Behind the Heartbreaking Song of Divorce “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over” by Lenny Kravitz

Heartbreak. It’s something every human being must go through during their lifetime. Even the sexy rock gods like Lenny Kravtiz have to endure its difficulty, its gut-wrenching realities. As evidenced by Kravitz 1991 hit song, “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over,” which was written before his impending divorce to the beautiful actress Lisa Bonet.

Here below, we will dive into the song’s history and it’s meaning as well as its legacy as one of the songwriter and performer’s best-known tracks. So, let’s explore.

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Doing It All

Before we get into the song’s meaning, one thing needs to be pointed out about this poignant song. On the recording, Lenny Kravitz played every instrument except the strings and background horns (which were played by The Phenix Horns, the horn section for Earth, Wind & Fire). That means Kravitz not only sung the melancholy lyrics but he played guitar, bass, keys, drums and even the electric sitar. Hey, when you’re feeling the emotion and the moment moves you, we learn that we are more capable than we sometimes believe.

Released on Kravtiz’ sophomore studio LP, Mama Said, which dropped in 1991, Kravitz told VivaMusic.com in 2000 of its inspiration, “That song just came out one day, and I knew it had a classic vibe. And I still love that song very much today.”

Yogi Berra

The late former New York Yankees catcher was known for his many surprising sayings. Today they’re known as “Yogiisms,” and they include phrases like “It’s déjà vu all over again” and “Always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise they won’t go to yours.”

And another of Berra’s famous phrases was “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” which is akin to the idea of “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” In sports, there is always a chance to snag victory out of the jaws of defeat, and that is the subject of Kravitz’ song, which was also his first top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, hitting No. 2 on the famed chart.

Lisa Bonet

The beautiful actress Lisa Bonet was the object of affection for many in the 1980s and 1990s—heck, even still today. But in 1991, she and husband Lenny Kravitz were on the verge of a divorce after marrying in 1987. They officially severed ties in 1993. Though, today, their daughter Zoe is one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Nevertheless, as their relationship was dissolving, Kravitz wrote this song with the hope of rekindling their fire. Kravtiz, who said he was then going through “not just a depression, but a fog. I didn’t know which way was up,” wrote the song to get his feelings out on paper. Once he got it down, though, he wasn’t sure if he should release it under his own name. At first, he thought about giving it to Smokey Robinson, but Kravitz label pushed him to take ownership of the track. On it, he sings sweetly, often using his falsetto voice,

Here we are, still together
We are one
So much time wasted
Playing games with love

So many tears I’ve cried
So much pain inside
But baby, it ain’t over till it’s over
So many years we’ve tried
To keep our love alive
But baby, it ain’t over till it’s over

How many times did we give up
But we always worked things out
And all my doubts and fear kept me wondering, yeah
If I’d always always be in love

The Sound

Kravtiz told Rolling Stone of the night he wrote the track, saying, “I remember being in a hotel room in LA and I had a Fender Rhodes that I’d brought up to the room. I sat in the dark, ’cause it was a very dark time for me, and played with the chords. All of a sudden I came up with the chord structure and the song came out. It was my belief that it ain’t over ’til it’s over. There’s always a chance we can pull this together and make this happen. It didn’t go that way, but that was the song.”

Bridging a Motown sound with the then-popular Philly Soul sound, Kravitz is romantic, melancholy, nostalgic and remorseful. While the song couldn’t save his relationship, it does last today as one of the most heartfelt and heartbreaking songs from the 1990s. It was his breakout song, showing him he could be a famous star, and it remains a classic today.

Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage