Little L

Album: A Funk Odyssey (2001)
Charted: 5
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Lead singer Jay Kay wrote this song about his ex-girlfriend Denise Van Outen, a British actress and dancer, after their breakup. Rumors of cheating swirled on both sides, but Jay Kay insisted the parting was amicable ... "whenever Denise wants it to be," that is.
  • "['Little L'] encompasses one day of my relationship with Denise. Not the whole thing. 'You make me love you with a little L, I can't understand what you want from me.' Which is what it was like with Den," Jay Kay explained to Esquire.

    "With Den it seemed like I couldn't do any right. She's a great girl, but you've got to hunt for what you really want, and we had slightly conflicting ideas about what that was. I'm a real long term guy. I really wanna be with someone to love them and have kids with them. Marriage, just because everyone else is doing it, does not come first. You don't need to marry me, 'cos you can have me, all of me. I've got so much love to give, to the right woman. And I don't think I'm a bad lad really ... It's not about buying rings; it's about offering love and being treated like the guy I really am, and that didn't really materialize."
  • This song was featured in the 2002 romantic comedy The Sweetest Thing, starring Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate and Selma Blair. It was also used in the 2010 romantic comedy The Switch, starring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston.

Comments: 1

  • Paulina from Santiago, Chilemish.. I thought it could have been something like that.. a cheating, or maybe a girl he didnt love much because the girl was crazy haha
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Sugarland

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."