Some hit songs are the product of much inspiration and perspiration, labored over and fine-tuned by the writers, performers, and producers for maximum impact. And then there are those that stumble into mass acceptance without much forethought behind them. “This Guy’s In Love With You” by Herb Alpert definitely falls into the latter category. It came about as a last-minute necessity and turned into a No. 1 single.
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The Trumpeter Sings
Herb Alpert didn’t really do vocals. Nor did he need to. He had built an incredibly successful catalog out of cocktail pop instrumentals featuring his chipper trumpet and his backing band, the Tijuana Brass. His albums topped the charts with stunning regularity.
On top of that, Alpert enjoyed all this success via A&M Records, a label that he started with Jerry Moss. As his acclaim skyrocketed, opportunities arose to build up the scope of his output. For example, Alpert was granted his own network television special, The Beat Of The Brass, in the spring of 1968.
As the special entered production, it was decided that a clip of Alpert singing to his wife might be a nice touch. Since he didn’t usually deal much with songs with lyrics, Alpert turned to two men who knew more than a thing or two about smart, melodic, romantic pop music: lyricist Hal David and composer Burt Bacharach. The legendary duo delivered “This Guy’s In Love With You”.
“Guy” Problems
The provenance of “This Guy’s In Love With You” has long been a source of confusion. Both Burt Bacharach and (in some interviews) Herb Alpert claim that Bacharach/David wrote the song specifically for the occasion. Yet that reminiscence fails to acknowledge that a Bacharach/David song called “That Guy’s In Love” had been recorded by a British artist named Danny Williams in 1967.
David’s remembrances, corroborated by Alpert in later interviews, make more sense. He recalled that Alpert came to the duo asking if they had any songs lying around that hadn’t received a ton of attention. When they presented Alpert with “That Guy’s In Love”, which featured lines suggesting the girl in the song was messing around with someone other than the narrator, Alpert asked if the lyrics could be changed.
David complied. Alpert crooned the song on the special, never thinking anything would come of it. But the public loved it and demanded to hear it on the radio. “This Guy’s In Love With You” became the first No. 1 for both Alpert as an artist and Bacharach/David as a songwriting team.
Behind the Lyrics of “This Guy’s In Love With You”
“This Guy’s In Love With You” features a narrator laying his feelings on the line to the girl of his dreams. “You see this guy,” Herb Alpert sheepishly sings. “This guy’s in love with you.” David’s lyrics are very simple and straightforward, all the better for a one-on-one conversation. “How can I show you?” the narrator wonders. “I’m glad to know you.”
He tentatively shows confidence that she might feel the same way. But he also fears the outcome if she doesn’t. “My hands are shaking,” he admits. “Don’t let my heart keep breaking.” And what if she can’t reciprocate his love? “If not I’ll just die,” Alpert dejectedly sings.
Bacharach delivers a typically ornate melody, complete with sweeping orchestral flourishes. And David’s lyrics allow Alpert to speak from the heart without worrying about blowing people away with his vocal power. And, of course, Alpert adds a soulful trumpet solo. However and whyever it came about, “This Guy’s In Love With You” is pure pop brilliance.
Photo by Dewey Nicks, Courtesy Grandstand Media
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