Love of the Common People


"Love of the Common People" is a song written by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins, eventually released in 1970 on John Hurley's album John Hurley Sings about People, but first sung in January 1967 by The Four Preps. It had been covered by The Everly Brothers, country singers Waylon Jennings and Lynn Anderson, Pennsylvania Sixpence and also Wayne Newton, all in 1967, The Simple Image, Leonard Nimoy, reggae singer Eric Donaldson and the Gosdin Brothers in 1968, Elton John and also soul group The Winstons, both in 1969, John Denver on his 1969 album Rhymes & Reasons, Sandy Posey in 1970, the same year that reggae singer Nicky Thomas had a big hit in Europe with the song, and pedal steel guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow in 1979. It was also a Top 10 hit in Ireland for showband star Joe Dolan in 1968. Wanda Jackson covered the song in 1971, as did Stiff Little Fingers and English pop singer Paul Young, both in 1982. In 2007 Bruce Springsteen covered it as part of his Seeger Sessions tour, releasing a live version of it as a bonus track on his ' album. Anti-Nowhere League covered it 2017 on their album League Style. Australian artist Jessica Mauboy covered the song in 2017 on her chart-topping ' album.

Lyrics

The lyrics tell a bleak story of poverty and unemployment. There is a mention of "free food tickets," a reference to government food stamp and welfare programs, in the very first line, and the lyrics also describe the subject family as having holes in their clothes and their shoes. The last verse, however, is more optimistic, as it essentially advises the subject family to keep their faith strong and to maintain hope for improvement.
On the other hand, the text can be interpreted as deeply cynical, which is obvious from the fact that in an absurd twist it praises a lack of bus fare as a good thing, because the coins could fall through the aforementioned holes in one's clothes and so one would lose it.

Nicky Thomas version

recorded a Joe Gibbs-produced reggae version of the song in 1970, which sold over 175,000 copies in the United Kingdom and reached number 9 in the UK Singles Chart. It was Thomas's largest selling single, and, according to Steve Leggett of Allmusic, "practically defines the term 'pop reggae.'"

Paul Young version

In 1982 Paul Young released his interpretation of "Love of the Common People" as a single, but initially it failed to chart. Only after Young's first solo hit in 1983 with "Wherever I Lay My Hat " and the single's re-release did it become successful. The single peaked at No 2 in the UK, and reached the No 1 spot in Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. This version also contained a solo by ska and reggae trombonist Rico Rodriguez.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts