This was originally written by two school teachers, Wanda Mallette and Patti Ryan, about a classroom of second grade children. They sent the song to composer Bob Morrison who did a “high level editing job” on the track and started trying to find someone to record it. The song was rejected at least 23 times before record executive Irving Azoff had the nightclub singer at Gilliey’s club in Pasadena, Texas, Johnny Lee put it on the record.

Recorded in June 1980 by Johnny Lee and produced by John Boylan, for the Asylum label. This song catapulted the Texan Johnny Lee to fame, thus achieving his first number one on the country charts, staying three weeks in a row at number one. The song was included in Johnny Lee’s third album, Lookin’ for love (Asylum Records 1980) and in the soundtrack of the movie, Urban Cowboy (Full moon 1980), in which he also had a small role, along with the two protagonists, Jhon Travolta and Debra Winger. The song did not get good reviews from the critics, saying it was a pop song, in my opinion the song could be pop, but country pop (Urban Cowboy), but I think once again they were wrong, the song had great acceptance becoming a gold record when slling more than one million copies.

Some Versions

Mats Radberg 1980 ( Mariann Records )
Reg Lindsay 1981 ( Telmak Records )
Arne Benonisen 1983 ( Igloo Records )
Swayer Brown 2000 ( Curb Records )
J.C Lodge 2002 ( Jet Star Records ) Reggae version
Amber Gerard 2008 ( Wild Blue Country )

Johnny Lee – Looking For Love lyrics

I spent a lifetime looking for you
Single bars and good time lovers were never true
Playing a fools game, hopin’ to win
Tellin’ those sweet lies and losin’ again

I was lookin’ for love in all the wrong places
Lookin’ for love in too many faces
Searchin’ their eyes
Lookin’ for traces of what I’m dreaming of
Hoping to find a friend and lover
I’ll bless the day I discover
Another heart lookin’ for love

I was alone then, no love in sight
I did everything I could to get me through the night
I don’t know where it started or where it might end
I turned to a stranger just like a friend

I was lookin’ for love in all the wrong places
Lookin’ for love in too many faces
Searchin’ their eyes
Lookin’ for traces of what I’m dreaming of
Hoping to find a friend and a lover
I’ll bless the day I discover
Another heart lookin’ for love

You came knockin’ on my heart’s door
You’re everything I’ve been looking for

No more lookin’ for love in all the wrong places
Lookin’ for love in too many faces
Searchin’ their eyes
Lookin’ for traces of what I’m dreaming of
Now that I found a friend and a lover
I’ll bless the day I discover
You, oh you, lookin’ for love

Lookin’ for love in all the wrong places
Lookin’ for love in too many faces
Searchin’ their eyes
Lookin’ for traces of what I’m dreaming of
Now that I found a friend and a lover
I’ll bless the day I discover
You, oh you, lookin’ for love