Love Is Alive

Album: Why Not Me (1984)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In the earnest country ballad, love isn't just a faraway concept for Judds lead singer Wynonna - it's personified in her partner. "Love is a man, and he's mine," she sings.
  • When producer Bill Maher first brought The Judds to RCA, he stopped by Kent Robbins' office and invited the songwriter out to his car to listen to the duo's homemade demo tape. Then, he challenged Robbins to write some material for the pair. His first try was "Isn't He A Strange One," a cut from their 1984 EP, Wynonna & Naomi. The second was "Love Is Alive," which ended up being the third single from their debut album, Why Not Me.

    Robbins had The Judds' vocals in his mind when he wrote the tune which made it all the more special when they actually recorded it. "'Love Is Alive' is one of the few things that I wrote with the artist in mind, and actually had the artist that I had in mind do it," Robbins explained in the Billboard Book Of #1 Country Hits. "'Isn't He A Strange One' had kind of a funky, lilting groove to it, and 'Love Is Alive' is actually a son of 'Isn't He A Strange One.' I went for that same type of feel, and the 'Son Of' turned out to be bigger than the original."
  • This was The Judds' fourth #1 single on the Country chart. Robbins went on to co-write their 13th chart-topper, "Young Love (Strong Love)," which appeared on their River Of Time album.
  • This was nominated for Best Country Song at the 1986 Grammy Awards. It lost to The Highwaymen's cover of "The Highwayman," which was written by Jimmy Webb.
  • Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani recorded a cover for The Judds' compilation album A Tribute To The Judds. Their version, which sticks close to the original, was released as the first single off the record.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Rosanne Cash

Rosanne CashSongwriter Interviews

Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Jonathan Cain of Journey

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.