Chris Smithers song "Love you like a man" from Smithers first album has been famously covered by Bonnie Raitt who has made it a signature song of hers under the title "Love me like a man" (published on her second Album "Give it up")- she has openly expressed admiration for Chris Smithers songwriting and guitarplaying. Later Raitt's version of the song has been covered by The Dixie Chicks and Diana Krall.
The protagonist of Linda Barnes's series of "Carlotta Carlyle" mysteries is a fan of Smither's music and several of her books mention it.
Intro to No Love Today
Chris Smither Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I was heartbroke for the first time,
I was drowning in my tears,
I went looking for a lifeline,
Trying to find some comfort,
A simple tender touch,
Searching for some little cure
That would not cost too much,
I could hear that farmer singing,
As I cried myself to sleep
I got ba-na-na, watermelon, peaches by the pound,
Sweet corn, mirleton, mo' better than in town,
I got okra, enough to choke ya,
Beans of every kind,
If hungry is what's eatin' you
I'll sell you peace of mind,
But this ain't what you came to hear me say,
And I hate to disappoint you,
But I got no love today,
I got no love today,
I got no love today,
No love today
I could not love to save myself
From lonesome desperation.
Everything I thought was love
Was worthless imitation.
My concept of commitment
Was to take all you could give,
I thought the cheapest thrills I loved
Were teachin' me to live,
But nothin' seemed to last or see me through
Nothin' but that little song
That I still sing for you.
I got ba-na-na, watermelon, peaches by the pound,
Sweet corn, mirleton, mo' better than in town,
I got okra, enough to choke ya,
Beans of every kind,
If hungry is what's eatin' you
I'll sell you peace of mind,
But this ain't what you came to hear me say,
And I hate to disappoint you,
But I got no love today,
I got no love today,
I got no love today,
No love today
No love today, none tomorrow,
Not now, not forever.
You can't see what comes for free,
I think you much too clever,
For your own good I will tell you
What's right before your eyes,
Intelligence is no defense
Against what this implies,
In the end no one will sell you what you need,
You can't buy it off the shelf,
You got to grow it from the seed,
I got ba-na-na, watermelon, peaches by the pound,
Sweet corn, mirleton, mo' better than in town,
I got okra, enough to choke ya,
Beans of every kind,
If hungry is what's eatin' you
I'll sell you peace of mind,
But this ain't what you came to hear me say,
And I hate to disappoint you,
But I got no love today,
I got no love today,
I got no love today,
No love today
Chris Smither's "No Love Today" is an ode to heartbreak and the search for a cure. In the opening verse, Smither explains that he, like many others, replaced genuine love with cheap thrills, and that he struggled to find something that could fill the void left by heartbreak. As he describes his search for solace, he hears a farmer selling produce on the street, which helps him cry himself to sleep. Smither knows that his listeners did not come to hear him sing about produce, but he wants to make it clear that he has "no love today."
The lyrics in the chorus repeat this refrain, emphasizing the emptiness that Smither feels. Following the repeated chorus, Smither offers some words of wisdom to his listeners, suggesting that they grow love from the seed, rather than searching for it in all the wrong places. The song ends with the chorus repeated once more, emphasizing the fact that Smither has no love to give today, tomorrow, or forever.
Interestingly, "No Love Today" was included in the 2002 film "Human Nature," and has been covered by several artists. It was also used in a 2009 episode of "Californication." In addition to its appearances in popular media, "No Love Today" has received critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone magazine naming it one of Smither's best songs. Smither has said that he wrote the song when he was living in England, and that it is about a "particular heartbreak." "No Love Today" has become one of Smither's most iconic songs and an anthem for those who have struggled with heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know much, when I knew less,
I lacked knowledge when I was younger and had less experience.
And I was heartbroke for the first time,
I experienced heartbreak for the first time.
I was drowning in my tears,
I was overwhelmed with sadness.
I went looking for a lifeline,
I searched for something to help me through my difficult time.
Trying to find some comfort,
I sought out comfort.
A simple tender touch,
I desired physical affection.
Searching for some little cure
I was looking for a solution to my problems.
That would not cost too much,
I wanted a solution that didn't require a lot of money.
And I could hear that produce wagon on the street,
I could hear the sounds of everyday life happening around me.
I could hear that farmer singing,
I could hear the farmer making a sale and promoting his goods.
As I cried myself to sleep
I fell asleep while still upset and crying.
I could not love to save myself
I was unable to love and connect with others, even to save myself.
From lonesome desperation.
I was feeling lonely and desperate for love and connection.
Everything I thought was love
My previous understanding of love was flawed.
Was worthless imitation.
My understanding of love was superficial and not genuine.
My concept of commitment
My understanding of what commitment meant to me.
Was to take all you could give,
I believed that commitment meant taking everything a person could offer.
I thought the cheapest thrills I loved
I believed that the things that gave me pleasure were cheap and easy to find.
Were teachin' me to live,
I thought that these pleasures were teaching me how to live life.
But nothin' seemed to last or see me through
I found that these pleasures were not lasting or helping me through my struggles.
Nothin' but that little song
The only thing that seemed to help me through my troubles was a certain song.
That I still sing for you.
I still sing that song today.
No love today, none tomorrow,
I currently do not feel love, and do not expect to in the future.
Not now, not forever.
My current state of not feeling love is not permanent.
You can't see what comes for free,
You can't always see or appreciate the things that come easily in life.
I think you much too clever,
I believe you are too smart for your own good and might miss things that are obvious.
For your own good I will tell you
I will give you advice for your benefit.
What's right before your eyes,
There is something obvious that you might be missing.
Intelligence is no defense
Being smart doesn't always guarantee success or happiness.
Against what this implies,
Against the fact that the obvious thing is what you need.
In the end no one will sell you what you need,
You will not be able to buy or find what you really need in life.
You can't buy it off the shelf,
What you need can't be bought and isn't easily accessible.
You got to grow it from the seed,
You need to cultivate what you need from scratch.
But this ain't what you came to hear me say,
I know this isn't what you want to hear.
And I hate to disappoint you,
I don't want to let you down.
But I got no love today,
However, I am currently feeling unloving.
I got no love today,
I still don't have love.
I got no love today,
And I probably won't have love tomorrow.
No love today
I am not feeling love at this time.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: CHRIS SMITHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind