Song Information
Title: It’s Only Love
Artist: Jeannie Seely
Writer (Lyricist/Composer): Hank Cochran
Producer: Fred Foster
Album: The Seely Style (debut studio album)
Release Date: September 1966 (single release)
Genre: Country (emotional ballad)
Chart Performance: Peaked at #15 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart; spent 15 weeks on the chart
Song Content
“It’s Only Love” unfolds as a raw and heartfelt reflection on lingering heartbreak. Through evocative lyrics, the narrator reveals how memories of a past lover continue to haunt her—calling in the middle of the night, reminiscing, tears welling up even before hanging up the phone. Each verse paints a poignant picture of someone caught between letting go and holding on, encapsulated in the line, “Well, it’s only love, it’ll go away.”
Jeannie Seely’s soulful, emotive delivery brings those conflicted emotions to life. Her voice trembles just enough to convey vulnerability without collapsing under its own weight, capturing the very essence of a person who hasn’t yet learned to forget. The melody and arrangement—typical of Fred Foster’s production—allow Seely’s vocal to remain the emotional core, supported by tender instrumentation that underlines the quiet pain rather than overwhelming it. The song resonates with anyone who has ever reached out to a past love, hoping memories fade but knowing the heart doesn’t always obey the mind.
Explaining the Intriguing Theme
What lingers most in “It’s Only Love” is the paradox of denial wrapped in longing. The narrator insists it’s only love—as if repetition can convince herself as much as an audience. Yet the very act of calling late at night, the weeping before the phone drops, betrays that the wound remains fresh. It’s that stubborn ache, disguised in platitudes for self-protection, that gives the song its emotional pull.
Jeannie Seely’s performance deepens this tension. Her voice doesn’t clamour to be heard across a crowded room; instead, it trembles in quiet corners—like a secret wish she hopes won’t be discovered. That restraint is crucial. In declaring “it’ll go away,” the narrator isn’t commanding reality—she’s pleading. The tension between resignation and hope shines through, making the song feel lived-in rather than theatrical. It’s a testament to Hank Cochran’s songwriting that this emotional complexity is conveyed in so few words, and to Seely’s delivery that those words become a mirror for anyone who’s ever thought they’re over someone—only to realize some loves don’t vanish at will.
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Lyrics
If I don’t act myself when I’m around you
And I bring up things you used to say
Well, just I haven’t learned to forget like you do
But it’s only love, it’ll go away
And if I call at night when you’re sleeping
Just to talk about yesterday
Then before I hang up I start weeping
Well, it’s only love, it’ll go away
It’s only love, it’ll go away, at least that’s what you say
Yours did and mine will oh, some day
‘Cause it’s only love, it’ll go away
It’s only love, it’ll go away