1979 single by Rod Stewart

"Ain`t Love a Bitch" is a song written by Gary Grainger and Rod Stewart. Stewart released it on his 1978 album Blondes Have More Fun, and it was one of four songs on the album co-written by Stewart and Grainger.[1] The song was released as a single in 1979, reaching #11 on the UK charts, and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.[2][3][4][5] It spent 8 weeks on the UK charts and 6 weeks on the US charts.[3][6] The song also reached the Top Ten in several countries, including Ireland.[7] Billboard magazine placed Stewart #7 on its list of the Top Single Artists of 1979 on the strength of "Ain`t Love a Bitch" and its predecessor, "Da Ya Think I`m Sexy?".[8]

Stewart performed the song on Dave Allen`s Dave Allen at Large.[9] A video of the song was included on the DVD included in the deluxe editions of the compilation album Some Guys Have All the Luck / The Definitive Rod Stewart.[10]

Music and lyrics

Stewart biographer Sean Egan described the music as having "gentle, melodious and sprightly tones".[11] Record World described the rhythm as "light" and said that Stewart`s vocals "have a music hall quality."[12]

Egan described the lyrics as "detailing...the vicissitudes of romance" and recognizing that some of the singer`s suffering in romance is due to the fact that he can`t grow up.[11] The lyrics of one verse refer back to Stewart`s earlier hit single "Maggie May", describing a woman who took the singer`s virginity at 17 and "made a first class fool out of [him]", and ending with the line "Oh Maggie if you`re still out there the rest is history."[11]

Background

Rolling Stone critic Janet Maslin excoriated the song as being "unexpectedly sensitive, with a soft, strum-along melody and a bunch of namby-pamby characters doo-doo-doing a background chorus while Stewart croons about old girlfriends."[13] She further criticizes the song for taking material that could have been tough and making it sound "like the 1400th cover version of `I Left My Heart in San Francisco.`"[13] CD Review commented on the references within "Ain`t Love a Bitch" to Stewart`s earlier song "Maggie May", describing the music as "bouncy".[14] High Fidelity objected to the lyrics blaming women for love`s problems.[15] The Albany Herald also noted that the song is autobiographical, and incorporates elements from Stewart`s "musical and personal past."[16] Stereo Review described the song as a "repellent frat-house love song".[17] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the song as being in the same mold as "Da Ya Think I`m Sexy?".[18] Author Barry Alan Farber described the line "Ain`t we all a little juvenile" as encapsulating the way people retain pieces of their adolescence into adulthood.[19] Cash Box called it a "return to the...balladeering of `Tonight`s The Night`" after the disco success of "Do Ya Think I`m Sexy" and said the song has "gentle, soothing acoustic guitar work, strings, and light drumming."[20]

Chart performance