This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Monday, June 28, 2010

10 Favorite Love Songs and 10 Favorite Break Up Songs

           There are so many different kinds of love songs.  Often they are not so much songs about true ever-lasting love as they are songs about yearning, unrequited love, and plain old lust.  Love in music often is confused like the concept of love in our lives.  I have tried to recall songs that speak about that deeply caring sacrificial love between two people.


10 Favorite Love Songs:

I Love You -- Originally recorded by The Zombies in 1965, it was a hit for a group called People! in 1966.  It's a lovely minor key melody with a catchy guitar riff.

And I Love Her -- An absolutely beautiful tune done by The Beatles.

The Man I Love -- A hauntingly beautiful melody by George Gershwin with words by his brother Ira.  It is a true standard that has been recorded by many artists.  Not a song about a specific love in the here and now, but a description of the man the vocalist is looking for to love one day.

Longer Than -- Considered sappy by some, this is a beautiful song by Dan Fogelberg that describes an unending love.

Endless Love -- Lionel Richie wrote this classic love song that has since be recorded by many artists.

Let's Stay Together -- One of Al Green's best songs expresses the marriage vows in a lilting funky rhythm.

God Only Knows (What I'd Be Without You) -- Brian Wilson's work of genius expresses some paradoxical statements but in the end the words are talking about a true love.

Anniversary Song  -- Al Jolson and Saul Chaplin adapted what was originally a Romanian melody called "Waves of the Danube" into this beautiful love song.  A proven lasting love between two people in their golden years is the truest romantic love of all.   That is what this song is about.

Our Love Is Here to Stay -- Another great love song by George & Ira Gershwin tells about a love that will last.

I Love You More Today Than Yesterday  -- Spiral Staircase had a hit with this jaunty tune.  As the title indicates it's a song about love that grows stronger over time.

            The break up songs came more easily for me, but it's probably just something about my personal history where at certain times of my life I paid closer attention to lyrical content in order to find songs that related to my circumstances.  Here are ten break up songs that have been especially meaningful to me and what the heck, they are pretty good songs despite to subject matter.

10 Favorite Break Up Songs:

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do-- Neil Sedaka wrote it and charted with two versions.  I prefer the up tempo original version-- "Down doobie do down down".

Bye Bye Love -- This Everly Brothers standard has been recorded by many.

It's All Over Now--Written by Bobby and Shirley Womack and most famously recorded by The Rolling Stones, this is a  swaggering unsentimental song about breaking up. Of course, from the way the narrator of the song tells it, I can't blame him for being disgusted with his former love.

Only Love Can Break Your Heart -- Neil Young's sentimental tearjerker about lost love.

Why Is Love Always the Last to Know? -- This song by Dan Fogelberg was one I listened to frequently prior to my first divorce.  I guess I thought he had written it for me.

What About the Bond? & Fascist Architecture -- Both of these songs came from Bruce Cockburn's great album Humans.   The album was recorded during Cockburn's own divorce and is at times bitter and angry, but a musical masterpiece.  These are songs about the dissolution of marriage and the questions and doubt this event raises in the mind of those of us who have to through it.

Laugh Laugh  -- My take on this song recorded by the Beau Brummels is that the narrator has already broken up with a girl he loved who went for someone else who is now dumping her.  What else is there for the story teller to do but laugh?

Red Rubber Ball -- Originally a hit by The Cyrkle, this is an upbeat optimistic break up song.

With Pen in Hand -- Bobby Goldsboro had a hit with this tearjerker about divorce.

How Can I Mend a Broken Heart?-- This was a big one for the Bee Gees, but Al Green took it to a new level.






18 comments:

  1. A good list Lee there are a few I didn't know but I saw the one we both thought off, I think it was an obvious choice that one.
    My music is play up, at times it don't auto play.
    There are so many to chose from one is spoily for choice,
    Have had fun doing this.
    Take care.
    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Have you heard Pearl Jam's "Black" from Ten? I promise, you'll edit your list when you do.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Knew you'd select some older tunes.
    Love songs aren't my thing, but I did do a music post today. Need to give the movies a break!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh what great choices Arlee! I really liked them all. One of my favorites is "At Last" by Etta James. That is my all time very favorite love song!
    Love Di ♥

    ReplyDelete
  5. I must admit that Lionel Richie's song is the only one I've heard from both of your lists, but I like love songs with great lyrics and simple melodies. And I also like Kate Bush over in your player, her RUNNING UP THAT HILL is still one of my favourite videos and songs from the 80's.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yvonne -- Thanks and yes it was fun. I only have one more list planned. Next Monday 7/5 will be best Spanish / Latin influenced albums. I'll bet you can come up with some for that category.

    Will -- I've owned the TEN CD for a long time but I guess I haven't listened to it that much because I don't remember this song. I listened to "Black" on Youtube and read the lyrics. It's a good song that could grow on me after a while, but for now I'll stand by my present list. Definitely a song for the tattoo culture, eh?

    Alex-- The older tunes are the ones that are ingrained in my memories the most. I could blog on and on about movies and music, but I'm going to have to go in another direction as well.

    Diana -- Thanks. One of my daughters got married last December and one of her cousins sang "At Last" as a special tribute during the reception. It is a lovely song.

    Dez!!! -- I'm shocked. I'm sure you must have heard those great Gershwin classics sometime in your life. And the Beatles and Stones songs!! "God Only Knows" and "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" have been used in many movie soundtracks. Listen to the songs--I'm sure you'll remember them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Some of these songs just made me smile. Love the lists!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I enjoy a lot of songs on your lists - especially the first list. The 2nd has more I don't know.

    My favourite from your list? And I love Her by the Beatles - great melody/harmony on that one.

    ReplyDelete
  9. A great list of songs! I know all of them, including the words, (I wonder what that says about me!) except for What About Bond, so I'd probably replace that one with Billy Joel’s Don’t Go Changing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great list of songs. I can relate to most of them, at specific times in my life.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You've got some great songs here Lee. How could I have left out Fogelberg, arghhh...that's one of my favorite songs! So glad you had it on your playlist though, I enjoyed listening to it.

    We have a few songs in common here, I love all of those you picked, though some are unfamiliar to me.

    Thanks for hosting this bloghop, it was so much fun reminiscing!

    Blessings to you!
    Trudy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jennee -- thanks for visiting. I'm up for your challenge for tomorrow.

    Jemi -- "And I Love Her" is a beautiful song.

    Jane -- Is "Don't Go Changing" the same as "Just the Way You Are". If so wouldn't that be a love song? How about "Moving Out" from Billy Joel for a break up song?

    Cheryl -- That's me too. These songs all don't come from the same time in my life.

    Trudy-- Enjoyed your list as well. Thanks for joining us.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My favorite love song is probably I Will Be Here by Stephen Curtis Chapman. Thanks for sharing your list!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for your visit and comment,
    To be honest I am all for giving up blogging. The reason? well I have come up against discrimination. I happened to mention to a few followers something I have to put up with for the rest of my life, I am not ashamed of the fact, It lives with me and not the other way round.
    since the disclosure these followers have not commented on my posts though they did everyday without fail. Sure I have many good friends here in blogland and have worked hard to get the foLlowers I have, You have played an important part in my success here had it not been for the Ato Z challenge but I feel uncomfortable
    at the moment, to be discriminated is not a pleasant thing especially when it's no fault of your own.

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  15. R-LEE-B ~
    Kudos for the inclusion of "God Only Knows". I really LOVE that song, even if it didn't appear on my list.

    I did consider including "Good Vibrations", and of course, "Caroline No" made my Breakup Songs list. Brian Wilson truly was a musical genius, and nobody harmonized better than The Beach Boys did. Excellent choice, Brother!

    And I also like the Spiral Staircase song "More Today Than Yesterday". That one tends to get stuck in my mind for extended periods of time.

    ~ "Lonesome Dogg" McD-Fens

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lee-

    Great list. The Cockburn songs are an interesting choice, and "Longer" is excellent-sappy is the whole point of a love song!

    "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday" is a song I always thought was on a Stevie Wonder album that I didn't own yet.

    LC

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yvonne -- I think I understand what you're feeling and I hope it's just a temporary misunderstanding. I'm not sure what you mean by discrimination, but I know sometimes I become frustrated with blogging when I put so much time into my posts and don't get the comments I'd like. Try not to worry because you seem to have a pretty loyal following. People will come and go and in this blog business it's hard to know why since the contact is so indirect and distant. You are doing a great job. Maybe it might help if you scheduled posts less days per week, unless your obsessive about posting everyday like I am and after September 21 I thnk this may change for me-- right now I just got a personal challenge going. Hang in there Yvonne. A lot of us look forward to your posts.

    Stephen -- God Only Knows is such a classic song about true love I had to include it.

    Larry --Cockburn's Humans has such powerful songs about divorce-- some of the most straight-forward serious songs I know. I listened to this album a lot when I was going thru my divorce in the early 90s.

    ReplyDelete
  18. "Dez!!! -- I'm shocked. I'm sure you must have heard those great Gershwin classics sometime in your life."

    :) well, Arlee, you must bear in mind that I'm close to the age of your older daughter and that I don't live in the USA (not to mention that English isn't my native language), so it's no wonder older jazz and rock singers and bands and their songs aren't all familiar to me :)

    And I forgot to add that my favourite love song of all times would probably be I DROVE ALL NIGHT (in Cyndi Lauper's interpretation).

    ReplyDelete

Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.
I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Lee