Love Is The Law

We lived in a dogfish egg case, you could barely call it home
A sorry little lot, no roof on top but the fish left us alone
"Try a little more", said the girl next door, it's time to roam

Mad Lizzy Crumbs' blind cobblers thumbs were a sight to behold
She was a rum old slapper and we always tried to get her pants off when she phoned
Left her cap by the sink, it's not what you think, oh take me home

Now we know where we're going baby
We can lay back, enjoy the ride
Take in the sights and drown in our senses
Love is the law so take me deep inside

Strap-on Sally chased us down the alley, we feared for our behinds
Oasis was a shop with shoes so hot, they were sure to blow your mind
Running so fast, I can taste the past, oh take me home

Now we know where we're going baby
We can lay back, enjoy the ride
Take in the sights and drown in our senses
Love is the law so take me deep inside

These waters run deep, it's clear my little one
Blue velvet star sky, not a sound
The light in your eyes, the smile on your ruby lips
Tells me my lost soul is found

Now we know where we're going baby
We can lay back, enjoy the ride
Take in the sights and drown in our senses
Love is the law so take me deep inside

Lyrics by:
Squire

Format:
Released April 1997:
Love Is The Law (Geffen, WGFS 22243, Promo CD)
Love Is The Law (Single Edit) / Love Is The Law (Rock Edit) / Love Is The Law (LP Version) (Geffen, PRO-CD-1091, US Promo CD)
Love Is The Law / Dreamer / Sale Of The Century (Geffen, GEFDS-9789, Canadian Promo CD)

Released 28th April 1997:
Love Is The Law / Dreamer / Sale Of The Century (Geffen, GFSTD 22243, CD)
Love Is The Law / Dreamer (Geffen, GFS 22243, 7")
Love Is The Law / Dreamer (Geffen, GFSC 22243, cassette)

Released 21st May 1997:
Love Is The Law / Dreamer / Sale Of The Century (Geffen, MVCF-12002, Japanese CD)
Love Is The Law / Dreamer / Sale Of The Century (Geffen, MVCF-12002, Japanese Promo CD)

UK Chart position:
#3

Also available on:
Do It Yourself (7.43)

Artwork details:
The Love Is The Law artwork is from 'Love Is The Law' (acrylic on calico with clay and epoxy resin, 28" x 28", 1996).

Details:

"I'm not a Satanist, if that's what yer thinkin'. I'm aware of Aleister Crowley's slogans and a bit about him, but I don't agree with that much of it. But 'Love Is The Law' is a worthy sentiment, and I identify with the thrust of his philosophy that's opposed to organised religion and Christianity. But to treat him as a great figure, or to replace organised religion with worshipping the devil is just as much nonsense."
(John Squire speaking to the NME, 26th April 1997)

Aleister Crowley (1875 - 1947), born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other fields, including mountaineering, chess and poetry. In his role as the founder of the Thelemite faith, he came to see himself as the prophet who was entrusted with informing humanity that it was entering the new Aeon of Horus in the early twentieth century. Born into a wealthy upper class family, as a young man he became an influential member of the esoteric Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn after befriending the order's leader, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers. Subsequently believing that he was being contacted by his Holy Guardian Angel, an entity known as Aiwass, whilst staying in Egypt in 1904, he received a text known as The Book of the Law from what he believed was a divine source, and around which he would come to develop his new religion of Thelema. He would go on to found his own occult society, the A[]A[], and eventually rose to become a leader of Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), before founding a religious commune in Cefalu known as the Abbey of Thelema, which he led from 1920 until 1923. After being evicted from Cefalu he returned to Britain, where he continued to promote Thelema until his death. Crowley was bisexual, a recreational drug experimenter and a social critic. In many of these roles he "was in revolt against the moral and religious values of his time" (Symonds, 1997, p. vii.), espousing a form of libertinism based upon the rule of "Do What Thou Wilt". Because of this, he gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, and was denounced in the popular press of the day as "the wickedest man in the world." Crowley has been an influence for a string of popular musicians throughout the 20th century. The Beatles included him as one of the many figures on the cover sleeve of their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, where he is situated between Sri Yukteswar Giri and Mae West. A more intent interest in Crowley was held by Jimmy Page; despite not describing himself as a Thelemite or being a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis, Page was still fascinated by Crowley, and owned some of his clothing, manuscripts and ritual objects. During the 1970s, he bought Boleskine House, which also appears in the band's movie, 'The Song Remains the Same.' David Bowie too became immersed in his work in the 1970s ("I'm closer to the Golden Dawn, immersed in Crowley's uniform of imagery", 'Quicksand' from the album 'Hunky Dory').

Thelema, which forms the song's chorus, is the mystical cosmology Crowley announced in 1904 and expanded upon for the remainder of his life. The diversity of his writings illustrate his difficulty in classifying Thelema from any one vantage. It can be considered a form of magical philosophy, religious traditionalism, humanistic positivism, and/or an elitist meritocracy. The chief precept of Thelema, derived from the works of François Rabelais, is the sovereignty of Will: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." Crowley's idea of will, however, is not simply the individual's desires or wishes, but also incorporates a sense of the person's destiny or greater purpose: what he termed "True Will". The second precept of Thelema is "Love is the law, love under will" - and Crowley's meaning of "Love" is as complex as that of "Will." It is frequently sexual: Crowley's system, like elements of the Golden Dawn before him, sees the dichotomy and tension between the male and female as fundamental to existence, and sexual "magick" and metaphor form a significant part of Thelemic ritual. However, Love is also discussed as the Union of Opposites, which Crowley thought was the key to enlightenment.

The riff may emanate from 'What Is Life' by George Harrison, from his 1970 solo LP, 'All Things Must Pass.' The guitar workout raids the Led Zeppelin back catalogue. Compare 5.09 - 5.18 of Love Is The Law to 3.05 - 3.18 of 'Whole Lotta Love.' Squire's guitar 'scraping' in this section of the coda recalls those of Page throughout the 'breakdown' section of 'Whole Lotta Love.' The end of Love Is The Law then diverts to the riff from 'How Many More Times', from 'Led Zeppelin I'; also discernible is the influence of 'Heartbreaker', from 'Led Zeppelin II.'

 

Left: Love Is The Law cover artwork, which adorned the front of Andy Watts' bass drum on tour.
Right: 'Love Is The Law' (acrylic on calico with clay and epoxy resin, 28" x 28", 1996), from the Manchester exhibition, May 2004. "It is what it is. Fairly literal. Sherriff's badge and hearts. I took an old bike frame my Dad had renovated for my Mum - but she doesn't like cycling or staircases and it turned into a rusting hulk. So I threw it outside my house, put the wheel in a vice on a bench, put a board on top of that. Lots of cranking round. Very time consuming." (John Squire speaking to Select Magazine, November 1997).

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