than usual. Moon plays a Ludwig
Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
drum kit on this song, rather than his usual Premier
Premier Percussion
Premier Percussion Limited is an English manufacturer of drums and percussion instruments.The company was founded in 1922 as the Premier Drum Company by London drummer Albert Della Porta and drum builder George Smith...
kit. John Entwhistle's bass playing is also relatively restrained. It is one of the few songs on Who's Next not to use synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s. Allmusic critic Tom Maginnis describes Roger Daltry's vocal as using a "clear, soaring voice," and singing sweetly for the line "Lay down beside me/Love ain't for keeping." Sputnik Music's review notes that Daltry's voice is "voice is much lighter and heartier" than on earlier songs on the album. "Love Ain't for Keeping" segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
s into the following song on Who's Next, "My Wife
My Wife
"My Wife" is a song by British rock band The Who, written by bassist John Entwistle. It was originally released in 1971 on Who's Next, and later as the b-side of the popular single "Baba O'Riley" on November 6, 1971 in the United States by Decca Records....
."
Critical reception
Rolling Stone Magazine described "Love Ain't for Keeping" as "faintly pretty but negligible." Sputnik Music complains that the song is "too short and could’ve opened up into a great song if they had worked on it a bit more," but goes on to remark that "it’s still okay while it lasts."Other versions
A version of "Love Ain't for Keeping" appeared on the 1998 reissue of The Who's Odds and SodsOdds and Sods
Odds & Sods is an album that consists of studio outtakes and rarities by British rock band The Who released by Track Records in the UK and Track/MCA in the US in 1974....
album. Townshend included a version of the song on his solo album The Lifehouse Chronicles
The Lifehouse Chronicles
Lifehouse Chronicles is a box set released in 2000 by Pete Townshend with the focus on the box being the formerly "abandoned" Lifehouse rock opera. The set contains song demos by Pete Townshend; including solo versions of "Baba O'Riley", "Won't Get Fooled Again", and "Who Are You", and the...
. Milton Mapes covered the song on the 2004 album Who and Who.