This band had quite a few hits in the seventies. Each of their singles sounded a little different than the previous one. They had songs that included Little Willy, Fox On The Run, Ballroom Blitz, and this one Love Is Like Oxygen. This song marks a change in their sound. You can hear a little Queen and 10cc in their sound.
Sweet guitarist Andy Scott wrote this song and was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for the composition. It lost to “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty.
Life Is Like Oxygen peaked at #8 in the Billboard 100, #8 in Canada, #9 in the UK, and #6 in New Zealand in 1978. This song was the last hit for Sweet as punk coming in.
From Songfacts
Many songs make liberal use of metaphor in the lyrics, but rarely is a song title a direct metaphor, which is the case here. Sweet eschews subtlety as they make the case that love, much like oxygen, must be constantly regulated.
One of Sweet’s more serene song titles, this was Sweet’s last US, UK and German Top 10 hit, as the group left the glam rock scene for the more plush atmosphere of pop-driven music.
Level Headed was Sweet’s first album for their new label Polydor, in which like ELO they found themselves experimenting with mixing rock and classical sounds.
In 2002, Andy Scott told the Slovakian Box Network: “We had finished with our first record company and had begun on a project for another. At that time the era of the Sex Pistols had started, and how people thought of music reached new dimensions. No one knew what was coming next. We were already a part rock, part metal band. Therefore in the area which was most touched by the changes. That is when I wrote the song ‘Love is Like Oxygen,’ and then the idea came along to compose it in a style which at that time was totally new, yet one that suited us. I think it worked out well. Of course the people didn’t accept it so easily. I consider Level Headed to be a good album, it sold around the world.”
The 1975 Hall & Oates’ song “Grounds for Separation” contains similar lyrics: “But isn’t it a bit like oxygen, ’cause too much will make you high, but not enough will make you die.”
Love Is Like Oxygen
Love is Like Oxygen,
You get too much, you get too high,
Not enough and you’re gonna die.
Love gets you high.
Love is Like Oxygen,
You get too much, you get too high,
Not enough and you’re gonna die.
Love gets you high.
Time on my side.
I got it all.
I heard that pride
Always comes before a fall.
There’s a rumor goin’ around the town.
That you don’t want me around.
I can’t shake off my city blues.
Everywhere I turn, I lose.
Love is Like Oxygen,
You get too much, you get too high,
Not enough and you’re gonna die.
Love gets you high.
Love is Like Oxygen,
You get too much, you get too high,
Not enough and you’re gonna die.
Love gets you high.
Time is no healer.
If you’re not there.
Holy fever.
Set words in the air.
Some things are better left unsaid.
I’m gonna spend my days in bed.
I walk the streets at night,
To be hidden by the city light. City light.
Love is Like Oxygen,
You get too much, you get too high,
Not enough and you’re gonna die.
Love gets you high.
Love is Like Oxygen,
You get too much, you get too high,
Not enough and you’re gonna die.
Love gets you high.
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It sounds like a heavy influence of ELO to me.
They were a good band…
always liked the song, and the band. Took me awhile back then to realize it was the Sweet. To me it sounded like a blend of ELO (as freefallin noted too) and 10cc.
They did have a habit of changing their style with each single…Fox On The Run and this? It was the time period also I guess.
Is Sweet an American band? They seem European to me (kind of sound like Scorpions also.) This is a good song.
No they are British…had quite a few songs…went from bubblegum – rock – glam
Caught them a ways back with Scott. It was a good show and one hit glam tune after another!
I’m jealous man….that is cool.
Shameless Self Plug Part 5….
https://superdekes.wordpress.com/2018/01/12/rock-the-fort-2006/
Cool dude!
Quite the departure from Ballroom Blitz. 😄
I love this band.
Every single is somewhat different…I’m back in the office today…by myself in IT…I have the door locked to all outsiders.
Gerbil in a box. 🐁
Yes and I love it…this is how I like to work….Alone! No one bugging me… We have a conference later…I’ll join by phone lol.
I prefer to work alone without being bugged, too. I get my focus and into my groove.
That is what I did today…I’m worn out though…not use to the traveling lol
Hard to return to the previous ways of work.
Yes yes it is…loved it while I was there but…now I’m tired lol
😀
I never had any of their albums -but this has always been one of my favorite songs.
I was thinking a 10cc or Queen vibe to it…but a lot of people say ELO and I agree. I do like them…they gave a variety
Huge fan of The Sweet, weird band in the sense of notoriety today. A unique sound on every song, some of their stuff sounds like early AC/DC others Queen and Slade. It’s too bad what happened to Brian Connelly I heard he had like 12 heart attacks and , rough early end to his life.
They were different on each single. A little bubble gum-rock-glam-pop…
Yes that was sad about Connelly.
Great Hard rock band. An awesome string of albums from 74-79
I really like them. I’ve covered a lot their songs because they changed it up on a lot of the singles…from Little Willy, Ballroom Blitz…cool stuff.
Aside from this and a few of the bands different tracks like Mother Earth, i really love their hard rock stuff –
https://outsiderrock.wordpress.com/2020/06/20/sweet-70s-hard-rock-classics/