David Gates (guitar, keyboards, bass and vocals) and Jimmy Griffin (guitar and vocals) formed the group in 1968, adding Robb Royer (guitar, bass and vocals of Pleasure Faire) before signing to Elektra Records. Bread, the band's debut album as a trio, was a failure. The band became a quartet beginning with their second album, On The Waters, bringing in Mike Botts as permanent drummer. This time their efforts quickly established Bread as a major act, hitting the mainstream with the #1 hit "Make It With You" in 1970. Bread began touring and recording the 1971 album titled Manna, which included their most enduring hit, "If."
Royer left the group after three albums to pursue other interests. He was replaced by Larry Knechtel (keyboards, bass, guitar, harmonica), a top session player from the Los Angeles scene. Knechtel's credits included records by Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, The Monkees, Jan and Dean, Johnny Rivers and Simon & Garfunkel. In 1972 Bread released the highly successful album titled Baby I'm-a Want You, followed by another hit album, Guitar Man. Tensions existed between Gates and Griffin, however. Elektra had been invariably choosing Gates' songs for the A-sides of the singles; Griffin felt that the singles should have been split between the two, however.
By 1973 the band members sensed that they had taken Bread as far as they could, so they disbanded. Gates and Griffin then began solo careers, with mixed results. After reuniting in 1976, Bread released the album Lost Without Your Love in January 1977. The title track was the band's last top-ten hit, peaking at number 9 on the singles chart. The comeback album was also RIAA-certified Goldยฎ.
2. Bread (Joe Kosnow) is a rapper from Portland, ME.
I Don't Love You
Bread Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just want you
If I don't have you never be the same
I don't love you, but girl you'd drive a man
Insane
I don't love you
But I need you
Every single minute you know is causing me
Great pain
I don't come from 'cross the RR tracks
I don't need no little body hangin' off my back
If you got plans for me
You'd better start singin' the blues.
The song I Don't Love You by Bread is a classic example of how love can be confusing and complicated. The lyrics are quite clear in that the singer is not in love with the woman in question, but he cannot seem to let go of her. He confesses that he just wants her, but if he doesn't have her, he will never be the same.
The singer seems to be going through a difficult time because this woman is causing him great pain, even though he claims that he doesn't love her. This paradoxical situation is quite common when people are in the throes of a relationship. They may not love the person, but they are addicted to the attention and the feeling of being wanted.
The final stanza of the song suggests that the singer is not interested in any long-term commitment with the woman. He is saying that he doesn't come from the wrong side of the tracks and that he doesn't need someone hanging off his back. In other words, he doesn't want to be burdened by any expectations or commitments, which is a common theme in many love songs.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't love you
I am not in love with you
I just want you
However, I want to be with you
If I don't have you never be the same
If I cannot have you, my life would never be the same again
I don't love you, but girl you'd drive a man
Though I don't love you, you have a charm that attracts a man deeply
Insane
Your charm drives a man crazy for you
I don't love you
I emphasize once more that I am not in love with you
But I need you
But I admit I need you in my life
I don't even want to know your name
I do not care about your name or your identity, for you are simply an object of my desire
Every single minute you know is causing me
However, every minute you spend with me causes me
Great pain
Great emotional pain, as we were not meant to be together
I don't come from 'cross the RR tracks
I was not raised in a poor neighborhood or background
I don't need no little body hangin' off my back
I do not have time for someone who will only cling to me, unable to stand on her own two feet
If you got plans for me
If you have certain expectations of me
You'd better start singin' the blues.
You will be disappointed, for my priorities do not include fulfilling anyone else's desires or expectations
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hunter Sullivan
on Lost Without Your Love
Lost and all alone
I always thought that I could make it on my own
But since you left I hardly make it through the day
My tears get in the way, and I need you back to stay
I wonder through the night
And search the world for the words to make it right
All I want is the way it used to be
With you here close to me
And I've got to make you see,
That I'm lost with out your love
Life without you isn't worth the trouble of
I'm as helpless as a ship without a wheel,
A touch without a feel
I can't believe its real
And someday soon I'll wake and find my heart won't have to break
Yes, I'm lost with out your love
Life without you isn't worth the trouble of
All I want is just the way it used to be
I need you here with me
Oh darling can't you see,
If we had love before we can have it back once more