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LOVE SONGS THAT DON'T SUCK





So anyway, I was invited to my brother-in-law's sister's wedding, which I didn't go to because I don't really know her, but they asked for us to send lists or mix CD's of their favorite love songs, which is a really cool idea (plus, I can't resist an excuse to make a mix CD, I'm as bad as that guy in High Fidelity).

Despite the cliché that all pop songs are about love, it's surprisingly hard to
find a song that is actually about being in love, as opposed to infatuation, lust or heartbreak. I guess it's hard to write one without falling into the horrifyingly schmaltzy territory of Three Time a Lady or I Will Always Love You. Luckily, I had already created a similar mix CD for my dear Dr. S.

Here is my list. It's interesting that all of the songs are less than 5 minutes long, and half of them are less than 3 minutes. I guess if you actually capture that feeling, you want to stop before you wreck it.


Love/Cinerama
Someone I Care About/The Modern Lovers
Gorilla/Rubinoos
I Think We're Alone Now/Lene Lovich
Green Eyes/Husker Du
Need You Around /Smoking Popes
When My Baby's Beside Me/Big Star
Crazy/Silverfish
Fragile/Wire
I Second That Emotion/Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
This Can't Be Love/Count Basie & Joe Williams
Straight To You/Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Only You/The Flying Pickets
A Natural Kind of Joy/That Petrol Emotion
More Than This/Roxy Music
My Funny Valentine/Elvis Costello
Cast A Shadow/Beat Happening
Gigantic/The Pixies
I'll Be Your Mirror/The Velvet Underground
You're So Good To Me/Langley Schools Music Project
Wicked Little Town /Hedwig & The Angry Inch
Maps/Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Love You More/The Buzzcocks
No Matter What/Badfinger
The More I See You/Dick Haymes
Everlasting Love/Carl Carlton


Comments

JethSeux said…
My comp most certainly didn't suck, so you have proven you are up to the task.
As far as my own favorite love music (as opposed to lustful 70s wa wa action), I like some of the Ramones more sappy teen love ballads.
When you are with the right person though, anything short of "The Heart Touching Magic of Jim Neighbors" will bring out that special feeling . . .
Anonymous said…
Have you sent your list to 105 Love?
ash966 said…
Aarggh! That's one crappy radio station! Thanks for making me listen to it in the name of research!

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