Monday, February 14, 2011

Wooo...Valemtimes!

Hi all!

Tonight's entry is Valentine's day related.

I was going to go off on a rant about the fact that I dislike the holiday. How I think romance is kind of over-rated. That I really kind of enjoy being single, sort of. But then it occurred to me that I would be spouting my bile much in the way I complained about last entry...and that sort of douche baggery is really not my style. (Hush all of yous!)

So, instead I decided to celebrate the day by writing about my favorite non-traditional love songs! Now, I consider the following songs non-traditional in that they may not be all filled with shmoop or traditional romancey stuff OR they may be songs about love gone wrong or crazy. All of which intrigues me and makes for good listening.

Don't get me wrong, I loves me some classic love songs. Some of my faves are Sinatra's The Way You Look Tonight; Wonder's I Believe (When I Fall in Love it Will Be Forever); the Temptations' My Girl....but I like the off center, the different, the scary...

LA County Perhaps one of the greatest modern murder ballads ever. Lyle Lovett really makes a remarkable song here...filled with yearning, with love's sweet sting, with GSWs...all to a jaunty country rhythm. Beautiful and kind of scary.

You Are The Everything REM at their most, um, REM-like. The simplicity of this tune is almost overwhelming. Acoustic guitar, bass, mandolin, and Michael Stipe singing about love...really just a lovely song.

I Want You Elvis Costello. Obsessive love. Kind of creepy. Made creepier by the intro, which is all sweet and stuff. Seriously one of the greats.

I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You Early Tom Waits, this is a singularly sincere piece of music and lyric. Sweet without the cloying, touching without cliche, simple, to the point. And really pretty romantic. Also of note is Mr. Waits' rendition of Somewhere from West Side Story. Super great version.

The Price I Pay Billy Bragg has really got a way with words. Whether he's writing revolutionary songs about the plight of the working class or pointed songs about today's society, he really does know how to put words together...The Price I Pay is really no exception. Poignantly written, it's all about lost love, and he really makes you feel it. LOVE this song.

Breathe Not at all what I expected from Maria McKee on her first solo album. With guitar by Richard Thompson, and her soaring, emotive vocals...she makes you feel her desire and longing...truly a remarkable talent.

Sexual Healing How could I not mention this one? Marvin Gaye is awesome and this is certainly one of his best. And it's about sex. And really who doesn't love songs about sex. Oh and Ben Harper does an amazing cover as well.

Love Will Tear Us Apart Possibly Joy Division's most famous song, in my opinion, on of the greatest songs of the period. Haunting, stirring, filled with sorrow. Ian Curtis just breaks your heart with this one, serious...

There are a lot more. But these are the ones that I had rolling around my noggin all day, so i figured they would be good to write about.

What are your favorites?

9 comments:

  1. I think I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. The best part is that no one will ever do it like Tom!

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  2. I'm also a fan of the Nouvelle Vague version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart."

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  3. I love that version too. I really enjoy most of Nouvelle Vague's stuff...

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  4. While I looooooooooove me some Stevie (I believe!), my favorite love song, period, is Colorblind, Counting Crows- because I am terribly familiar with that panic.

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  5. Ooo...I will be checking all of those out.

    At the moment,
    "Little Lion Man" by Mumford is at the top of my list--the lyrics are just so poignant, and the banjo part kicks some serious ass.

    Also,
    "Another Kay Song" by Nick Jaina.

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  6. @Beck - i agree about Little Lion Man...super fantastic!

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  7. It's more traditional than not, but Bowie's cover of "Wild is the Wind" always gets me. And if you're talking about Marvin Gaye, let's not forget "I Want You." One of the sexiest, most haunting songs EVER!

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  8. I would have to say that sorry I am late to this party but here are my two favorite love songs of all time "don't cry on my shoulder" by Sam Cooke and "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding. I know the first one is a sad song but it shows what so many men/women have done in their life by loving someone who doesn't love them back.

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