In their early years, Whitesnake played in a hard-edged blues rock and heavy metal influenced style. By the mid-80s, the band had moved towards a more commercially friendly arena rock and pop metal ethos, garnering them major hits such as "Love Ain't No Stranger", "Now You're Gone", "Slide It In", "Still of the Night", and the iconic tune "Here I Go Again" (arguably their 'signature song'). They were named the 85th greatest hard rock band of all time by VH1.
Whitesnake were active primarily in the 80s, but they still tour, albeit with an entirely new line-up (bar Coverdale), to this day. Some of the most famous musicians who have joined the band for a time include Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray, Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Rudy Sarzo, John Sykes, Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell, Tommy Aldridge, and Steve Vai.
The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple. This is not only because three past members of the band were once in Deep Purple but also because of their sound and influences. Later, the band took on a sound more in line with the hair metal style popular in the mid to late 80s, but they never truly left their heavy, blues rock roots behind
Formed in 1978 by David Coverdale after leaving Deep Purple, Whitesnake were originally a straightforwards heavy rock group with Jon Lord and Ian Paice from Deep Purple in the band. Despite a few album releases and constant touring, Whitesnake was unable to attain any significant commercial success in America, though becoming popular in the U.K., Europe, and Japan. Their critical reviews as well for their albums were somewhat mixed.
After acquaintance with Chris Cuttler, Fred Frith and most importantly, young guitarist John Sykes, David Coverdale decided to turn to a slicker, more commercially viable sound. Whitesnake made their first major splash in the States in 1984 with the album 'Slide It In', featuring the self-titled single as well as rock tracks "Slow An' Easy" and "Love Ain't No Stranger". All three of them gained major airplay and were eaten up by fans. Sykes was not involved in any of the song writing for 'Slide It In', though re-did some of Micky Moody's guitar work in the American remastering of the U.K. version of the album.
Three years later, thanks to radio-friendly, Zeppelin-ish songwriting and MTV friendly Tawny Kitaen's automobile acrobatics, Whitesnake became superstars with the album 'Whitesnake' (titled '1987' in Europe, and 'Serpens Albus' in Japan). Containing the U.S. smash hits "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love", "Still of the Night" and others, the album eventually sold over 10 million copies. Coverdale replaced the entire band for the subsequent tour, ditching Sykes for guitarists Adrian Vandenberg and Vivian Campbell. Also joining the band at this point were bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge.
Campbell left shortly after the tour (going on to replace Steve Clark in Def Leppard. Vandenberg, despite penning most of the material on the follow-up album, was unable to record due to a freak wrist injury. Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai was brought in to record all of the guitar parts for Slip of the Tongue, which was released in the spring of 1989. Despite going platinum, the album did not reach the stratospheric heights of Whitesnake (entitled 1987 in Europe, and Serpens Albus in Japan). With a divorce looming, and the alternative 'grunge' movement threatening to destroy the melodic rock movement, Coverdale dissolved Whitesnake.
In the late 90s, David Coverdale and Adrian Vandenberg finally recorded together again. Initially intended to be a Coverdale solo effort, the Whitesnake name was eventually attached (much like the Tony Iommi/Black Sabbath projects of the late 80s). The resulting products were a new studio album entitled Restless Heart, and the live acoustic set, Starkers In Tokyo.
In the early 2000's Coverdale relaunched Whitesnake fully with an entirely new lineup centred around guitarists Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich (previously of Winger and Lion/Dio). This Whitesnake embarked on tours across the globe, releasing the "Live In the Still of the Night" DVD and "Live... In the Shadow of the Blues" on CD in 2006. A new studio album, "Good to be Bad", was released in 2008 reaching the top 10 in the UK album charts.
Over the last few years Coverdale has been involved in a remastering project which has seen all albums from 1978's Trouble, to 1989's Slip of the Tongue reissued with bonus material.
Whitesnake released Forevermore, on March 25, 2011 in Europe, and on the 29th in North America. They have released a number of scheduled 2011 tour dates on their website, with six scheduled UK tour dates and other European dates. In February 2011, Whitesnake was announced as one of the headliners to play the annual Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, on Memorial Day weekend. A digital single for the song 'Love Will Set You Free' was released, along with a video for the song, on February 21.
The album Forevermore was released as a special edition 'Snakepack' through Classic Rock magazine on 25 March, a full 3 weeks before its commercial release. The fan pack includes the full, official new album Forevermore, a 132-page magazine, poster and pin badge. On 20 March 2011, Whitesnake announced that Brian Ruedy would play keyboards on the Forevermore World Tour.
The album did not chart highly upon its official release in the UK (number 33, possibly due to the copies released as part of the aforementioned Classic Rock Snakepack, which are not eligible for the charts). It did, however, show signs of Whitesnake's slow rebuild of support in the US with the album charting at number 49 - the band's highest charting album since the 80s.
Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach are Whitesnake longest standing guitar players, both being in the band 10 years by 2012.
Whitesnake are set to embark on their farewell tour in May 2022, beginning in the UK and Ireland with Foreigner and Europe. In July 2021, the group announced the addition of multi-instrumentalist Dino Jelusick to their ranks, turning Whitesnake into a septet for the first time. Later that November, Michael Devin parted ways with the band. He was replaced by Tanya O'Callaghan, marking the first female musician to join the band.
Website: http://www.whitesnake.com/
Love Ain't No Stranger
Whitesnake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ask my friends, but, nobody knows
Who am I to believe in love,
Oh, love ain't no stranger
I looked around an' what did I see
Broken hearted people staring at me,
All searching 'cause they still believe,
I was alone an' I needed love
So much I sacrificed all I was dreaming of,
I heard no warning, but, a heart can tell
I'd feel the emptiness of love I know so well
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love, no, no, no
Can't hold the passion of a soul in need,
I look for mercy when my heart begins to bleed
I know good loving an' I'm a friend of pain,
But, when I read between the lines it's all the same
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love
So who knows where the cold wind blows,
I ask my friends, but, nobody knows
Who am I to believe in love,
Lord, have mercy,
Love ain't no stranger,
I was alone an' I needed love
So much I sacrificed all I was dreaming of,
Can't hold the passion of a soul in need,
I look for mercy when my heart begins to bleed
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love
Love ain't no stranger,
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
The lyrics of Whitesnake's "Love Ain't No Stranger" speak of a search for love and the pain of love lost. The singer expresses his confusion and uncertainty in matters of love, asking where the cold wind blows and searching for answers among his friends. He reflects on the broken-hearted people he sees around him who are still searching for love, despite their pain. Despite this uncertainty, the singer is resolute in his belief that love is not a stranger to him. He acknowledges the difficulty of holding onto a passion that is so desperately needed, but takes comfort in the fact that his experience with love, both good and bad, makes him no stranger to it.
The song's message is that love is a powerful force, capable of bringing great joy and great pain. The singer acknowledges that he has experienced both sides of this spectrum, but in the end, love is still an important part of his life. The lyrics are poetic and introspective, offering a glimpse into the singer's psyche as he grapples with the complexities of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Who knows where the cold wind blows,
Where do unpredictable and dangerous situations arise?
I ask my friends, but, nobody knows
Even people I know can't predict or foresee these difficult situations.
Who am I to believe in love,
Should I trust and have hope in love in the midst of life's uncertainties?
Oh, love ain't no stranger
Love is a familiar and common experience in people's lives.
I looked around an' what did I see
I observed people's experiences and responses.
Broken hearted people staring at me,
People who have been hurt and disappointed in love looked back at me as if seeking answers.
All searching 'cause they still believe,
Despite their hurt, people still hold on to the hope of finding genuine love.
Oh, love ain't no stranger
Love is a relatable and common experience that most people go through.
I was alone an' I needed love
I was in a state of loneliness and sought to find love to fill that void.
So much I sacrificed all I was dreaming of,
I was willing to give up some important dreams and goals to find love.
I heard no warning, but, a heart can tell
Sometimes there are no signs or warnings but one's heart can sense when love is not right.
I'd feel the emptiness of love I know so well
I am familiar with how it feels to be in a loveless relationship.
Can't hold the passion of a soul in need,
One can't keep their desires for love and connection suppressed.
I look for mercy when my heart begins to bleed
When my heart has been hurt, I search for compassion and healing.
Love ain't no stranger,
Love is a familiar experience most people go through.
I ain't no stranger
I am no exception or stranger to love.
So who knows where the cold wind blows,
Where can danger come from and how can one avoid it?
Lord, have mercy,
An expression of plea or appeal to a higher power for help or guidance.
Love ain't no stranger,
Love is a familiar experience in most people's lives.
Love ain't no stranger,
Love is a familiar experience in most people's lives.
I ain't no stranger to love
I am familiar with love and its ups and downs.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID COVERDALE, MEL GALLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Mariecatblaset
LYRIC:
Who knows where the cold wind blows,
I ask my friends, but, nobody knows
Who am I to believe in love,
Oh, love ain't no stranger
I looked around an' what did I see
Broken hearted people staring at me,
All searching 'cause they still believe,
Oh, love ain't no stranger
I was alone an' I needed love
So much I sacrificed all I was dreaming of,
I heard no warning, but, a heart can tell
I'd feel the emptiness of love I know so well
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love, no, no, no
Can't hold the passion of a soul in need,
I look for mercy when my heart begins to bleed
I know good loving an' I'm a friend of pain,
But, when I read between the lines it's all the same
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love
So who knows where the cold wind blows,
I ask my friends, but, nobody knows
Who am I to believe in love,
Lord, have mercy,
Love ain't no stranger,
I was alone an' I needed love
So much I sacrificed all I was dreaming of,
Can't hold the passion of a soul in need,
I look for mercy when my heart begins to bleed
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love
Love ain't no stranger,
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Fonte: LyricFind
@jatupongwongsin9679
"Love Ain't No Stranger"
Who knows where the cold wind blows,
I ask my friends, but, nobody knows
Who am I to believe in love,
Oh, love ain't no stranger
I looked around an' what did I see
Broken hearted people staring at me,
All searching 'cos they still believe,
Oh, love ain't no stranger
I was alone an' I needed love
So much I sacrificed all I was dreaming of,
I heard no warning, but, a heart can tell
I'd feel the emptiness of love I know so well
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love, no, no, no
Can't hold the passion of a soul in need,
I look for mercy when my heart begins to bleed
I know good loving an' I'm a friend of pain,
But, when I read between the lines it's all the same
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love
So who knows where the cold wind blows,
I ask my friends, but, nobody knows
Who am I to believe in love,
Lord, have mercy,
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
I was alone an' I needed love
So much I sacrificed all I was dreaming of,
Can't hold the passion of a soul in need,
I look for mercy when my heart begins to bleed
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger to love
Love ain't no stranger,
Love ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger...
@Headbanger427
Who else enjoying this Classic nearly 40 years later in 2023?
@melissatyree566
Me. Whitesnake was always one of my favorite bands from the 80's. Great songs, coverdale still at it. I enjoyed the lineup before the current one but I can't remember the guitar player name. Rememberd Doug Aldrich.
@davidpritchard9069
God I miss the 80s..
@Richard_Straker
Yup.
@ChadEWackitz
Me.
@miguelmoraton
Me too. My favorite band. I enjoyed their concert in Indiana dime years ago.
@tomleone9170
This whole album is phenomenal.
@ericodijk
Well, there's two versions. The original English version does not include the overdubs by Sykes. It has better versions of Guilty of love and Slow and easy.
Live ain't no stranger is a little better on the USA remix, featuring overdubs by Sykes.
Most of the guitar is Met Galley, by the way. Original solo by Micky Moody, don't know if John Sykes redid the solo, just an extra rhythm guitar here.
@guitarlessonswithbillythek8753
Absolutely bro!
@reginagurunian7263
Amen and the tour was amazing!!