Songfacts®:

• Love is all, all you need
  Love is all, let it bleed
  Love is thicker than blood
  
  The phrase "love is thicker than blood" is a modern reinterpretation of the old proverb "blood is thicker than water." The original saying has long held that family bonds surpass all others in strength and significance. This contemporary reimagining suggests love has the potential to transcend even the ties of kinship.
• Extreme lead singer Gary Cherone sheds light on the transcendent power of love, urging humanity to prioritize love for our fellow beings above affiliations, ideologies, and divisive barriers.
  
  "I don't think there's anything any writer can write new under the sun, it's just from their perspective," Cherone explained to Songfacts. "So, 'Thicker Than Blood,' you could say it's topical today with division going on politically, but I try to write in a general sense where it can relate to hopefully 10-20 years from now."
  
  "'Thicker Than Blood' is a critique of tribalism, and love is the vehicle to move you past that tribalism. In times of fear and anxiety, people withdraw to their tribes, and it's harder to love the neighbor, it's harder to love the stranger," he added. "This song is a critique of that, saying love is the answer to that."
• The song is part of Extreme's album Six, which Bettencourt produced and the band recorded in his home studio in Los Angeles. Extreme was out of action from 1996-2006, during which time Bettencourt released a solo album and Cherone fronted the bands Van Halen and Tribe Of Judah.
• Cherone and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt wrote the song with Kevin Antunes. Keyboardist Kevin Antunes' work as musical director, audio producer and mix engineer has seen him contribute to live shows for some huge names, from New Kids On The Block, Britney Spears, and 'N Sync to Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Cirque du Soleil. This is the only contribution he made to Six.
• When Eddie Van Halen passed away in 2020, it hit hard for Gary Cherone and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. Cherone was the lead singer in Van Halen from 1996-1999, and Bettencourt, like most rock guitarists of his era, was influenced by Eddie. That influence is evident on this track. "I felt some responsibility to keep guitar playing alive," Bettencourt said. "So, you hear a lot of fire on the record."