Released November 1976 Recorded 1976 Length 3:40 | Format 7" single Genre Soft rock | |
B-side "I Just Want to Love You" | ||
"Torn Between Two Lovers" is a pop song written by Peter Yarrow (of the folk music trio Peter, Paul & Mary) and Phillip Jarrell. The song describes a love triangle and laments that "loving both of you is breaking all the rules". Yarrow originally intended the song to be sung by a man, but it was ultimately made famous by a woman, Mary MacGregor, who recorded it at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in 1976. The song became the title track of MacGregor's first album.
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Chart performance
"Torn Between Two Lovers" reached #1 on both the U.S. pop chart in February 1977 as well as the easy listening chart in the final week of 1976 and first week of 1977. It also reached number one on the corresponding Canadian charts. The song also peaked at #3 on the country charts of both nations. In early 1977, the song peaked at #4 in the United Kingdom.
Covers
"Torn Between Two Lovers" has also been recorded by Johnny Rodriguez for his 1977 album Practice Makes Perfect, Anna-Lena Löfgren for her 1979 album Lev Som Du Lär and Anita Meyer for her 1984 album Face to Face. Connie Francis recorded "Torn Between Two Lovers" for her 1989 album release Where the Hits Are which was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and contained a number of songs whose original versions were Muscle Shoals recordings. Faye Wong recorded a Cantonese version of "Torn Between Two Lovers" (中間人) in her debut album "Shirley Wong" in 1989. Joey Sontz recorded "Torn Between Two Lovers" for his debut album "Chasing The Dream" in 2012.
"Torn Between Two Lovers" has been rendered in a number of languages including German: "Zwischen Zwei Gefühlen" by Penny McLean, Portuguese: "Só, Entre Dois Amores" by Celly Campello (pt), Dutch: "Hulpeloos verloren" by Conny Vandenbos and Swedish: "Ge Mig Dina Tankar" by Wizex, Spanish: "Entre dos amores" by Christie Lee.
The song was mentioned in the lyrics of Dolly Parton's 1984 country single "God Won't Get You".
TV movie
"Torn Between Two Lovers" inspired the title of a television movie aired in 1979, starring Lee Remick, George Peppard and Joseph Bologna, in which the song is played.