Alan Jackson has been topping the charts since the early nineties. Right now, he has 60 top-40 country hits. Out of those, 26 have reached the top of the Billboard country singles chart. That, in and of itself, is impressive. However, when you listen to his music, it becomes even more awe-inspiring. AJ has never chased trends or made music by the numbers. Instead, he has been recording traditional-sounding country music since the beginning of his career.
On top of that, Alan Jackson writes most of his own songs. However, even when he doesn’t write a song he transforms it in such a way that you believe he is speaking from experience. It is the authenticity in his music that has made him a hit-making machine for the past three decades.
Today marks the 29th anniversary of his fifth chart-topping single, “Love’s Got a Hold on You.” So. grab your best cut-off shirt and step into the honky-tonk time machine with us as we go back in time to look at this killer single.
Alan Jackson Drops ‘Love’s Got a Hold on You’ on This Day in 1992
Alan Jackson released “Love’s Got a Hold on You,” as the fifth and final single from Don’t Rock the Jukebox. It was the fourth chart-topper from that album and his fifth overall. The single also holds the distinction of being the only song on the album that Jackson didn’t at least co-write. Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall co-penned the song and AJ made it his own.
Sonically, “Love’s Got a Hold on You,” fits right in with Alan Jackson’s other uptempo, light-hearted numbers. For instance, this would go great in a playlist with tunes like “Good Time,” “Chattahoochee,” and “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” It’s full of electric guitars that combine a little honky-tonk and a little blues. Simply put, it’s a toe-tapper.
Lyrically, the song is about how much life changes when you find “the one,” and fall in love. However, Jackon lays it out in a way that is more humorous than heartwarming. At the same time, if you’ve been there before, this track is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and transport you back to the days of butterflies and sweaty palms.
In the first couple of verses, Alan Jackson sings about consulting his doctor and then his friends about the things he’s feeling. He tells his doctor that he knows that something is wrong with him. When he talks to his buddies about it and tells him he’s ready to settle down, they want to know what’s wrong with him. Both of these conversations lead seamlessly into the chorus.
“I said my hands are sweaty and my knees are weak. / I can’t eat and I can’t sleep. / It’s turning me every way but loose. / He said it sounds like love’s got a hold on you. / No doubt love’s got a hold on you.”
Give this one a spin today. You won’t regret it.
