Love for Sale
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wish I knew
Why I'm so in love with you
No one else in this world will do
Darling please save your love for me

Run away
If I were wise I'd run away
But like a fool in love I stay
And pray you'll save your love for me

I can feel it
Even when you're not here
Can't conceal it
I really love you my dear
And though I know no good
Can come from loving you
I can't do a thing I'm so in love with you

So darling
Help me please
Have mercy on a fool like me
I know I'm lost but still I plead
Darling please save you love for me

You can have fun with the crowd




But for crying out loud
Darling please save your love for me

Overall Meaning

In the song "Love for Sale," Cannonball Adderley sings about the commodification of love in a way that's both sultry and cynical. He describes young, fresh love that's being sold to the highest bidder, only slightly soiled and ready for consumption. He challenges the listener, asking who will buy and who's prepared to pay the price for a trip to paradise.


Adderley also calls out the poets who write about love in a childish way, claiming that he knows every type of love better than they do. He's been through the mill of love and experienced it all - old love, new love, and every love but true love. And yet, love is still for sale, as if it's a commodity that can be bought and sold like any other.


In many ways, "Love for Sale" is a commentary on the nature of love and relationships in the modern world. It suggests that love has become something that can be purchased, rather than something that's freely given or earned. It's a cynical take on a subject that's often romanticized, and Adderley delivers it with his trademark blend of soulful swagger and biting social commentary.


Line by Line Meaning

Love for sale
Offering love in exchange for money


Appetizing young love for sale
Selling love that appears desirable and appealing to potential buyers


Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
Selling love that is new and not yet corrupted


Love that's only slightly soiled
Offering love that has been used before, but not significantly tainted


Who will buy? Come on now
Asking who is interested in purchasing love


Who would like to sample my supply?
Asking who wants to test and evaluate the quality of the love being sold


Who's prepared to pay the price?
Asking who is willing to pay the cost for love


For a trip to paradise?
Implying that buying love is equivalent to experiencing a heavenly experience


Let the poets pipe off love, in their childish way
Dismissing the romantic musings of poets as simplistic and naive compared to the true nature of buying and selling love


You know, I know every type of love, Better far than they
Claiming to have experienced all kinds of love, including those that the poets could not even imagine


If you want the thrill of love, I've been through the mill of love, Old love, new love, every love but true love
Promising buyers that they will experience the excitement of love, with the singer having gone through many experiences but never finding true love


Love for sale
Reiterating the main message of the song


Appetizing young, young love for sale
Emphasizing that young love is what is being sold


If you want to buy my wares, Follow me, climb the stairs
Directing potential buyers to follow the singer and proceed to where the love is sold


Love, love, love for sale
Repeating the main message in a rhythmic and catchy manner


Love, love, love for sale
Continuing the repetition to emphasize the central theme of the song


Love, love, love for sale
Reinforcing the message one more time




Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: BUDDY JOHNSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Luxgoods

One of the greatest albums ever created...coming from a metalhead!

Silly Pickle

Same!!

Ad supermusone

For sure is amoung the top, along with Kind of Blue

R2 D2

Ce disque - il y a bien longtemps - m’a fait aimer le jazz.
Respect aux musiciens qui jouaient pour la musique par pour eux

Ray Carroll

Love for Sale is one my favorite compositions. It has an unusual form. Adderley blows through the changes as effortlessly as a knife slicing butter.

pretorious700

my favorite version of this song-Miles and Cannon just have so much feeling.

bill parsons

One of my favorite Cannonball lines: the bridge of his second chorus (4:25).

bob gould

It's nothing less than pure exuberance distiled into music!

Bueckert Speed and Chassisworks

really broke out the thesaurus for that one

Jasper Chance

Hank Jones was known as the Rolls Royce of Piano players, the introduction states it well.

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