Bee Gees – Love You Inside Out

First Hit #1: June 9, 1979

I’m going to guess, based on nothing more than the lyrics, that Barry Gibb was working through some stuff while recording Spirits Having Flown. Tragedy was outright sad, but Love You Inside Out isn’t exactly sunshine and puppy dogs. Oh sure, you’ve got the line Love You Inside Out, but it’s followed by “What are we going to do if we lose that fire?” and it jumps between being a love song and being a song that’s very much about the fear of losing someone. It’s the sound of a man conflicted, a man conflicted in a band really good at making lightweight but structurally sound disco compositions to build his songs on. It does sound a bit torn up, and perhaps that’s why Donna Summer took over again the week after, but it also sounds quite honest and tender, even with the big, bold disco underpinnings.