I Need A Lover

This song is about finding a low-maintenance lover who knows when to go away and won't require a commitment. The song is tinged with loneliness, however, as Mellencamp seems to be going crazy sitting at home all alone, watching TV to see what's happening out in the world. Seems he's losing his mind with or without a lover.

Mellencamp wrote this song, and it was his first hit. At the time, he was known as "John Cougar," which had recently been changed from "Johnny Cougar," the name given to him by his manager, Tony DeFries. Released as Mellencamp's first single, it had a huge impact on his career, which was waning at the time. His first album, Chestnut Street Incident, was released in 1976 and sold poorly. His next album, A Biography, was issued in 1978 only in the UK, Germany and Australia, and included "I Need A Lover." The song did well in Australia, charting at #5, so it was included on his next album, John Cougar (which was released in America), with "I Need A Lover" also issued as a single in the States. The song climbed to #28 in December 1979 and earned Mellencamp another album. The singer says that at the time, he was worried that he was already washed up.

Pat Benatar recorded this on her first album in 1979. Her producer, Mike Chapman, heard Mellencamp perform the song at the Los Angeles club The Whisky a Go Go when he was the opening act for the British band The Jam. Benatar's album sold well, and as the credited writer on one of its 10 tracks, Mellencamp got a welcome infusion of cash from the royalties.