Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough
Encyclopedia
"Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" is the title of a 1992 rock ballad (see 1992 in music
) performed as a duet
by the American
singers Patty Smyth
and Don Henley
.
" and "Goodbye To You
"; Henley is a longtime member of the band The Eagles (singing lead vocals on "Desperado
" and "Hotel California
", among many others) as well as a successful solo artist ("The Boys Of Summer
", "The End Of The Innocence
"). "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" was written by Smyth and Glen Burtnik
and would appear on her self-titled 1992 album.
chart in the fall of 1992 during the 13 week reign at #1 of Boyz II Men
's song, "End of the Road
". It remained in the Top 40 for 20 weeks. The duet also topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart
for four weeks. In Canada
, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" spent seven weeks at #1 on the Canadian pop chart
, while in England
, the song reached #22 on the British pop chart
. The song was also nominated for a Grammy Award
in the category Best Pop Vocal, Duo or Group
.
diva-actress Jennylyn Mercado
revived it as a carrier single of her third album "Love Is
". Singaporean
singer Stefanie Sun also covered the song for her fourth album, "START
".
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
) performed as a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singers Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth is an American rock and roll musician. She first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as lead singer of the band Scandal and later scored a solo #2 hit with her song "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"...
and Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
.
History
Smyth was the former lead singer for the band Scandal, whose hits included "The WarriorThe Warrior (song)
"The Warrior" is a song by pop/rock group Scandal, from the album of the same name. The song went to number one in Canada and number seven in the US, as well as number one on the Mainstream Rock chart in the US, in addition to winning a BMI Airplay Award in 1984.-In popular culture:*The song was...
" and "Goodbye To You
Goodbye to You (Scandal song)
"Goodbye to You" is a new wave single and song by the 1980s band Scandal.-Original release information:The song was written by band member Zack Smith. It appeared on Scandal's 1982 Scandal EP...
"; Henley is a longtime member of the band The Eagles (singing lead vocals on "Desperado
Desperado (song)
"Desperado" is a soft rock song by the Eagles, an American rock band, written by group members Glenn Frey and Don Henley. It first appeared on the 1973 album Desperado, and has later appeared on numerous compilation albums although it was not a single....
" and "Hotel California
Hotel California (song)
"Hotel California" is the title song from the Eagles' album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the album-oriented rock era. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey...
", among many others) as well as a successful solo artist ("The Boys Of Summer
The Boys of Summer (song)
"The Boys of Summer" is a song by Don Henley, with lyrics written by Henley and music composed by Henley and Mike Campbell, longtime guitarist for Tom Petty. It is the lead track and first single from Henley's 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song's music video won many awards...
", "The End Of The Innocence
The End of the Innocence (song)
"The End of the Innocence" is the lead single and title track from Don Henley's third solo studio album, The End of the Innocence, in 1989. The song was written by Bruce Hornsby, with lyrics added by Henley, and both perform the song live in their respective concerts...
"). "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" was written by Smyth and Glen Burtnik
Glen Burtnik
Glen Burtnik is a singer, songwriter, entertainer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a former member of Styx.The spelling of his name has changed a few times over the years .Burtnik appeared in the Broadway production of Beatlemania as Paul McCartney,...
and would appear on her self-titled 1992 album.
Meaning
The lyrics refer to a past relationship between two people as narrated by the two singers, and their efforts to move on with their respective lives and make sense of the aftermath: There's a reason why people don't stay where they are / Baby sometimes love just ain't enough. In the final chorus, there is a slight lyrical change to this line ("stay where they are" becomes "stay who they are").Reception
The single was very successful, being certified Gold by the RIAA and spending six weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in the fall of 1992 during the 13 week reign at #1 of Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
's song, "End of the Road
End of the Road
"End of the Road" is a 1992 Grammy Award-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross and Lionel...
". It remained in the Top 40 for 20 weeks. The duet also topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
for four weeks. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" spent seven weeks at #1 on the Canadian pop chart
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
, while in England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the song reached #22 on the British pop chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song was also nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the category Best Pop Vocal, Duo or Group
Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals was awarded between 1966 and 2011...
.
Peak positions
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 1 |
| Canada RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Top Singles |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
22 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 22 |
Cover versions
FilipinoPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
diva-actress Jennylyn Mercado
Jennylyn Mercado
Jennylyn Mercado is a Filipina actress, singer, songwriter and model. She was the winner of the first season of StarStruck, a reality-based talent search show of GMA Network in the Philippines...
revived it as a carrier single of her third album "Love Is
Love Is... (Jennylyn Mercado album)
Love Is... is the third solo album of StarStruck ultimate female survivor Jennylyn Mercado. It was released January 2010 under VIVA Records, making her 1st album under the recording company...
". Singaporean
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
singer Stefanie Sun also covered the song for her fourth album, "START
START (album)
Start is Singaporean Mandopop artist Stefanie Sun's first Mandarin and English studio cover album. It was released on 1 February 2002 by Warner Music Taiwan...
".