The Weakness In Me

Album: Walk Under Ladders (1981)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • On of Joan Armatrading's most enduring songs, "The Weakness In Me" deals with infidelity and guilt in rather emotional fashion. "It's about somebody who has an affair and they've fallen for the person that they're having the affair with, but they love the person they were with whilst they were having the affair," she explained in a Songfacts interview. "It's a question of who do they choose, because they love both. In choosing one they will lose the other that they don't want to lose. So, it's that dilemma."
  • Armatrading used some notable session musicians on this track. Tony Levin, know for his work with Peter Gabriel, played bass; Andy Partridge of XTC played guitar; Nick Plytas played organ and guitar; Thomas Dolby added synthesizer.

    Dolby became a big name two years later when he had a hit with "She Blinded Me With Science," but before that, he was often called upon to lend a synth sheen to certain tracks, as he had quite a command of the instrument. You can hear him on Def Leppard's Pyromania album.
  • Steve Lillywhite produced the Walk Under Ladders album. He had worked on albums for Ultravox, Peter Gabriel, and U2 by this point, and would later produce The Pretenders, The Pogues and The Rolling Stones.

Comments: 1

  • Inyani Bosco from South Sudanits so inspiring and wonderful
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Penny Ford of Snap!

Penny Ford of Snap!Songwriter Interviews

The original voice of Snap! this story is filled with angry drag queens, video impersonators and Chaka Khan.

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up Musicians

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up MusiciansSong Writing

Eddie (played by Johnny Depp in the video) found fame fleeting, but Chuck Berry's made-up musician fared better.

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?