Lowell George met Bill Payne when George was a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. Payne had auditioned for the Mothers, but had not joined. They formed Little Feat along with former Mothers' bassist Roy Estrada and drummer Richie Hayward from George's previous band, the Factory. The name of the band came from a comment made by Mothers' drummer Jimmy Carl Black about Lowell's "little feet." The spelling of "feat" was an homage to The Beatles.
Their first two albums received nearly universal critical acclaim, and "Willin'" became a standard, subsequently popularized by its inclusion on Linda Ronstadt's album Heart Like a Wheel.
While touring in support of his solo album in June 1979, at the age of 34, George collapsed in his hotel room in Arlington, Virginia. The surviving members finished and released the Little Feat album "Down on the Farm" before disbanding.
The surviving former members of Little Feat reformed in 1987 when Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton, Kenny Gradney, Richie Hayward and Bill Payne added songwriter/vocalist Craig Fuller, formerly from the band Pure Prairie League (who also provided some rhythm guitar), and Fred Tackett on guitar, mandolin and trumpet.
With a seemingly constant tour schedule, Little Feat is easily one of the hardest-working and enduring bands in the industry today. With a history that spans more than 30 years, Little Feat is regarded by many rock music critics as a "band's band", and as one of the greatest rock bands in American rock music history. Best known for their combination of California rock and Dixie-inflected funk-boogie, they craftily blend folk, blues, rockabilly, country and jazz to create a unique style all their own, garnering a faithful grass-roots following. Simply put, Little Feat's sound transcends traditional music boundaries and they offer fans an unforgettable live performance.
Richie Hayward became the second founding member of the band to die, passing from pneumonia and other complications of lung disease on August 18, 2010.
One Love Stand
Little Feat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a two way street for love
And I see no end to the dead end (dead end)
'Til you come back home
I tried everything to keep remembering
One good woman, one good man
Two shots of happiness in one life span
It takes a one good woman
Of having once lived by myself
And I've tried every kind of woman
I said woman, put my love out on the shelf
Took everything and left my ears ringing
One good woman, one good man
Two shots of happiness in one life span
It takes one good woman to make a one love stand
I feel at home in a foreign land
Know what's next when there's nothing planned
Talking about love (Talking about love)
You know it takes two
She took everything and left my ears ringing
One good woman - one
Two shots of happiness - two
It takes one good woman
To make a one love stand
One good woman
The lyrics of Little Feat's song "One Love Stand" describe a man's realization that he needs more than just temporary love and a lot of women to be happy. The song is about his search for one good woman who will be his partner in life and love. The singer of the song has been living a one man show on a two-way street of love, which has turned out to be a dead-end until he finds the right partner. Despite giving his love to many women, he cannot forget the feeling of being together with one good woman.
The memories of her are haunting him and reminding him of the good times he had before he went on his quest to find temporary love. The lyrics also touch on the idea that true happiness can only be found in a relationship where both partners are willing to commit and work together. The song is a beautiful ode to the power of love and the need for a partner in life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a one man show that I been runnin'
I have been single and alone for too long.
On a two way street for love
I have been looking for love in all the wrong places.
And I see no end to the dead end (dead end)
I feel like my search for love is pointless and never-ending.
'Til you come back home
I am hoping to find someone to be with for the rest of my life.
I tried everything to keep remembering
I have tried everything to move on from my past relationships.
One good woman, one good man
I am looking for the perfect partner who will complement me and make me complete.
Two shots of happiness in one life span
I want to experience happiness with someone and share a meaningful connection.
It takes a one good woman
A single woman who meets my requirements can make all the difference in my life.
The only thing that hurts is the memory
I feel pain whenever I remember past relationships that did not work out.
Of having once lived by myself
I am tired of living alone and want to find someone to share my life with.
And I've tried every kind of woman
I have been with different types of women, but none of them were the one for me.
I said woman, put my love out on the shelf
I have been hurt before and am hesitant to put my heart on the line for someone else again.
Took everything and left my ears ringing
I have been through tumultuous and traumatic relationships in the past.
One good woman, one good man
I am looking for someone to share my heart and life with.
Two shots of happiness in one life span
I want to share experiences of joy and happiness with my partner.
It takes one good woman to make a one love stand
I need to find the right woman who will make me want to commit wholeheartedly to a relationship.
I feel at home in a foreign land
I feel comfortable and at ease with the person I have finally found.
Know what's next when there's nothing planned
I feel secure and confident in our relationship and our future together.
Talking about love (Talking about love)
All I want to talk about is love and how important it is to a healthy relationship.
You know it takes two
A relationship cannot work without the mutual effort and commitment of both partners.
She took everything and left my ears ringing
My past relationships have left me feeling hurt and scarred.
One good woman - one
I only need one woman to be with for the rest of my life.
Two shots of happiness - two
I want to experience joy and contentment with my partner and share a life full of happy memories.
It takes one good woman
The right woman who meets my standards can make all the difference in my life.
To make a one love stand
I want to commit fully to a relationship with the right woman and make it last a lifetime.
One good woman
All I need is one woman to love and share my life with.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KENNETH R GRADNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tom Mitchell
A great Little Feat song to open up side 2 of the LP album with.
This song has all the elements that characterize the sound of Little Feat:
- clever lyrics
- signature Lowell slide guitar
- catchy Hayward drum beat
- great vocal harmonization
nyg1954
And funkiness galore.
Theo 80126
I truly believe that this was one of the best albums ever recorded. Was extremely fortunate to see them many times when I lived in Boston back in the day, including Lowell in his solo tour 6 days before his death. Gawd, I miss Lowell. Love this song, but Mercenary Territory is my fav on this album. Thanks for posting this gem.
nyg1954
long distance love ain't bad.
Ken Jones
Little Feat are one of those bands that last forever in your musical mind and once you’ve gone off and discovered other great bands you will ALWAYS come back to listen to Little Feat.
Charlotte_plays 123
My favourite Little Feat album.
Scott Jones
One of those classic Little Feat tunes. Great vocals and slide guitar work by Lowell George. The Last Record Album is one of their greatest pieces of work. Thank you Illegal for posting this.
Steve Roenigk
I respectfully disagree. Don't misunderstand me - I am and always have been a HUGE Little Feat fan. And yes, this LP was a truly great album. But sadly, it was the last hurrah for Lowell George. If you're one of those people (like me) who believe that Little Feat was Lowell Georges' band, then you realized that his erratic behavior was causing the other members to push him out of the band that he created. For my money, if you're a Little Feat purist (i.e. snob like me), then the first 3 albums represent the absolute pinnacle of Lowells' original vision for this band. Billy Payne and Paul Barreres' contributions notwithstanding, Little Feat was and always will be Lowell Georges' band. Just my humble opinion - your mileage may vary. R.I.P. Lowell.....
Joe Jennings
I agree.
Patrick Rowe
@Tom Thumb Lowell deserves the bulk of the credit for the Little Feat's distinctive, interesting and beautiful sound. I would argue that Dixie Chicken through Last Record Album were his greatest achievements because they represent his success as a band leader as well as a writer, singer and player. Those albums were the peak of the Little Feat sound and it was due to Lowell's ability to articulate his vision and to influence the rest of the band. The first two albums are outstanding and they showcase Lowell's writing but ultimately it was his talent as a leader and producer that made Little Feat such an influential band. But let's face it, they're all great albums.