About The Song
“Love or Something Like It” is a country single co-written and recorded by Kenny Rogers in 1978. United Artists released it on May 29, 1978 as the lead single and title track from his album Love or Something Like It, produced by Larry Butler. Recording took place at Jack Clement Recording in Nashville, the same studio where Rogers had recently cut hits such as “Lucille” and the duet “Every Time Two Fools Collide.” The track runs about 2:55 and was issued on 7-inch single with “Starting Again” on the B-side, helping to launch Rogers’ fifth solo studio album in mid-1978.
The album Love or Something Like It followed quickly on the heels of the duet LP Every Time Two Fools Collide with Dottie West, both released in 1978. Label and chart data show that the album reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and entered the lower half of the Billboard 200, confirming Rogers’ move into the top tier of country-pop acts. Although the LP contained several tracks with pop and even light disco leanings, only the title song was selected as an A-side single; other cuts such as “Momma’s Waiting” later appeared on B-sides to major hits like “The Gambler.”
Writing credit on “Love or Something Like It” is shared by Rogers and keyboardist Steve Glassmeyer, a member of his road and studio band. Biographical and chart references note that it is the only No. 1 country single of his career that he helped write himself. In interviews about his catalogue, commentators frequently point out that Rogers relied heavily on outside songwriters, making this co-written hit an exception. The single’s success therefore stands out both musically and on paper, showing him not only as an interpreter but also as a contributor to the material.
The lyric follows a man who spends his nights in bars, checking out the room and letting “liquor and music” set the tone. He boasts that he can “take her or leave her,” yet admits that something has “got a hold” on him. The recurring phrase “love or something like it” undercuts the idea that what he feels is real love; it may just be attraction and alcohol working together. Verses mention jukeboxes, bourbon, cheap wine and hotel rooms, sketching a scene of casual encounters where emotion and convenience blur, and suggesting that the cost—emotional as much as financial—is “cheap but it ain’t free.”
The arrangement reflects the late-1970s country-pop sound that producer Larry Butler developed for Rogers. The recording uses rhythm section, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and background vocals, with subtle steel guitar touches to keep it rooted in country even as it aims for broader radio appeal. The tempo is easygoing and mid-range, and the structure is compact, built around a strong chorus hook on the title line. Rogers’ vocal sits clearly on top of the mix, with light embellishment rather than heavy orchestration, in keeping with the approach that had already proven effective on hits like “Lucille” and “Daytime Friends.”
On the charts, “Love or Something Like It” became Rogers’ third No. 1 on Billboard’s country singles chart, spending one week at the top and ten weeks in total on that listing. It also made a respectable crossover showing, reaching No. 12 on the U.S. Easy Listening (Adult Contemporary) chart. In Canada, the single topped the RPM Country Tracks chart, hit No. 3 on the adult-contemporary listing and entered the Top 40 of the overall singles chart. These results confirmed that Rogers’ run of hits was continuing beyond his breakthrough year and that his blend of country themes with pop production still connected strongly with audiences across North America.
Since its release, “Love or Something Like It” has remained closely associated with Rogers’ late-1970s period. It appears on reissues of the album of the same name and on various hits compilations that track his move from country star to mainstream crossover figure. While later songs such as “The Gambler,” “Coward of the County” and “Lady” would become even more widely known, this single occupies a distinctive place in his catalogue as a self-co-written No. 1 that captures the mix of barroom setting, romantic uncertainty and polished production that characterized much of his work at the time.
Video
Lyric
Show me a bar with a good looking woman
Then just get out of my way
Turn on the jukebox
I’ll show you a song you should play
Sooner or later, a few shots of bourbon
I’ll think of something to say
Oh, I can take her or leave her
But I’d like to take her away
Liquor and music, a good combination
If you got love on the brain
I never knew two women who acted the same
And some wanna drink first
Some wanna just sit and talk
Oh, it’s two in the morning
I’m running and she wants to walk
Something’s got a hold on me
It’s cheap but it ain’t free
Love or something like, it’s got a hold on me
That’s when I ask her
My place or your place?
I hope I’m not out of line
I asked the wrong thing with just the right women this time
She knew a hotel
She even had a name we could sign
Oh, the cheaper the grapes are
The sweeter the taste of the wine
Something’s got a hold on me
It’s cheap but it ain’t free
Love or something like, it’s got a hold on me
Something’s got a hold on me
It’s cheap but it ain’t free
Love or something like, it’s got a hold on me
Love or something damn near like, it’s got a hold on me