Let Your Love Flow

Album: Let Your Love Flow (1976)
Charted: 7 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • According to Howard Bellamy, who is half of the Bellamy Brothers duo, it pays to be in the right place at the right time. "Let Your Love Flow," their most popular song and a #1 hit in 1976, is a prime example of that.

    Bellamy told Songfacts the story behind the song: "Around '74, we moved from Florida to L.A. to kind of pursue a career. We're from here in Central Florida in a little community called Darby - there is not much of a music scene here, to say the least. So we moved out there and met a lot of guys and met Neil Diamond's band, became good friends with his band. And one day Neil's drummer came over to our house and brought the demo of 'Let Your Love Flow,' and said, 'Hey, this sounds like something you guys would do.' So we went off to record that, and the rest is kind of history. It became not only the largest song of that year, it's become somewhere in the area of one of the largest songs ever, as far as being played. And it's become a standard, basically. I wish another one of those would come along."
  • Larry Williams, who was one of Neil Diamond's roadies, wrote this song. Neil Diamond, however, turned it down. Says Bellamy: "Well, it really wasn't in Neil Diamond's vein. I would say the guy who wrote this song is the wealthiest roadie now that ever was. Actually, Johnny Rivers had passed on the song. It had been pitched to a few people. It was recorded once by a guy named Gene Cotton; he recorded a kind of unusual version. But when we heard it we had an idea of how we wanted to record it because it kind of fit our style, acoustic bass with a groove, and I think that has a lot to do with it. You've got to really match songs with artists, and I think it was the perfect song for us, a great match."
  • This song was re-recorded with Hal Ketchum and Lisa Brokup for the Bellamy Brothers 2006 Angels and Outlaws album.
  • "Let Your Love Flow" did well in the UK, going to #7 when it was released in 1976. It returned to the chart at #21 in 2008 when it was used in a popular commercial for Barclaycard.
  • The song plays in a 2025 Super Bowl commercial for Budweiser where a young clydesdale pushes a stray keg of beer across dusty roads and "down a mountain stream" to deliver it to a bar.
  • "Let Your Love Flow" was by far the biggest hit for The Bellamy Brothers, and one of the few songs they didn't write. They crossed over to country music in 1979 with "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me)," which reached #39 on the Hot 100 but topped the Country chart. From there they ran off a series of #1 Country hits, including "Sugar Daddy" and "Do You Love as Good as You Look."
  • The song appears in these movies:
    Little Darlings (1980)
    Slums Of Beverly Hills (1998)
    Clay Pigeons (1998)
    Go (1999)
    Mr. Church (2016)
    American Made (2017)

    And in these TV shows:
    That '70s Show ("The Good Son" - 1999)
    The Sopranos ("Where's Johnny?" - 2004)
    Breaking Bad ("Down" - 2009)
    Daisy Jones & The Six ("Track 8: Looks Like We Made It" - 2023)

Comments: 7

  • Michael O. from Minneapolis, MnIn my view, this would have been a huge success for Neil Diamond, even if he writes almost all of the songs he records. It fits his style, the upbeat side of his personality, and vocal range. To me, this song never ages. It's an up song that never feels contrived. "Let Your Love Flow" is obviously about romantic love, but also about how love binds us to all living things, which the song joyfully conveys.
  • Bruce from San Jose, CaEver since I heard this song on the radio as a kid, this has always been one of my favorite "Feel Good" songs...and today, not matter how bad my day has been, I can always listen to this song and it melts the stress and cares away...
  • Lee from Huntsville, Ala bi-centennial #1 smash hit.
  • Craig from San Diego, CaAlways love the Bellamy Brothers and their music.
    This is one of my favorites.
    Perfect for the start of a long trip.
    I pop it in every time I hit the road.
  • Carrie from Roanoke, VaA cover version by Petra Haden appeared in a 2009 Toyota Prius commercial.
  • Teresa from Litchfield, MiThis song has been a favorite of mine since the movie "Little Darlings" which used it - however it has an even bigger meaning to me. It reminds me of my brother who I recently found after years of searching ( adoption ) it has become a theme song for my mom and my brother and I. The Bellamy Brothers who heard of my family were nice enough to send a special DVD and CD's and T-shirts all autographed for the 3 of us. I can't even begin to tell you how honored we are and we thank the Bellamy Brothers for all of their wonderful music and continiued success. Thank-you -
  • Andrew from Birmingham, United StatesThe Bellamy Brothers made an interesting hit. The meanings of some things said in this song I can't figure out; but hey, let's listen and enjoy. If I made the recording, I would've probably called it "There's a Reason" since that line is repeated more often than "Let Your Love Flow". But that's just my opinion. These lyrics are the lyrics that virtually everyone would like to sing with, and the beat is the right beat to dance to. The melody is very mellow and interesting. That melody, those lyrics, and the disco beat put together are probably make this Bellamy Brothers hit well loved by virtually everyone.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.

"Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit: A Timeline

"Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit: A TimelineSong Writing

Untangling the events that led to the "Stairway To Heaven" lawsuit.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Second Wind Songs

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

Black Sabbath

Black SabbathFact or Fiction

Dwarfs on stage with an oversize Stonehenge set? Dabbling in Satanism? Find out which Spinal Tap-moments were true for Black Sabbath.

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. Televangelists

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. TelevangelistsSong Writing

When televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart took on rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica, the rockers retaliated. Bono could even be seen mocking the preachers.