Written by Robert Johnson. Johnson's performance – vocal accompanied by his finger-style acoustic guitar playing – has been described as "devastatingly bleak". He recorded the song in 1937 during his last recording session and in 1939 it was issued as the last of his original 78 rpm records. During the final verses, Johnson calls out to his lover, Willie Mae. Years later, when she heard "Love in Vain" for the first time, she was visibly moved upon hearing her name.