‘Who Do You Love?’ – Bo Diddley

Makers of music and singers of tunes have always had a way of expressing either a longing for, or an appreciation of that elusive standard of affection; love. The style or genre of love song varies from the sappy, like, ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’ by Captain And Tennille, to the vulgar, like Big Black’s 1987 album, ‘Songs About Fucking’. The words to a love song are often used where an individual has none of their own to express their love for someone else. A definition of love – there are many – is a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties or – an attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers.

Do we need more love now? How about a little common sense and civil discourse first? Some wining and dining. How about some chaste dating with a view to marriage and a traditional family?

I walked forty seven miles of barbed wire
I got a cobra snake for a necktie
I got a brand new house on the roadside
Made out of rattlesnake hide
I got a brand new chimney built on top
Made out of a human skull
Now come on baby let’s take a walk
And tell me who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

I rode a line into town
Use a rattlesnake whip
Come on into town
Don’t give me no lip
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

The night was dark and the sky was blue
Down the alley the ice wagon flew
Hit a bump and I heard a scream
You should should have heard just what I seen
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Need more love?

In coats of many colour
Reptile man drop
Stay below it
Stay below it
Stay below it
Stay below it
Temperature drop
America’s a boyfriend
Untouched by flesh of hand
Heartbeat under
Heartbeat under
Heartbeat under
Heartbeat under
Some promised land

Love song
Love song
Love song
Love song

On and on and

On and on and

Flesh of heart
Heart of steel
So well so well
I cut my hair
Paint my face
Break a finger
Tell a lie
So well so well

America’s a boyfriend
Untouched by flesh of hand
Stay below it
Stay below
In glory days that come and go
Some promised land

Love song
Love song
Love song
Love song

And on and on and
On and on and
On and on and

Stay below
Shout below
Flesh of heart
Heart of steel
Flesh of heart
Heart of steel
Flesh of heart
Heart of steel
Flesh of heart
Heart of steel
Love song
Love song
Love song
And love song

Stay below
Shout below
In glory days that come and go
Stay below
Shout below
In glory days that come and go

Love song
Love song
Love song
On and on and
On and on and
On and on and
And on and on and