Okay, so I have a question for you: Do you enjoy the first signs of spring, when the nature wakes up, flowers and trees blossom and people around you start showing symptoms of spring fever?
I for one love it.
Whenever this time of the year comes along, I have one specific song I always return to, “Let Your Love Flow” by The Bellamy Brothers. It’s weird, I don’t really listen to this tune very often outside the spring season but I make up for that every May – this is when Finland starts warming up.
I first heard the track in the mid-eighties, driving down to Florida with my parents. As usual, my dad had the radio on and all of a sudden, this track began to play. I was floored. I still think it’s a killer tune with a melody that bewitches you somehow, places you under its spell. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of those tunes that’s impossible not to like. I love the acoustic guitars, effective keyboards, simple harmonies and the uplifting feel of the track. Written by Larry E. Williams and recorded by The Bellamy Brothers, this tune is a perfect example of how to craft a powerful pop song. In fact, if I was to give a lecture on that topic, “Let Your Love Flow” would definitely be played in class.
As quite a few classic tracks, this tune also has an interesting story. Its composer Larry E. Williams was a roadie for Neil Diamond’s live shows in the seventies. In between the heavy lifting and sleeping, Williams wrote “Let Your Love Flow” with Diamond in mind and offered it to the star to record. Neil never warmed up to the tune and due to his disinterest in it, the song got shopped around quite a lot, getting a large amount of refusals until one day, a demo of it ended up in the tape player of David Bellamy and the rest of course is history. “Let Your Love Flow” became a huge hit for The Bellamy Brothers reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Thanks to this track their career took off to new heights. Oddly enough, even though Neil Diamond turned the song down, his touring band nevertheless ended up playing on the record. Says David Bellamy:
The next day I went to Phil's office and listened to it. I then called Howard and said “'I’ve got to play you this song!'" We went back in with Neil's band - to the Wally Heider Recording Studio in Hollywood - and cut the song. We got the right key, the band hooked it right away and we probably didn’t do more than two or three takes on the whole session. It was the perfect song for us and became the key to our career.
However, success in the U.S. was just the beginning of the song’s success story. “Let Your Love Flow” went on to become a huge international hit, reaching top ten in no less than sixteen countries.
The thing about the lyrics of this track is their all-encompassing positivity. One look at them and you will remember what life at its best feels like. You will also remember that at it's very core, life is and will continue to be about love.
Just let your love flow
Like a mountain stream
And let your love grow
With the smallest of dreams
And let your love show
And you'll know what I mean
It's the season
Let your love fly
Like a bird on the wing
And let your love bind you
To all living things
And let your love shine
And you'll know what I mean,
That's the reason
Lately, I’ve learned that the only thing harder than remembering to be grateful for this wonderful thing called life is to let go of the people you love. If you are reading this and you’ve had a fight with your wife, husband, mom, dad or other significant person in your life, call them and tell them you love them. Trust me, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if your ego’s bruised or hurt. That’s just life. Oh and as you dial that number, upset and filled with anger, try to remember what my dad taught me a long time ago: Love is about giving, not taking. It sounds scary but if you ever give it a try, you won’t regret it. As I’m writing this, I’m sipping coffee on my patio, realizing that my father was always right about another thing as well: The only place a person is irreplaceable is home.
You can learn more about Bellamy Brothers here:
About the curator - Tommi Tikka
Tommi Tikka is a linguist, poet, professional songwriter, recording artist and a music aficionado. He started playing guitar when he was four and writing songs when he was six. Consequently, he doesn't remember a time when he wasn't playing or writing. It's fair to say, music and lyrics are not just something he loves to engage himself in. To him, they are a way of life.
You can check out his current band The Impersonators here:
And the music of his previous group Carmen Gray here: Spotify
