By the late '50s Bonnie was recording on the Mar-Vel label with Fuzzy and his band, the Sun Valley Playboys. She cut a well-received duet album with Fuzzy, her sometime boyfriend, on Tally Records, which would later be re-released on Capitol Records as "Just Between the Two of Us." In 1961, Bonnie saw Haggard singing for the first time at a Lefty Frizzell concert. At the time, Haggard was just a few months out of San Quentin prison for breaking and entering. By 1964 Fuzzy was managing Haggard and suggested that Bonnie and Haggard re-record "Just Between the Two of Us." Taking Fuzzy's advice paid off; the song hit the top of the country charts but not for long. It was replaced by "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers," Haggard's breakthrough single.
In 1965 Haggard signed with Capitol Records, married Bonnie, and signed the Strangers (including Bonnie) with a booking agency owned in part by Buck. Bonnie's marriage to Haggard lasted until 1978, but the two had already separated in 1975. Eventually Bonnie resumed touring with the Strangers in the late '70s and remarried for the final time to Fred McMillenher. She continued to tour regularly with Haggard and the Strangers. While Bonnie released half a dozen albums and numerous singles on Capitol Records in the mid- to late '60s, she remained satisfied singing backup as a member of the Strangers.
A House Without Love Is Not a Home
Bonnie Owens Lyrics
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For years we both have lived on pride dear
[ Merle ]
And we agreed that love is gone
[ Bonnie ]
Why oh why do we keep trying
[ Both ]
A house without love is not a home
[ Merle ]
We slaved to gain a worthless treasure
[ Both ]
A house without love is not a home
No matter where our footsteps wander I know we'll both be all alone
[ Merle ]
With the pride that came between us
[ Both ]
A house without love is not a home
The simple things have gone forever...
Bonnie Owens's song "A House Without Love Is Not A Home" is a melancholic ballad that explores the painful reality of a failed relationship. The song is a duet between Bonnie Owens and Merle Haggard, two prominent musicians of the 1960s country music scene. The opening lines "For years we both have lived on pride dear, And we agreed that love is gone" sets the tone for the song, indicating that the couple had been living with one another for a while yet hadn't found happiness within themselves. The following lines "Why oh why do we keep trying, A house without love is not a home" explores the hopelessness the couple feel in trying to hold onto their relationship.
The line "The simple things have gone forever we wanted wealth to call our own, We slaved to gain a worthless treasure" suggests that the couple has made many material sacrifices that contributed to the deterioration of their relationship. The desire to be wealthy became their primary objective, and they forgot about the joy that the "simple things" in life could bring. They end up with nothing worth cherishing. The song's final lines, "No matter where our footsteps wander I know we'll both be all alone, With the pride that came between us, A house without love is not a home," suggests that their relationship has come to an end, and they will both continue to lead lonely lives tangled up in their pride.
Line by Line Meaning
For years we both have lived on pride dear
We have been sustaining ourselves emotionally through our own personal pride for many years now, my dear.
And we agreed that love is gone
We have both come to the realization that the love that was once present between us has vanished.
Why oh why do we keep trying
Despite this lack of love, we continue attempting to make things work between us and cannot understand why.
A house without love is not a home
Without love, a dwelling does not feel like a true home.
We slaved to gain a worthless treasure
We exerted great effort to attain a material wealth that has ultimately proven to be valueless.
No matter where our footsteps wander I know we'll both be all alone
As we journey through life, we will inevitably be isolated from one another wherever we go.
With the pride that came between us
The source of this emotional rift between us is our mutual pride, which acts as a barrier to intimacy.
A house without love is not a home
Once again, it is emphasized that true home requires love and emotional connection to exist.
The simple things have gone forever...
The uncomplicated, joyful aspects of our existence together have disappeared and cannot be recovered.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLIAMS, SR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind