DBT Tracks #43 - Love Like This

[Zip City]

My first song of the week!!!

After perusing the list of available songs, I simply had to pick Love Like This. One of Cooley's earliest (and best) songs in the DBT canon, LLT captures the spirit of classic country while introducing Cooley's sardonic wit and brilliant word play.

I don't think the song needs any deep and meaningful lyrical analysis; it's a straight forward tale of a man with a shitty job who only gets to see his lady on the weekend. A prying mother-in-law works to ruin the few days of happiness this couple looks forward to. It's a bumpy relationship, but the man wouldn't trade it for the world.

Love Like This, simply put, is my favorite country song of all time.

Coming home with a bottle, trying not to break the seal.
This Friday evening traffic's about enough to break a man's will.
And I can't wait to see you and see how your week has gone,
and tear into Old No.7 and make love till dawn.
But your Mama she'll be calling, if she ain't knocking on the door.
And it won't take me long to remember what I brought that bottle home for.
And we'll all get to fighting, just like we always do.
And by Saturday morning, I'll be singing these blues.

Last night I slept with my boots on again,
one cut on my forehead and one my chin,
on the hard old floor with nothin to cover up with.
You got me real good, girl, and I must admit,
you pack purty mean punch for such a pretty little dish.
And it's a shame to know most folks don't ever know love like this.

Come Monday morning, I'll be sore to a fare-thee-well.
Cussin' God and America, wishing them both just to send me off to hell.
But the boss man don't want no excuses when it comes time to get on the clock.
And without that paycheck, I'd lose the rest of what sweet love I got.

Last night I slept with my boots on again,
one cut on my forehead and one my chin,
on the hard old floor with nothin to cover up with.
You got me real good, girl, and I must admit,
you pack purty mean punch for such a pretty little dish.
And it's a shame to know most folks don't ever know love like this.

[Rocky]

I hope I'm not blowing any secrets here but I've always thought this was a straight love song.....between a man and the bottle.

[Erdlivz]

This song opened my mind and ears to more country. Just a spectacular song. One of the best Cooley songs for me. Great choice.

[Iowan]

Definitely one of my Top 5 Country songs of all time. Nearly perfect.

If it only had something about trains and prison cause it's got Mama and gettin' drunk.

[njMark]

Definitely one of my Top 5 Country songs of all time. Nearly perfect.

If it only had something about trains and prison cause it's got Mama and gettin' drunk.

And rain and a broken down pick up.

[Zip City]

I love that it starts with just Cooley and his gee-tar, but the rest of the band creeps in one by one, peaking with a soaring slide guitar

I also love that it's the only Cooley song (besides Get Downtown) that uses a capo

[Iowan]

I love that it starts with just Cooley and his gee-tar, but the rest of the band creeps in one by one, peaking with a soaring slide guitar

I also love that it's the only Cooley song (besides Get Downtown) that uses a capo

And Birthday Boy.

[Zip City]

I love that it starts with just Cooley and his gee-tar, but the rest of the band creeps in one by one, peaking with a soaring slide guitar

I also love that it's the only Cooley song (besides Get Downtown) that uses a capo

And Birthday Boy.

Maybe that's the one I was thinking of. I knew it was one off TBTD

[Duke Silver]

I love that it starts with just Cooley and his gee-tar, but the rest of the band creeps in one by one, peaking with a soaring slide guitar

I also love that it's the only Cooley song (besides Get Downtown) that uses a capo

And Birthday Boy.

Maybe that's the one I was thinking of. I knew it was one off TBTD

Pulaski, too.

[Fool No Where]

so much i'd like to add, but zip said all that needed to be said.

[one belt loop]

Definitely one of my Top 5 Country songs of all time. Nearly perfect.

If it only had something about trains and prison cause it's got Mama and gettin' drunk.

And rain and a broken down pick up.

where's the DOG?

[Sub]

Certainly one of my all time favorites from Cooley.

[jimmyjack]

Yep. Unfuckwithable. All time DBT top ten. Today, anyway.

[Slipkid42]

Zip - I remember from your DBT Top 100 that you had LLT @ #2. I remember you getting some grief over that. I too had LLT @ my #2 (and I still do). I'll go a bit further. I've never been much for country music. Sure I love Hank & Willie & Waylon & a few others, but generally I don't like country music. Especially the newer shit that sounds like rockin' country (as opposed to country rock {which I liked]). I absolutely hated country as a teenager 'coz my stepfather foisted that shit on me unmercifully.
That was classic country like Merle & Ernest Tubb & Hank Snow & Charley Pride. Over the years I have come to appreciate those old songs. It will never be my go to music, but I can enjoy it now.
Love Like This is like those old country classics, only better (maybe 'coz it doesn't stoop to that pickup truck or prison time concept of getting the message across). The words in the chorus are among the most perfect ever written. The music (which could stand on its own) meshes w/those words beautifully & sadly. It sounds so forlorn. Somehow, this country song passed Lookout Mt. & Let There Be Rock & Decoration Day & every other song DBT did except Zip City on the Slipkid Top 100. That's saying something (at least to me). When I go to a rock show to have my face melted by the Truckers; I hope more than anything, that they play Love Like This. The Old #7 goes down smoother when they do.

[Smarty Jones]

One of my absolute favorite songs! I consider this as my favorite love song in the DBT canon because it's about a love that can actually stand up to the rigors of mundane, everyday life. The guy's got a shitty job and a nightmare for a mother-in-law, but he puts up with it all for the love of his woman. Hard to put my finger on what it is I love so much about the message I get out of this song, except...I hope I'm lucky enough to have a man like that!

I know a lot of people have said this about Mercy Buckets, but...Goddammit, I'm having THIS played at my wedding!

Oh, yeah, and Cooley needs to pull this one out more often.

[Sub]

For anyone new or who hasn't got this solo Cooley show get it now, certainly a must have imo.

http://atruersound.com/?p=411

[bovine knievel]

I hope I'm not blowing any secrets here but I've always thought this was a straight love song.....between a man and the bottle.

me too!

[Jenn]

Quite possibly my favorite Cooley song, and that's saying a lot. It really is a shame, you know.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Just a fantastic song. He's got a crap job, needs that bottle on Friday but damn it he's going home to his honey and hope to God the mother in law doesn't get in the way. He knows they're gonna fight and there's gonna be carnage but he loves her and so the fuck what? Great, great song. What a good country song should be.

[Zip City]

What a great sing-along chorus, too

[gordonlw]

I hope I'm not blowing any secrets here but I've always thought this was a straight love song.....between a man and the bottle.

me too!

nope! there's a women and a mother in law (or girlfriends mom) involved

[beantownbubba]

Hard to put my finger on what it is I love so much about the message I get out of this song, except...I hope I'm lucky enough to have a man like that!

I know a lot of people have said this about Mercy Buckets, but...Goddammit, I'm having THIS played at my wedding!

Been thinking about this a lot today, and here's where I wind up:

I guess there are 2 possibilities: the song's about either a drunk in love w/ the bottle or a hard drinkin' man in love w/ a woman.

If it's the former, i guess we all take our metaphors where we find them.

But if it's a "love song" as traditionally understood, I really hope you'll set your sights a little higher and i surely wish for you, as i would for anyone in these parts, a better life than those two have. They may have great sex and a pretty intense relationship, but it seems to me you've got to close at least one eye and maybe both to ignore the violence, alcoholism and fundamental inability to get along explicit and implicit in this relationship.

"Love Like This" is a great song for lots of reasons. Two of them are the ambiguity that allows for at least the 2 interpretations suggested above and the way Cooley conveys to the listener a real sense of the attraction the couple feel for each other, so much so that it can seem desirable, to them and to the listener. But to me, this falls under "be careful what you wish for."

[Clams]

But if it's a "love song" as traditionally understood, I really hope you'll set your sights a little higher and i surely wish for you, as i would for anyone in these parts, a better life than those two have. They may have great sex and a pretty intense relationship, but it seems to me you've got to close at least one eye and maybe both to ignore the violence, alcoholism and fundamental inability to get along explicit and implicit in this relationship.

I see the violence and alcoholism, if you can really call them that, as a whole lot more tongue-in-cheek than you do, BTB. I think you're taking it down to a darker level that isn't really intended.

[Penny Lane]

Hard to put my finger on what it is I love so much about the message I get out of this song, except...I hope I'm lucky enough to have a man like that!

I know a lot of people have said this about Mercy Buckets, but...Goddammit, I'm having THIS played at my wedding!

Been thinking about this a lot today, and here's where I wind up:

I guess there are 2 possibilities: the song's about either a drunk in love w/ the bottle or a hard drinkin' man in love w/ a woman.

If it's the former, i guess we all take our metaphors where we find them.

But if it's a "love song" as traditionally understood, I really hope you'll set your sights a little higher and i surely wish for you, as i would for anyone in these parts, a better life than those two have. They may have great sex and a pretty intense relationship, but it seems to me you've got to close at least one eye and maybe both to ignore the violence, alcoholism and fundamental inability to get along explicit and implicit in this relationship.

"Love Like This" is a great song for lots of reasons. Two of them are the ambiguity that allows for at least the 2 interpretations suggested above and the way Cooley conveys to the listener a real sense of the attraction the couple feel for each other, so much so that it can seem desirable, to them and to the listener. But to me, this falls under "be careful what you wish for."

i always think of this song when i think of the pitfalls of getting married...some kind of tortured co-dependent nightmare ...which is why it's funny that smarty jones is having it played at his wedding...

gut wrenching song-the best kind

[beantownbubba]

But if it's a "love song" as traditionally understood, I really hope you'll set your sights a little higher and i surely wish for you, as i would for anyone in these parts, a better life than those two have. They may have great sex and a pretty intense relationship, but it seems to me you've got to close at least one eye and maybe both to ignore the violence, alcoholism and fundamental inability to get along explicit and implicit in this relationship.

I see the violence and alcoholism, if you can really call them that, as a whole lot more tongue-in-cheek than you do, BTB. I think you're taking it down to a darker level that isn't really intended.

I've been wrong before and i may well be wrong this time, but as a general proposition, i'm not gonna lose too many bets taking cooley and the darker level And while I accept that i could be painting things too darkly, "tongue in cheek" doesn't resonate for me at all. That strips all the subtlety and nuance (and levels!) from the song, which doesn't leave all that much. At that point u might as well add the dog, the pick up truck and play it backwards

[mwh]

I always thought this song said "you pack pretty mean punch for such a pretty little bitch" instead of pretty little dish. After listening again, I'm still not sure I was wrong.

[beantownbubba]

Sorry Ms. Lane, our posts passed in the ether. I agree w/ u.

[bovine knievel]

I'm with BTB on this one.

Smarty, you might want to reconsider. There's always My Sweet Annette

[Penny Lane]

For anyone new or who hasn't got this solo Cooley show get it now, certainly a must have imo.

http://atruersound.com/?p=411

Gracias!! This is so awesome...listening now...

[Smitty]

For anyone new or who hasn't got this solo Cooley show get it now, certainly a must have imo.

http://atruersound.com/?p=411

Gracias!! This is so awesome...listening now...

you can find that one & two more greats straight from the source
http://southernshelter.com/category/mike-cooley