Who doesn’t love the music of the 1980s? Especially in the early part of the decade, some of the songs that came out back then are still on some of our favorite playlists today. These are three of the best nostalgic rock songs from 1981, which I still keep on repeat today.
“So This Is Love?” by Van Halen
On Van Halen’s Fair Warning record is “So This Is Love?” The song is written by Van Halen’s own Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, and Edward Van Halen.
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A song about finally falling in love, “So This Is Love?” says, “I’m in love / Once over / I’m overdone / So this is love? / Ooh, I need your lovin’ / Come on baby, take me home / So this is love? / Ooh, I need your lovin’ / I’m just skin and bones.”
“Take It On The Run” by REO Speedwagon
On REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity album is “Take It On The Run”. Written by band member Gary Richrath, “Take It On The Run” became a Top 5 single for REO Speedwagon.
A song about questioning a partner’s faithfulness in a relationship, “Take It On The Run” says, “You take it on the run baby / If that’s the way you want it baby / Then I don’t want you around / I don’t believe it / Not for a minute / You’re under the gun / So you take it on the run.”
“Hold On Loosely” by .38 Special
.38 Special’s first Top 5 single, “Hold On Loosely” appears on their Wild-Eyed Southern Boys album. The song is written by band member Don Barnes, plus Jeff Carlisi and Jim Peterik.
“Hold On Loosely’ is a song about not getting too close in a relationship. It says, “It’s so damn easy / When your feelings are such / To overprotect her / To love her too much / And my mind goes back to a girl I left / Long years ago who told me / Just hold on loosely / But don’t let go / If you cling too tightly / You’re gonna lose control.”
It was Barnes who had the title “Hold On Loosely”. But it’s Peterik who drew on his own life experience to craft the song.
“My wife of 32 years now, this is what broke us apart when we were teenagers,” Peterik tells Songfacts. “I was getting too close. I was getting too serious for her. She didn’t say, ‘Hold On Loosely,’ but that’s what was in her heart. So when Don said ‘Hold On Loosely,’ I immediately knew what he was talking about. He wasn’t even talking about that exactly, he told me later. He just thought it was a cool title. I immediately saw a story, and it was really my own story.”
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