“Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough” (1992) by Patty Smyth

Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough

PATTY SMYTH

(with Don Henley)

1992

written by Patty Smyth and Glen Burtnik

produced by Roy Bittan

I’m making this one June 26th, 2021, the 64th birthday of Patricia

(Patty) Smyth, the frontwoman of the ’80s rock band Scandal, and

solo artist since. Happy Birthday, PS!!

Patty’s from Brooklyn, New York—though born in New York City itself—and got together with Scandal in ’82 as their lead singer. Even though they only released two albums and six singles in the ’80s, Patty’s smoking-hot young sex appeal and new wave-y tough-girl image helped them get as much out of those few releases as they could. Their first single, “Goodbye To You,” became one of their two major hits. The other—and their US mainstream rock and Canadian #1—was the title song from their ’84 record, (the) Warrior. Between the time of the two album releases, the band briefly had guitar work done for them by a then-unknown 20-year-old Jon Bon Jovi.

Scandal diminished member by member until their breakup in 1985. Coincidentally, around the same time David Lee Roth was discharged from Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen asked Patty to be their new lead singer. Patty said no, due to the very near expectation of her first daughter. She returned to recording in 1986, and made her first solo album, Never Enough, backed by Scandal’s label Columbia. One cut and single from it was a cover of Tom Waits’ song “Downtown Train”—which became a huge hit for Rod Stewart when he recorded it in 1989.

I’m not certain how the home of Patty’s recording career was moved from Columbia to MCA Records between ’87 and ’92, but Uni’s MCA gave us her eponymous summer 1992 album. It’s from that album this song comes, a duet with former Eagle Don Henley. This one hit #1 in Canada and on the US adult contemporary chart. It’s a soft, airy ballad—bordering on power ballad status, actually—showing off Patty’s more tender, vulnerable side.

After reuniting briefly with Scandal in the 20-00s, Patty released a holiday album in 2015, Come On December—and after years of begging from ardent fans, dropped them her new(est) studio record, It’s About Time, after almost three decades of no new Smyth material (not counting the Christmas album). She’s still going strong and touring; of course, being the “Warrior” she is, I’d expect little less.

Have notes to add? Let me know!

YT:

full version

music video

Patty’s (and Scandal’s) official website

Lyrics

PS: Now, I don’t wanna lose you, but I don’t wanna use you / Just to have somebody by my side / And I don’t wanna hate you, I don’t wanna take you / But I don’t wanna be the one to cry / And that don’t really matter, to anyone, anymore / But like a fool, I keep losing my place / And I keep seeing you walk through that door / But PS/DH: there’s a danger in loving somebody too much / And it’s sad when you know it’s your heart you can’t trust / There’s a reason why people don’t stay where they are / PS: Baby, sometimes love just ain’t enough / Now, I could never change you, I don’t wanna blame you / Baby, you don’t have to take the fall / DH: Yes, I may have hurt you, but I did not desert you / Maybe I just wanna have it all / It PS/DH: makes a sound like thunder, it makes me feel like rain / PS: And like a fool who will never see the truth / I keep thinking something’s gonna change / x1 / PS: And there’s no way home / When it’s late at night, and you’re all alone / Are there things that you wanted to say / And do you feel me beside you in your bed / There beside you, where I used to lay / PS/DH: And there’s a danger in loving somebody too much / And it’s sad when you know it’s your heart they can’t touch / There’s a reason why people don’t stay who they are / PS: Baby, sometimes love just ain’t enough / Baby, sometimes, love / It just ain’t enough / Ohhh, ohhh / Love

first release: Patty Smyth (1992/08/18)

SOMETIMES LOVE JUST AIN’T ENOUGH {Single

audio treated samples

This page was originally made on June 26th, 2021 and last edited on July 28th, 2021