If It's Love (Train song)

"If It's Love" is the second single from Train's fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco.

"If It's Love"
Single by Train
from the album Save Me, San Francisco
ReleasedJune 22, 2010
GenrePop rock
Length3:59
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Pat Monahan, Gregg Wattenberg
Producer(s)Martin Terefe, Espionage, Gregg Wattenberg
Train singles chronology
"Hey, Soul Sister"
(2009)		 "If It's Love"
(2010)		 "Marry Me"
(2010)
Music video
"If it's Love" on YouTube

It debuted at No. 31 on Billboard's Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart.[1] and has since become Train's second-consecutive No. 1 hit from the album, as well as their fourth No. 1 overall. This ties the band with Matchbox 20 and Daughtry for second-most chart-topping singles in format history, and trailing only Nickelback in total Adult Top 40 No. 1 placements. It is also the 100th single to go No. 1 in the format's history.

In addition, it has reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A music video for the song debuted on VH1.com on May 11, 2010.

Background

In a 2010 interview with The Post-Crescent, Pat Monahan confirmed "If It's Love" was written the same day as their hit "Hey, Soul Sister" and was intended as a thank-you song to long-time fans of the band:[2]

This song was actually written on the same day as "Hey, Soul Sister" in New York City. I wrote this song first in the day, and I was thinking about all these people who have been supportive of the band Train for so many years. I had also made a solo record, and (fans) were really supportive to me and I was just like, "I wanna write a love song finally after all these years, but I wanna write it to our fans and just say thank you."

Much like "Hey, Soul Sister", the track features a handful of pop cultural references including Winger (an American hard rock band that enjoyed popularity in the late 80s and early 90s), and "The Rain in Spain" (a song featured in the musical My Fair Lady).

In addition, the lyrics "There's no happy endings, No Henry Lee" refer to the inscription and the main character in Jamie Ford's 2009 novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

In a 2010 interview, Monahan explained the lyric "I wanna buy you everything except cologne, 'cause it's poison."[3]

Have you ever been in an elevator with a lady who just got done perfuming? If you have, you won't wonder why I wrote it.

In 2011, Slovenian media outlet 24ur reported similarities between "If It's Love" and "A veš", a song by Slovenian singer Alya, released in 2007.[4] The band was then sued by Slovenian singer-songwriter Jan Plestenjak (the original author of the song) for copyright infringement, claiming the song's chorus was copied from his song "A veš". The matter was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum in June 2018.[5]

Music video

As with the origins of the song, the music video is a thank-you to the fans. It references what the band supposedly did during their three-year hiatus, including clips of Jimmy pawning a guitar, Scott panhandling, and Pat sitting in bed as Train appears on Where are They Now?. The video also features the band performing on a red carpet and at the Oakland Theater, and appearing in a commercial where Jimmy and Scott are wearing chicken suits. The video was directed by Pete Wentz and Bill Fishman, with an cameo appearance by Hugh Jackman.[6][7]

Chart performance

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[20] Gold 35,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] Platinum 1,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. If It's Love by Train first debuts at 31
  2. Thiel, Mike (August 10, 2010). "Train steps out from John Mayer tour to perform at Wisconsin State Fair". The Post-Crescent. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  3. Ragogna, Mike (March 18, 2010). "An Interview With Train, Plus The New Soulsavers Video, and More". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  4. "Ameriška skupina Train ukradla Alyin hit?" [American band Train stole Alya's hit?]. 24ur.com (in Slovenian). January 2, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  5. "Grammyjevi nagrajenci plačali poravnavo Janu Plestenjaku" [Grammy-winners pay settlement to Jan Plestenjak]. Siol.net (in Slovenian). June 2, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  6. Pete Wentz train
  7. IMVDB.com train if it's love
  8. "Train – If It's Love". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  9. "Train Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  10. "Train – If It's Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  11. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201019 into search. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  12. "Train Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  13. "Train Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  14. "Train Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  15. "Train Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  16. "Train Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  17. "Train Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  18. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  19. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  20. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2010 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  21. "American single certifications – Train – If It's Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
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