The band started as an acoustic blues trio in the mid 1960s with singer and guitarist J. Geils (born February 20, 1946; died April 10, 2017), bassist Danny Klein (Dr. Funk) and harpist Richard Salwitz (stage name Magic Dick). The band formed under the name Snoopy and the Sopwith Camels while Geils was attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute for a couple of semesters. In 1967 the band switched focus, starting to play electric guitar and bass and recruiting drummer Stephen Jo Bladd and fast-talking ex-disc jockey singer Peter Wolf, born Peter Blankenfeld, both from Boston. The following year Seth Justman joined as an organist, and the group signed to Atlantic Records in 1970.
The J. Geils Band first received FM radio airplay with the live single "First I Look at the Purse", then had several hit singles in the 1970s, the most successful of which was "Must Of Got Lost" (1974). Later in the 1970s, the band signed with EMI America Records.
The band had good success covering soul singles. Besides the well-known aforementioned "First I Look at the Purse" from The Contours, they covered the more obscure "I Do" from The Marvelows and "Ain't Nothing But a House Party" from The Showstoppers.
The group's commercial fortunes improved in the early 1980s, first with the humorous "Love Stinks", then with their great success with the Freeze Frame album which included "Centerfold" (#1 for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100) and then the title cut (#4). Wolf left the group in 1983 for a solo career not long after, over disagreements about whether to continue to take the band in more of a popular direction, or continue with the purist tradition.
The band went on to record one more album of new material, You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd, after Wolf left. He was not replaced, and Seth Justman took over most of the vocal duties. The album produced only one single - "Concealed Weapons", a song about breasts - and was not a success. The band toured in support of the album, but never again recorded anything new. The group then disbanded in 1985 after contributing the title song to the 1985 horror film Fright Night.
The group was not reunited with Wolf until 1999, and subsequently broke up again when ticket sales proved extremely disappointing. Wolf continues to tour with his own backup band, and the rest of the Geils band makes occasional appearances. Since the semi-retirement of the band, Geils has been restoring sports cars in Massachusetts.
On 22 May 2006, the six original members had a surprise reunion, the first time they had all played together in over 20 years, at bassist Danny Klein's 60th birthday party at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston.
Since 2009 they are reunited once more.
The band disbanded in 2017 after the death of bandleader J. Geils.
Love Stinks
The J. Geils Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But she loves him
And he loves somebody else
You just can't win
And so it goes
Till the day you die
This thing they call love
I've had the blues
The reds and the pinks
One thing for sure
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
Two by two and side by side
Love's gonna find you yes it is
You just can't hide
You'll hear it call
Your heart will fall
Then love will fly
It's gonna soar
I don't care for any Casanova thing
All I can say is
Love stinks
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
I've been through diamonds
I've been through minks
I've been through it all
Love stinks
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, I mean it stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, love stinks
The J. Geils Band's song "Love Stinks" is the ultimate heartbreak anthem. The first few lines of this song describe unrequited love where the singer is in love with someone who is in love with someone else. The pain of love not being reciprocated is captured in the line "You just can't win". The song continues with the idea that this thing called love is going to make you cry until your last breath, creating a feeling of despair and desperation throughout.
The chorus of the song repeatedly declares that love stinks, emphasizing the frustration and disappointment that comes along with it. The song further explains how love affects people through metaphors about different colors like blue, red and pink, each representing the different emotions that come with different phases of love. The idea that love is inevitable is also explored throughout the song, where it is emphasized that love will find you no matter how much you try to hide or resist it.
Overall, Love Stinks is a powerful, relatable and timeless song that captures the angst and heartbreak associated with love.
Line by Line Meaning
You love her
You have feelings of love for a woman
But she loves him
The woman you love has romantic feelings for someone else
And he loves somebody else
The man that the woman you love is in love with is also in love with someone else
You just can't win
You are in a situation where there is no way you can come out on top
And so it goes
This is the typical pattern of love affairs
Till the day you die
This pattern will continue throughout your life
This thing they call love
The experience of romantic love
It's gonna make you cry
It will bring you sadness and pain
I've had the blues
I have experienced sadness and depression
The reds and the pinks
I have experienced both passion and tenderness in love
One thing for sure
One thing that is certain
(Love stinks)
The experience of love is unpleasant or undesirable
Love stinks yeah yeah
The experience of love causes suffering and heartbreak
Two by two and side by side
People in romantic relationships
Love's gonna find you yes it is
Romantic love is inevitable
You just can't hide
You cannot avoid or escape love
You'll hear it call
You will feel a strong attraction to someone
Your heart will fall
You will fall in love with someone
Then love will fly
Love can come and go quickly
It's gonna soar
Love can be intense and exhilarating
I don't care for any Casanova thing
I am not interested in seducing or pursuing many partners
All I can say is
What I can tell you is
Love stinks
The experience of love is unpleasant or undesirable
I've been through diamonds
I have had experiences of great wealth and luxury
I've been through minks
I have experienced the finest things in life
I've been through it all
I have had a wide range of experiences in life
Love stinks, love stinks yeah yeah
The experience of love is undesirable and painful
Love stinks, I mean it stinks yeah yeah
The experience of love is truly unpleasant
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER WOLF, SETH JUSTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve Parris
You love her
But she loves him
And he loves somebody else
You just can't win
And so it goes
Till the day you die
This thing they call love
It's gonna make you cry
I've had the blues
The reds and the pinks
One thing for sure
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
Two by two and side by side
Love's gonna find you yes it is
You just can't hide
You'll hear it call
Your heart will fall
Then love will fly
It's gonna soar
I don't care for any Casanova thing
All I can say is
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
I've been through diamonds
I've been through minks
I've been through it all
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks...
Christina Pennington
Lyrics Enjoy
You love her
But she loves him
And he loves somebody else
You just can't win
And so it goes
'Til the day you die
This thing they call love
It's gonna make you cry
I've had the blues
The reds and the pinks
One thing for sure
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
Two by two, and side by side
Love's gonna find you, yes, it is
You just can't hide
You'll hear it call
Your heart will fall
Then love will fly
It's gonna soar
I don't care for any casanova thing
All I can say is
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
I've been through diamonds
I've been through minks
I've been through it all
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
Love stinks
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks (love stinks), yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks (love stinks), yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks (love stinks), yeah, yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks (love stinks)
Glyn
What a great song to play at a wedding reception.
GooL_Shadow
Hah I laughed at this good reference I love wedding singer 😂😂
Amanda Remillard
Anyone who likes Adam Sandler totally rocks!
Kevin Knight
Some learn too late,they have to run the gauntlet the first 2 years when they start getting bored.
Kevin Knight
Ask yourself this how many times can you eat steak,before you get bored?and want something different once and a while.
Nicholas McNamara
the waiting room at a divorce lawyers office
billy barkly
RIP J. Geils. Your music will never be forgotten.
chrysta rietze
I used to sing this song to my daughter when she was small and when she heard it on the radio a few years later she was stunned because she honestly thought I made it up😂
jj mars
Back during a time when music videos were very simple.
Clyde W Phillips Jr
Yee doggies AND kittehs~!