Written in 1965 by Love guitarist Bryan MacLean but not completed until the 1967 recording of the band’s third album “Forever Changes,” it’s inspired by the memory of waiting for a girlfriend with a melody based loosely on Prokofiev’s “Lieutenant Kije Suite.”
The contrast between the upbeat, Spanish backbone of the tune and the downbeat bleakness of the lyrics (the chorus: "And I will be alone again tonight, my dear") makes this a candidate for all time greatness, finishing with a lone acoustic guitar that closes the song with the opening melody but sounds anything but ecstatic, ending with an Emin plus 2 chord (the first time I had ever heard it used in a pop context). West coast psychedelia in excelsis deo. And trumpet solo! 🎺
