“I’m a lover, and I know I’m gonna find another”
A few years ago I was telling a couple seasoned English teachers about my past relationships over a couple of pints of Guinness. I told them the story of one particular relationship, one that had left me shaken. Instead of the typical encouraging words you would expect, they said in near unison, “That’s the best thing that could have happened to you! You’re a writer!” and clinked their glasses with mine.
Experience makes a writer. And as taken aback by their words as I was, it makes perfect sense. I had written “I Didn’t Use All My Love On You” well before I had met them, and didn’t think much of it. It came as a pair with another song “The Only One I Need”, both written in the span of two weeks under very different amorous circumstances. The more that I’ve played it, however, the more I consider it one of my most honest songs. Since then, I’ve written new songs that channel that same feeling and memory, but this time in different characters and settings. Experience matters.
“I Didn’t Use All my Love on You” was written in a boozy haze in my parents garage, the place I went to wrestle with a pernicious spell of heartbreak. For a couple weeks I shut myself away, listened to my favorite artists, drank beers, and picked at my dad’s old Fender acoustic all night. One evening I angrily poured out everything I could into my journal. I read it back and circled the line “I still got love left”. From there came the line “I didn’t use all my love on you” and eventually the rest of the song. My grieving became productive.
At the time, I was living at my parents’ house, in grad school, and madly in love with a girl I had been dating for two years. I was halfway through my degree and feeling like I had everything figured out. But, as it turned out, I didn’t. Long distance either separates people or drives them closer together, and in my case, it unraveled quickly.
In the end, it all worked out. And for the better. Now, I’m getting ready to release “I Didn’t Use All My Love On You” as my first single. Those old English teachers were right were right after all.
Lyrics:
I always wanted to find someone like you
And for so long girl
I thought we would never lose
I was so sure that I did everything right
But you couldn’t keep the lies
So you cut the ties
But I still got love left
I thought you were the one but baby I ain’t done
I’m gonna hold my head up high
Don’t you cry too long when you see that you were wrong
I’m a lover and I know I’m gonna find another
Cause I didn’t use all my love on you
It’s late no dreams will come to me
So I stare at the dust around
Where your picture used to be
I’ll do my best to try to forget about
All the promises you made
when your love began to fade
But I still got love left
I thought you were the one but baby I ain’t done
I’m gonna hold my head up high
Don’t you cry too long when you see that you were wrong
I’m a lover and I know I’m gonna find another
Cause I didn’t use all my love on you
Still got love left baby I still love
But I still got love left
I thought you were the one but baby I ain’t done
I’m gonna hold my head up high
Don’t you cry too long when you see that you were wrong
I’m a lover and I know I’m gonna find another
Cause I didn’t use all my love on you