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Your Love Alone Is Not Enough

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Length
  
3:55

Label
  
Columbia

Released
  
23 April 2007 (2007-04-23)

Format
  
CD single 7" vinyl digital download

Genre
  
Alternative rock, hard rock

Writer(s)
  
James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Sean Moore

"Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" is a single by Welsh rock group the Manic Street Preachers, it was the lead single that was taken from the album Send Away the Tigers. It peaked on number 2 in the UK Singles Chart.

Contents

Background

The song is a duet featuring the vocals of lead singer James Dean Bradfield and Nina Persson of The Cardigans, as well as additional vocals from bass guitarist Nicky Wire. It was released on 23 April 2007. According to the band they always had a duet in mind, seeing that the lyrics have a question/reply style to it. According to singer Bradfield the title was the last line of a suicide note left by the friend of someone close to the group.

According to Nicky Wire the song is in part concerned with the disappearance of Richey Edwards: "... while I was writing those words addressed to him (Richey Edwards) on Your Love Alone…something touched me at my desk when I wrote “I could have shown you how to cry”"

Like with all Send Away the Tigers-related material, the cover image is taken from the photography book Monika Monster Future First Woman on Mars by Valerie Phillips.

The song's lyrics reference past classic British rock songs:

  • The lyrics "You stole the Sun straight from my heart" is a quote from Manic Street Preachers' own earlier hit of the same name on the album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours.
  • The line "trade all your heroes in for ghosts" is a reference to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here".
  • "I could have seen for miles and miles" is a nod to The Who's "I Can See for Miles".
  • "I could have placed us in exile" may be a reference to The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street as well as the disappearance of Richey Edwards

    • Release

    The physical release was on April 23, but the song had already charted at No. 26 in the UK charts on early download sales. On Tuesday, Music Week reported that the single was due to hit #1 on Sunday 6 May, after its physical release. However, they charted at number 2, behind the Beyoncé–Shakira collaboration "Beautiful Liar".

    The single spent a total of 7 weeks in the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart, which makes Your Love Alone Is Not Enough the best performing single by the group in the Top 40 in the UK, alongside A Design for Life.

    Awards

    The song won "Best Track" at the Q Awards 2007.

    Track listing

    CD single
    1. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" – 3:57
    2. "Boxes & Lists" – 3:56
    Maxi CD single
    1. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" – 3:57
    2. "Love Letter to the Future" – 3:44
    3. "Welcome to the Dead Zone" – 3:42
    4. "Little Girl Lost" – 2:14
    7" limited edition
    1. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" – 3:55
    2. "Fearless Punk Ballad" – 3:59
    Digital download
    1. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" – 3:55
    2. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" (James Solo Acoustic) – 3:59
    3. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" (Nina Solo Acoustic) – 3:59
    Promo CD
    1. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" – 3:59
    2. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" (Instrumental) – 3:57

    References

    Your Love Alone Is Not Enough Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA