Bonnie Raitt – Something To Talk About

Bonnie Raitt hit really big 1989 and the early nineties. She is an excellent slide guitar player. I was happy to see her so popular. She had been working since the early seventies and had some minor success in 1977 with a remake of Runaway.

In 1989 she released Nick of Time and had success with “Thing Called Love.” In 1990 she released the album Luck of the Draw which “Something To Talk About” was on.

The song peaked at #5 in the Billboard 100, #3 in Canada, and #33 in New Zealand 1991.

This was written by the Canadian singer Shirley Eckhard, who had recorded in the Jazz and Country genres but has had her most success as a songwriter, with songs recorded by Chet Atkins, Cher, Anne Murray, and Rita Coolidge.

Raitt was looking for songs for her next album after the success of Nick of Time. She said that the tape by Eckhard could have been sitting on her shelf for two years. She loved Shirley’s songs. Raitt waited to call her until she recorded the song. When she did she called Shirley and played the recording on Eckhard’s answering service.

This won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

From Songfacts

This song is about small-town gossip and the effect it has on the singer and the guy she’s secretly in love with. It turns out that they’re rumored to be having an affair, and since the rumor-spreaders already think that the two people are involved, the song asks, why not have an affair anyway, thus giving them “something to talk about.” 

According to Anne Murray’s 2009 book All of Me, Anne wanted to record this song in 1986, but her producers didn’t think it would be a hit. She called her 1986 album “Something to Talk About” even though it did not include this song. Anne said she was happy that Bonnie Raitt made it a big hit five years later. >>

For Raitt, this was by far her biggest chart hit in the United States.

This is a very popular Karaoke song, and is often performed by American Idol contestants. Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino performed the song on the show, as did Idol notables Kellie Pickler and Sanjaya Malakar.

Something To Talk About

People are talkin’, talkin’ ’bout people
I hear them whisper, you won’t believe it
They think we’re lovers kept under covers
I just ignore it, but they keep saying
We laugh just a little too loud
We stand just a little too close
We stare just a little too long
Maybe they’re seeing something we don’t, darlin’

Let’s give them something to talk about
Let’s give them something to talk about
Let’s give them something to talk about
How about love?

I feel so foolish, I never noticed
You’d act so nervous
Could you be falling for me?
It took a rumor to make me wonder
Now I’m convinced I’m going under
Thinking ’bout you every day
Dreaming ’bout you every night
Hoping that you feel the same way
Now that we know it, let’s really show it, darlin’

Let’s give them something to talk about
A little mystery to figure out
Let’s give them something to talk about
How about love, love, love, love?

Let’s give them something to talk about, baby
A little mystery to figure out
Let’s give them something to talk about
How about love, love, love, love?

(Something to talk about)
(Something to talk about)
How about love, love, love, love?

How about love, love, love, love?

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

27 thoughts on “Bonnie Raitt – Something To Talk About”

  4. Always like that song, actually whole album was pretty good. Bonnie somehow reminds me a bit of Susan Sarandon – both a little bit to look at, and in that both seem talented in what they do and kind of gritty, down to earth.
    I didn’t know Shirley wrote that one. She had a fairly big hit in Canada on her own with “Say You Love Me” in the 70s.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPX0J9NNDAw

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    1. That is a cool cover. Bonnie said also that she really liked her voice. I knew John Hiatt wrote Thing Called Love for her but I didn’t know about this one.
      They do favor some. I think Bonnie’s guitar playing gets overlooked. She earned everything she got after being at it for so long.

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    1. I did hear Runaway in the eighties and loved it. I was so happy to see her really make it.
      Another one Pam that I have missed seeing.

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      2. The Cars I really regret also. I did get to see Bruce twice. Once on an acoustic tour and the other with the E Street Band.

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  8. I love Bonnie Raitt, especially on this song and “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Another gem I would highly recommend is “Write Me A Few of Your Lines/Kokomo Blues,” if you haven’t heard it definitely give it a listen!

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  9. Lot’s of Canadian connections going on here at your site lately Max. LOL
    Great stuff.
    I was happy that Raitt got her due at the end of the 80s into the early 90s. She earned it.

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