Love Will Keep Us Together

Love Will Keep Us Together

Captain & Tennille

From the album

Love Will Keep Us Together (1975)

Written by

Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield

Key:F major
Duration:3:25

Listen to the Song

Summary

Originally written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in 1973, 'Love Will Keep Us Together' was transformed by Captain & Tennille into a buoyant, keyboard-driven pop classic. Their version topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and earned the Grammy for Record of the Year, defining the sound of mid-70s soft pop.

soft pop70s classicGrammy winnernumber one hitcover song

Musical Analysis

The harmony is built on a deceptively simple pop framework elevated by the augmented tonic chord, a device Sedaka borrowed from soul music. The Faug chord introduces chromatic tension that resolves smoothly into the IV chord, giving the song an ear-catching ha…

Chords

verse:F - Faug - Bb - C
chorus:Bb - C - F - Dm

History

Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield wrote the song in 1973 as one of their final collaborations. The duo had reluctantly decided to end their songwriting partnership because their songs were no longer commercially viable. Greenfield wrote the lyrics alongside 'O…

“Dragon and Tennille worked the phrase 'Sedaka is back' into the song's fadeout, acknowledging the songwriter's mid-1970s comeback”

Full Musical Analysis

The harmony is built on a deceptively simple pop framework elevated by the augmented tonic chord, a device Sedaka borrowed from soul music. The Faug chord introduces chromatic tension that resolves smoothly into the IV chord, giving the song an ear-catching harmonic color that sets it apart from standard I-IV-V pop progressions of the era. This subtle sophistication, wrapped in an accessible arrangement, is central to the song's enduring appeal.

Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield wrote the song in 1973 as one of their final collaborations. The duo had reluctantly decided to end their songwriting partnership because their songs were no longer commercially viable. Greenfield wrote the lyrics alongside 'Our Last Song Together' before moving to Los Angeles with his companion Tory Damon. Sedaka admitted to borrowing the main chord progression from 'Do It Again' by the Beach Boys and adding augmented chords inspired by Al Green's harmonic style.

Originally written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in 1973, 'Love Will Keep Us Together' was transformed by Captain & Tennille into a buoyant, keyboard-driven pop classic. Their version topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and earned the Grammy for Record of the Year, defining the sound of mid-70s soft pop.

Deep Analysis Available

Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song.

Song DNA

Genre

Pop

Era

70s

Mood

Uplifting

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

Major

Texture

Full Band

Sound

Piano-led

Feel

Straight

Explore More

Listen & Learn

Statistics

797K

Plays

199K

Listeners

45K

Genius Views

3

Annotations

100%

Popularity

3:25

Duration

4/4

Time

Credits

Written by

Neil SedakaHoward Greenfield

Produced by

Daryl Dragon

From the album Love Will Keep Us Together