The Life of the Song Through Countless Covers: “Everlasting Love”

With hooks aplenty and heartfelt lyrics about regret and devotion, “Everlasting Love” features a core that’s about as solid as it gets. It’s no wonder that artists keep returning to the song, often turning it into a hit.

Tracing the history of “Everlasting Love” unravels a tapestry of artists both famous and obscure. Some used it as their lone hit, while other superstars dashed it off as a curiosity. In all cases, the soul of this deceptively simple track couldn’t help but shine forth.

About the Song

In terms of its structure, “Everlasting Love” is somewhat off the beaten path. There’s really only one verse, which appears at the beginning of the song, never to return again. The bridge is only a few bars that allow the lead singer to do some ad-libbing while backing vocalists step in with the line “Need a love to last forever.”

Instead, the song is built around the chorus, which goes on much longer than your average refrain. On top of that, you get a completely different set of lyrics the second time the chorus is repeated. The structure makes it feel like “Everlasting Love” is forever peaking until the fadeout.

In terms of the lyrics, they begin on a down note. “Hearts go astray, leaving hurt as they go,” the narrator explains. To emphasize his point, he makes a personal confession: “I went away just when you needed me so.”

Realizing the error of his ways, he uses the chorus to make his case that she’s being too hasty in dismissing him. “Open up your eyes,” he entreats. “Then you’ll realize/Here I stand with my/Everlasting love.” By the end of the second chorus, he’s making proclamations as if it’s not even in doubt: “When other loves are gone/Ours will be strong.” And the sway of the melody makes you believe him.

“Everlasting Love” was penned by Mac Gayden and Buzz Cason. Each man boasted a long record of writing songs for both themselves and others. But “Everlasting Love” is by far and away the biggest hit connected to both men.

A History of Its Performers

Cason and Gayden originally wrote the song as a vehicle for Robert Knight, having heard Knight sing and realizing that he was something special. Sure enough, Knight delivered a sparkling vocal, and the song went to No. 13 in 1967, no easy feat considering the level of music released that year.

Just a year later, a British group named Love Affair took the song to No. 1 in the UK. Interestingly enough, their version featured only Steve Ellis of the band. Session musicians and hired backup singers supported Ellis. Future hitmaker Kiki Dee was one of the backing vocalists on the track.

The biggest-ever hit US version of the song (No. 6 in 1974) came from Carl Carlton. Carlton’s take featured just enough of a backbeat to lure the burgeoning disco audience. Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet, who’d both go on to substantial acting careers as well as their music endeavors, had a minor duet hit with the song in 1981.

Later down the road, Gloria Estefan took “Everlasting Love” to the Top 30 in America in 1995. Perhaps the best-known version of the song that wasn’t a huge hit single was by U2. They used it as a B-side in 1989, and the song received plenty of rock radio airplay.

What’s fascinating about these covers is how most stay relatively faithful to the structure of the original. It’s a testament to the sturdiness of what Cason and Gayden created all those years ago. Maybe there’s a way to deconstruct “Everlasting Love” and do something special with it. But we’re okay if folks just keep doing loyal versions of the song and bringing new ears to this soulful marvel.

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