“Love” was a central theme in many of the songs Alan Jackson penned and recorded during his Hall of Fame career, including “I’d Love You All Over Again,” “A Woman’s Love,” and “When Somebody Loves You,” among others. When it was time to start penning songs for his 1994 studio album, Who I Am, love came shining through once again via “Livin’ on Love.”
Alan Jackson released “Livin’ on Love” to country radio on Aug. 29, 1994. Two months later on Oct. 29, Alan had scored his ninth No. 1 hit.
Alan Picks Up the Pace
After the release of his major-label debut album, Here in the Real World, in February 1990, Alan Jackson started dropping music at a prolific pace. His sophomore album, Don’t Rock the Jukebox, followed in May 1991, while he released his third album, A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ’Bout Love), in October 1992. In addition, Alan released a holiday album, Honky Tonk Christmas, in 1993.
And why not keep up the plentiful pace? Alan was dominating the singles chart. By the end of 1993, the Newnan, Georgia, native had already scored seven No. 1 singles, as well as seven Top 5 hits. In fact, his 1992 album, A Lot About Livin’, was his first to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. It would not be his last.
Alan released his fifth studio album, Who I Am, on June 28, 1994. The album, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, produced four No. 1 singles, including lead single, “Summertime Blues” (July 1994).
Livin’ on Love
Alan released the album’s second single, “Livin’ on Love,” on Aug. 29, 1994. And while photos of his parents—”Daddy Gene” and “Mama Ruth”—are featured throughout the video for the tune, Alan didn’t actually write the song with his parents in mind.
“After I wrote it, I was sitting there looking at it and said, ‘Boy, that sounds just like my mama and daddy’s life,'” said Alan Jackson to Country Weekly magazine in 1997. “They married when they were kids and all they ever had was each other and their family. Now they’re at the age where all their children have grown up and gone, and they still sit on the front porch swing, just like the song says. It’s weird how I wrote it and didn’t really think of them, yet it sounds just like them.”
Proving that love endures, “Livin’ on Love” stayed at No. 1 for three weeks.
