"I was acting as if you were lucky to have me
Doin' you a favor I hardly knew you were there
But then you were gone and it was all wrong
Had no idea how much I cared
Now being without you
Takes a lot of getting used to
Should learn to live with it
But i don't want to
Living without you
Is all a big mistake
Instead of getting easier
It's the hardest thing to take
I'm addicted to ya babe
You're a hard habit to break"
I'm still a sucker for a great 80's ballad and Chicago's "Hard Habit To Break" will probably always hit a nerve with me. I have no gut level love story connected to it. In fact, I was in seventh grade when it reached number three on Billboard's singles chart. But the lyrics? Well, I still always kind of got them. Back in 1983, MTV was enough of a novelty that even the videos for ballads like this one were watched with such interest. I remember my parents hadn't invested in "the music authority" yet so I lived to watch at my best friend's house after school. And it's funny because the very first memory that I have when "Hard Habit To Break" comes on is of sitting on the living room floor with my friend and her older sister and demolishing a bag of Middleswarth chips while watching the video.
Great memory. Great song. Chicago have had so many hits since the late 60's that's it hard to pick a favorite but this really is mine. Check out Peter Cetera and Bill Champlin sharing vocals below!