Love

Album: Thirty One (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The first single from Jana Kramer's second album was recorded by the actress/singer after splitting from her fiancé Brantley Gilbert. She told Billboard magazine that as time passes, its painful inspiration becomes more secondary. "In the beginning, it was about the breakup, and it was about trying to believe that I still believe in love," she said. "That's where I was in the studio."

    "Now when I sing it, that stuff is so behind me," Kramer added. "And, I know that [Gilbert's] happy. I'm the happiest I've ever been."
  • This song was written by the Nashville songwriters Catt Gravitt and Jimmy Robbins. It's an extremely personal song for Gravitt, who was going through a very painful time when she wrote it with Robbins. "I sat on the floor the whole time and wrote that day," she told us. "I thought, 'I just need to write this for myself.' The verses sound very simple, and some of it cliché, but the chorus is a little serious. And it was really coming from my bones - I just wrote it. Jimmy was so kind to let me weep that day."

    Catt Gravitt also contributed to Jake Owen's hit tune "Alone With You" and co-wrote many of the songs on Kramer's debut album, including the singles "Whiskey," and "Why Ya Wanna."
  • Jana Kramer was scheduled to come to the songwriting session that resulted in this track, but she couldn't make it that day.
  • The song's music video was directed by Ryan Lassan of the Nashville-based production company TackleBox and shot in the Honduras villages of El Progreso and Olivos. "Meeting the amazing children in the Olivos village and experiencing their culture was a life changing experience for me," said Kramer. "They really understand what love means. I was moved to tears many times during the shoot. It was such a beautiful day, filled with love, that I will never forget."
  • Kramer told Billboard magazine why the music visual went in a different direction than anticipated. "People heard the song before the video, and might have been expecting the stereotypical video with me and a dude, but I wanted to show a different side of things and what true love was like," she said. "I partnered with a charity called Heart To Honduras, and I went there and filmed the video."
  • Kramer explained to People magazine that she hopes to spread a powerful message with the song. "It's sad that there's so much hate in the world, and I don't think we focus on the love in the world enough," she noted. "There really is a lot of love out there and I think if we spotlight that more, people will have more love in their lives in general."
  • Jana Kramer turned 31 on December 2, 2014 and named the album after her age in an Adele-like way. She admitted the title is a representation of who she is, all wrapped up in a number. "I want this title to be strong; I want this title to be me," she told USA Today. "I want this title to somehow portray the woman that I am. There's no other way of saying that than 31."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And Scandals

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing

Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Lip-Synch Rebels

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Michael Bolton

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."