Love You To Death

Album: October Rust (1996)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Type O Negative lead singer Peter Steele had a bit of a vampire fixation, and with his deep, warbling voice, could sound like one when he sang. He looked a little like one as well, but not the Twilight kind. Standing 6' 8", he more resembled the imposing creatures from early films like Nosferatu and Dracula.

    In this song, he plays the role of a very seductive vampire, telling the lady he will love her to death, presumably looking to turn her immortal as well so they can spend eternity together.
  • Type O Negative started out as a metal-punk band with their 1991 debut album Slow, Deep And Hard, largely inspired by Peter Steele's unfaithful girlfriend. They softened their sound for their 1993 album Bloody Kisses and took a different lyrical approach, with more lust than scorn. It was about as goth as you can get, and it found a huge audience, eventually selling over a million copies thanks to tracks like "Christian Woman" and "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)." Peter Steele, who loved goth girls, was suddenly awash in them, and he took advantage. When they made their next album, October Rust, they made the songs especially sensual to appeal to their new female fans. "Love You To Death" shows this approach.
  • Peter Steele, who died of heart failure in 2010 at 48, loved a good pun, and he put one into this song, turning Pink Floyd's line from "Comfortably Numb":

    Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying

    into

    Her hips move and I can feel what they're saying, swaying
  • "Love You To Death" is the third track on the October Rust album but the first actual song. Track 1, called "Bad Ground" is the sound of a bad speaker connection for 38 seconds, so when listeners started the CD they would think something is wrong and check their connection. In Track 2, which is untitled, the guys laugh and Steele says, "I hope you enjoyed our little joke there." He and the rest of the band then thank the listener for buying the album and "Love You To Death" plays.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Loreena McKennitt

Loreena McKennittSongwriter Interviews

The Celtic music maker Loreena McKennitt on finding musical inspiration, the "New Age" label, and working on the movie Tinker Bell.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.