About The Song
“Under the Influence of Love” is one of the sharp, early-1960s singles that helped define Buck Owens’ Bakersfield sound. Written by Buck and his frequent collaborator Harlan Howard, the song was released on Capitol Records as a single in 1961, paired with “Bad Bad Dream” on the B-side. Just a little over two minutes long, it became another step in Owens’ climb up the country ladder, showing how much drama he could pack into a short, punchy record built on twang, shuffle and plainspoken heartache.
Recording took place at Capitol Studios in Hollywood with producer Ken Nelson, the A&R man who gave Owens the freedom to use a lean, electric band instead of the string sections favored in Nashville at the time. The track later appeared on early LP packages like Buck Owens Sings Harlan Howard and was eventually folded into the compilation-style album You’re for Me, tying it directly to the core of his 1960–62 Capitol output. Modern reissues on labels like Sundazed and digital sets such as Early Recordings 1956–1961 keep the original mono single mix in circulation for new listeners.
On the charts, “Under the Influence of Love” performed strongly in a very competitive era. The single climbed to No. 2 on Billboard’s country chart in 1961, giving Owens yet another Top 5 hit on the heels of “Above and Beyond,” “Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got a Heartache)” and “Foolin’ Around.” It also showed up on Billboard’s year-end list of the Top 50 country and western singles of 1961, where it ranked in the mid-teens among the most-played records of the year. That kind of presence confirmed that what critics would later call the Bakersfield Sound was not just a regional curiosity but a real rival to Nashville on national radio.
The lyric is simple but cutting. The narrator looks back on a relationship he knew was bad for him even as he stayed in it. “She knew I knew that she was out to get me,” he admits, but he closed his eyes and let it happen anyway. Now she walks by him as if they never even met, and he realizes he did not even leave her with a real memory. The chorus explains why: he was “under the influence of love,” blinded enough to let her hurt him even though he knew better. It is a neat twist on the idea of being under the influence of alcohol; here, love itself is the intoxicant that makes a man ignore all the warning signs.
Owens’ vocal brings out the tension between self-blame and lingering desire. He sings in his bright, ringing tenor, almost casual on the surface, but there is a tightness in the way he hits certain lines that suggests anger turned inward. Behind him, the band rides a mid-tempo shuffle with clean electric guitar, pedal steel and a crisp snare, each instrument dropping short, precise fills in the spaces between phrases. There are no strings, no choirs, no studio tricks; Ken Nelson’s production keeps everything dry and close, a small honky-tonk band caught at the exact moment the singer finally admits what has happened to him.
Within Buck Owens’ catalog, “Under the Influence of Love” also illustrates how important Harlan Howard was to his rise. Howard would go on to supply or co-write many of Owens’ signature hits, and this song sat comfortably alongside pieces like “Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got a Heartache)” and “Above and Beyond” when Capitol later packaged them together on Buck Owens Sings Harlan Howard. The combination of Howard’s knack for turning everyday phrases into hooks and Owens’ hard-edged West Coast sound proved so effective that other artists soon began covering their songs, spreading the Bakersfield style even further.
Over time, “Under the Influence of Love” has become a staple on Buck Owens compilations and playlists that trace his path from late-1950s hopeful to mid-1960s chart powerhouse. It appears on multi-disc collections of his Capitol singles and on digital anthologies aimed at younger fans discovering the Bakersfield Sound. Though it is not as widely known outside hardcore country circles as giants like “Act Naturally” or “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail,” the song captures a key part of what made Owens special: the ability to turn a familiar expression into a hook, wrap it in twang and shuffle, and deliver a heartbreak story that feels as inevitable and dangerous as being drunk on love itself.
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Lyric
She knew I knew that she was out to get me
But I just close my eyes and let it be
Now she walks by me like she never met me
I didn’t even make a memoryFor I was under the influence of love
I wonder now what I was thinking of
Yes, I was so in love I let her hurtin’ me
Though I knew better under the influence of loveWhy did I let her do me like she done me?
Why can’t I get that woman off my mind?
Although I know she never truly loved me
I wish she break my heart just one timeFor I was under the influence of love
I wonder now what I was thinking of
Yes, I was so in love I let her hurtin’ me
Though I knew better under the influence of love