The “love theme” was a common phenomenon at the intersection between movies and music in the 1980s, as major motion pictures often commissioned a power ballad of sorts to play over some emotional or passionate moment. “Look What You’ve Done to Me” by Boz Scaggs performed just such a role in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, and became a huge hit in the process.
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What is the song about? What frequent Scaggs collaborator helped bring the song to life? And which rock stars were part of the A-list lineup that contributed to its recording? Let’s look back at one of the best of the ’80s movie ballads.
Scaggs and Foster
Boz Scaggs had been knocking around as a band member and solo artist for about a decade before breaking out in a big way with the 1976 album Silk Degrees. On that album, Scaggs found a sweet spot between pop, R&B, and singer/songwriter that captivated audiences. However, his 1977 follow-up album Down Two Then Left didn’t quite sustain that commercial success.
For his 1980 album Middle Man, Scaggs found a new collaborator in David Foster. Foster would go on to be one of the biggest producers of the decade, and the work he did with Scaggs on that album—both as a producer and a co-writer—went a long way to establishing him in that arena.
As they were putting together Middle Man, the two men also received a call to provide a song for Urban Cowboy. One problem: They would only have a night to get the thing finished and get it sent out to the film set, because the scene where the track would appear was being filmed the following day. No pressure or anything.
“Done” Deal
Foster struggled throughout that evening to come up with the music for what would become “Look What You’ve Done to Me.” Scaggs just wasn’t thrilled with anything the composer was playing. All of a sudden, Foster hit upon the song’s opening chords, and Scaggs knew they were on the right track. They finished writing the song in time.
One thing about Foster’s ’80s productions was you could usually count on an impressive list of players to be included. When it came time to record “Look What You’ve Done to Me,” he called upon several members of Toto (Steve Lukather, Mike Porcaro, and Jeff Porcaro) to help out.
On top of that, none other than Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles came aboard to do backing vocals. With Scaggs’ soulful croon underpinning the whole thing, it’s no surprise “Look What You’ve Done to Me” achieved hit status, as it burrowed its way into the Top 15 in 1980. It has since gone on to become one of Scaggs’ most beloved songs.
What is the Meaning of “Look What You’ve Done to Me”?
The verses to “Look What You’ve Done to Me” are essentially the prelude to a night of passion. It begins with a slow dance: Hope they never end this song / This could take the whole night long. The narrator suggests pushing this affair to the next level would mean no turning back: Eyes like fire in the night / Bridges burning with their light.
Take me up your stairs and through your door / Take me where we don’t care anymore, Scaggs sings, suggesting the moment is nigh. In the refrains, the narrator stops his seduction to address his incredulity at how things have turned out: Love, look what you’ve done to me. But he also knows love leads to scary vulnerability: Oh, love, you wouldn’t lie to me, would you? / Leaving me to feel this way.
Urban Cowboy was released in June 1980, and “Look What You’ve Done to Me” arrived as a single two months later. The song set the tone for the movie love themes to come in the decade, and thanks to the talents of Boz Scaggs and his big-name cohorts, it set a pretty high bar for those songs to clear as well.
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