The Gentle Giant’s Simple Truth: Love as the Only Real Wealth
There are some voices in country music that don’t just sing songs, they wrap you up in a comforting blanket of warmth and wisdom, like a familiar, easy chair you’ve sunk into for decades. Don Williams, the “Gentle Giant,” possessed one such voice. His baritone was a steady, reassuring presence on the radio dial throughout the 70s and 80s, delivering timeless truths with an unhurried grace. Few tracks distill his signature philosophy of life and love quite as purely as “We Got Love,” a gem released in 1986 on his album New Moves. While it didn’t smash the top of the US Country charts—a space Williams had dominated for over a decade with seventeen number-one hits—its placement on the album showcased his enduring commitment to straightforward, heartfelt material. The production, handled by Williams himself alongside Garth Fundis, kept the arrangement clean and uncluttered, allowing the power of the lyrical message to shine through, a hallmark of Williams‘s musical style.
The story behind “We Got Love” isn’t one of high drama or heartbreak; rather, it’s a celebration of the quiet, everyday resilience of a committed relationship. Penned by the masterful songwriter Bob McDill—a frequent and successful collaborator with Williams who also wrote classics like “Good Ole Boys Like Me”—the song is an elegant tribute to a love that is its own reward. McDill is a writer known for his subtle, literary approach to country music, and here he gave Williams a perfect vehicle for his understated delivery. The lyrics are beautifully unpretentious, focusing on the simple, tangible signs of a deep bond: “Friends, they all know, ‘Cause we can’t help but let it show. Smiles, we can’t hide, We got somethin’ just too good to hold inside.” For an older generation, this rings so true—it’s the kind of genuine connection that doesn’t need grand pronouncements, because everyone around you can just see it.
The meaning of “We Got Love” is perhaps the most enduring aspect of its appeal. It’s a powerful anti-materialistic anthem wrapped in a love song. The central, unforgettable declaration is, “We don’t need no money, honey you and I. What we’ve got together, money just can’t buy.” This isn’t a lament about being poor; it’s a boast about being truly rich. In an era that increasingly emphasized flash and financial success, Don Williams gave us a song that re-centered the discussion on the most valuable commodity of all: an unbreakable, mutually visible love. This message resonates especially with those who remember a time when relationships, loyalty, and community bonds were the true currency of life.
Listening to “We Got Love” today, it evokes a warm wave of nostalgia. It reminds us of drives down dusty backroads with the windows down, of quiet evenings spent on a front porch, and of the simple comfort of knowing you have someone steadfast by your side. Williams’s calm, unwavering delivery makes the song feel less like a performance and more like a quiet conversation between two people who have weathered life’s storms together and come to this profound, undeniable conclusion: when you boil it all down, that is enough. That simple, beautiful truth—”I’ve got you, you’ve got me, we got love”—is a perfect encapsulation of the easy, gentle spirit of the late, great Don Williams.