I haven't read any good love stories lately, so rather than waxing poetic, I thought I'd give you a Valentine's Day gift. My top ten favorite love songs. I'm not going to include any of the love songs I like that aren't generally positive, because it's flippin' Valentine's Day, nobody wants a downer on Valentine's Day.
10. "That'll be the Day," by Buddy Holly. I love this song, because it tries to pull one over on listeners. It sounds like he's incredulous that she could even leave him, but really he's stating it'd make him really sad. Very cute.
9. "Elephant Love Medley," from Moulin Rouge. I'm cheating, this isn't single love song, it's a string of them. It's fun to sing along, and I've always loved this story. I like the changes they made to "Heroes." Very sweet, and even better to watch.
8. "God Only Knows," by the Beach Boys. True confession, I love the Beach Boys. And even if I didn't, I love this song. So sentimental. Practical and dramatic at the same time.
7. "Your Song," by Elton John. This song is so completely romantic. There's generally a theme of poverty in my favorites, isn't there? The idea of reacting to how much you love a person by creating good art, that's lovely. That's real. I really hope this song really was for someone special, because if it were me, I would for sure have told everybody that was my song. Amazing.
6. "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her," by Simon & Garfunkel. This song is really gorgeous. Listen to the instrumentation. "We walked on frosted fields of juniper and lamplight. I held your hand." There's not much there in terms of romantic meaning, but it is so powerful. I could drown in this song.
5. "Unchained Melody," as performed by the Fleetwoods. I've always loved this song because it's fun to sing. It's wistful and dreamlike. Nobody else sings it quite like this.
4. "I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby)," as performed by Billie Holiday. There's that theme of poverty again. I love Billie Holiday, such an interesting lady. And she had pipes, too! Very sweet song.
3. "Can't Fight This Feeling," by REO Speedwagon. I love this song so much. Is it a guilty pleasure? I don't know. But I always see this as a love song for two very tough classic rock loving people who just kind of click together. This makes me want to watch a movie about two dudes in a biker gang who slowly realize they've got feelings for each other. That would be adorable. When I saw Rock of Ages it blew my mind because it basically did most of what I ever wanted to see with that song.
2. "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," by the Police. This is one of those that's more about the melody for me than it is about the lyrics, but it does have some very pretty lyrics. I love how appreciative this song is of its subject. And it's the Police, what's not to like?
1. "Such Great Heights," by the Postal Service. I love the repetitive groaning in the background. I know that's ridiculous to say. The lyrics of this one are the high point for me, although I can't articulate what it is I like about them. They're dreamy and abstract, they negotiate the language of romance in a way that speaks to me. And that repetitive groaning is soothing in a way you might not expect.
So, that's my top ten. Here's a playlist that features all my favorites for you to enjoy and/or share with your honey.
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