Though Ketchum first began recording in the mid-1980s, not until his 1991 record deal with Curb Records did he have a major hit with the album Past The Point Of Rescue. The title cut to the album was a Top 3 single, and other singles that met similar success included "Small Town Saturday Night" and "Sure Love".
In 1994 Ketchum toured Britain, issuing the single "Past The Point Of Rescue" on that side of the Atlantic. Though the single failed to make the UK Top 100 pop charts, it received extensive airplay on country radio. The album Every Little Word (of which the UK release featured a bonus disc of past US hits including "Past The Point...") made the Top 40 on the UK country charts and also did the same back in the US.
Ketchum continued to record and release new material. His final US releases were Father Time in 2008, and I'm the Troubadour in 2014.
His film credits included appearing in the 1988 film Heartbreak Hotel and a small role in the 1994 film Maverick.
I Know Where Love Lives
Hal Ketchum Lyrics
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Got no satin sheets, got no servant's bell
Ain't in Bel Air on some big old yacht
Ain't in a beach house on Montserrat
There's a house on the edge of town
It's a little old, it's a little run down
Full of laughter and tears and toys
[Chorus]
I know where love lives
I know where love lives
She's sitting on the back step in the evening air
With sea green eyes and her chestnut hair
You keep your mansions of gold, buddy,
I don't care
Cause I know where love lives
You keep all that your fortune brings
All your fancy words, all your precious things
No matter what all your money buys
It's in the arms of love
That true treasure lies
[Chorus]
I know where love lives
Keep your mansions of gold
Keep your mansions of gold
In Hal Ketchum’s song “I Know Where Love Lives,” the singer conveys the idea that love is not something bought by grandeur or opulence but can be found in simple things like a humble little old house on the edge of town. Love is not something found in grand hotels, big yachts or mansions of gold, but rather something that only love can enjoy which is laughter, tears, and enjoying crazy things together. The chorus further emphasizes this by stating that he knows where love lives, and it’s not in the material things that usually come to mind when thinking of riches. The song creates an image of a peaceful and serene atmosphere where love is the only valuable possession in the world.
The song also speaks about how money cannot buy true love and that no matter what luxury it can afford, it cannot replace the arms of love. The use of a female pronoun in the chorus shows the singer's contentment with what he has found and that he does not need mansions of gold or any material wealth as long as he has love in his life. The song conveys that the love found in the little old house on the edge of town, in the evening air with sea green eyes and chestnut hair, is the truest and purest treasure that one could ever find.
Line by Line Meaning
Love don't hang out in a grand hotel
Love doesn't reside in luxurious places
Got no satin sheets, got no servant's bell
It's not associated with materialistic or aristocratic belongings
Ain't in Bel Air on some big old yacht
Love doesn't exist in high-end locations, like luxury Yachts in Bel Air
Ain't in a beach house on Montserrat
It's not available in beach houses on Montserrat either
There's a house on the edge of town
Love is present in modest households situated at the outskirts of cities
It's a little old, it's a little run down
The houses that breed love are not necessarily grand or well-maintained
Full of laughter and tears and toys
The homes with love are a mess of joy, sorrow, and kid's toys.
Crazy things only love enjoys
Love thrives on things that only make sense when you're in love
I know where love lives
The artist knows where love resides
She's sitting on the back step in the evening air
The woman who captures the singer's love is sitting at the back door, enjoying the cool evening breeze
With sea green eyes and her chestnut hair
She has striking emerald-green eyes and chestnut-colored hair
You keep your mansions of gold, buddy,
The composer asks his friend to keep his wealth and riches
I don't care
The singer isn't interested in materialistic things that money can buy
Cause I know where love lives
The singer knows where to find genuine love even if it's not glamorous
You keep all that your fortune brings
The composer suggests that wealth doesn't necessarily bring love, but it comes with its baggage
All your fancy words, all your precious things
Rather than being swayed by extravagance, the singer prefers simple but genuine expressions of love
No matter what all your money buys
The gifts that money can buy miss the mark when it comes to matters of love
It's in the arms of love That true treasure lies
His point being love is the only possession that truly matters and not physical wealth.
Keep your mansions of gold
A repetition of the composer's preference for love over materialistic wealth.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HAL KETCHUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind