I Need a Lover
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "I Need a Lover" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Johnny Cougar | ||||
| from the album A Biography and John Cougar | ||||
| B-side | "Welcome to Chinatown" | |||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Studio | AIR (London, UK)[1] | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 5:38,[1] 3:30 (single) | |||
| Label | Riva | |||
| Songwriter | John Mellencamp | |||
| Producer | John Punter[1] | |||
| Johnny Cougar singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I Need a Lover" is the debut single by John Mellencamp, first released in 1978 under the stage name "Johnny Cougar".
The song appeared on his 1978 album A Biography, which was not released in the United States.[2] After becoming a top 10 hit in Australia, the song was later included on his 1979 follow-up album John Cougar[3] to introduce it to U.S. audiences, and was released there as a single, becoming his first U.S. top 40 hit when it reached No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1979.[4]
AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described "I Need a Lover" as Mellencamp's "first good song".[2] Cash Box said that "Cougar's gutsy, forthright vocals and lyrics are nicely backed by passionate guitar and a footstomping, hell-raising beat."[5] Record World said that "Cougar's midwestern roots grow into urban urgency on this explosive rocker."[6]
On his inspiration for writing "I Need a Lover", Mellencamp said: "The song's about a friend of mine who goes to Concordia College. When that song was written, he was pretty sad. He was . . . livin' in his bedroom. I told him, 'You got to get the hell out of the house!' He'd say, 'Man, if I only had a girl, she'd make me forget my problems.' I just said, 'Well . . . '"
Mellencamp has also stated that "I Need a Lover" was inspired by the Rolling Stones' 1972 song "Happy".
