Let My Love Open the Door

"Let My Love Open the Door"
Single by Pete Townshend
from the album Empty Glass
B-side "Greyhound Girl"
Released June 4, 1980 (US)
Format 7"
Recorded March 1980
Genre Art rock, new wave
Length 2:44
Label Atco Records
Writer(s) Pete Townshend
Producer(s) Pete Townshend, Chris Thomas
Pete Townshend UK singles chronology
"Rough Boys"
(1980)
"Let My Love Open the Door"
(1980)
"Keep on Working"
(1980)
Pete Townshend US singles chronology
"Keep Me Turning"
(1977)
[with Ronnie Lane]
"Let My Love Open the Door"
(1980)
"A Little Is Enough"
(1980)

"Let My Love Open the Door" is a song written and performed by Pete Townshend from his 1980 album Empty Glass. It reached the top ten in the United States in that same year, reaching number nine.[1][2] It reached number five in Canada.[3]

Background

Although Townshend is a devotee to the religious guru Meher Baba, he claimed in the liner notes of his Anthology CD that "Jesus sings" on the track.[4]

"Let My Love Open the Door" was released as the second single from Empty Glass in Britain, where it was backed with the non-album tracks "Classified" and "Greyhound Girl." The song was a minor British hit, reaching #46.[5] The song saw more success when it was released as the debut single from Empty Glass in America, where the song reached #9.[6] It was Pete Townshend's only solo top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, but The Who's song "I Can See For Miles," which was written by Townshend, reached the same position on the chart 13 years earlier.

Initially, Townshend's manager despised the track due to it "not sounding like Townshend," and wanted it to be removed from Empty Glass.[4] However, upon the song's chart success, his manager called to apologize.

Despite the song's critical and commercial success, Pete Townshend did not consider it one of his best songs. He told Rolling Stone in an interview that "Let My Love Open the Door" was "just a ditty," also claiming that he preferred his minor US hit "A Little Is Enough" from the same album.[4]

In 1996, Townshend released a new version of the song, called "the E. Cola mix", turning the song into a ballad. This version appeared in different TV shows and movie soundtracks.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Canada RPM [7] 5
UK 46
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [8] 9
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 11

Year-end charts

Chart (1980) Rank
Canada [9] 35
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [10] 59
U.S. Cash Box [11] 92

Personnel

Covers

List of films and TV shows featuring the track

The song has been used frequently in film, most notably the comedy genre, often as trailer music for movies such as Jerry Maguire and How Do You Know, and then as end credit song for Mr. Deeds in 2002; Jersey Girl and Along Came Polly, both in 2004. It was featured in the following films and TV series:

References

External links

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