Valentine's Day Playlist

[Mr. Paul]

I've been having lots of fun being a dj on our local radio station. My Friday afternoon show tomorrow happens to fall on Valentine's Day. I've been putting a playlist together with some tunes expected ... "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel, "Look of Love" from Dusty Springfield ... and some unexpected ... "I Kissed a Girl" by Jill Sobule. Got some Motown and the obligatory Barry White tune.

What should be on the list?

 

[steelyman]

I don't think people around here favor him, but I'd do some Frank. "Under My Skin"?

 

[chilkoot]

I'm single, but I've long thought that I would fall hard for any woman who said she thought that Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" is one of the sexiest songs out there.

 

[jjquantz]

Bing Crosby, "Moonlight Becomes You"

 

[Gumby]

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On
Bob Marley -- Stir it Up
Al Green -- Let's Stay Together
Jefferson Starship -- Miracles
Rod Stewart -- Tonight's the Night

 

[MichaelB]

Barry White "You're the first, the last"
Joe Cocker "You are so beautiful"

 

[Major Tom]

Paul McCartney & Wings - Silly Love Songs
The Supremes - Baby Love
The Supremes - Love Is Here And Now You're Gone
The Supremes - My World Is Empty Without You
Sara Bareilles - Love Song
Minnie Ripperton - Lovin' You
Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is
The Emotions - Best Of My Love
Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love
The Cure - Lovesong
Queen - You're My Best Friend
The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Elton John - Your Song
The Beatles - Something
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Marshall Crenshaw (Owen Paul did it too) - My Favorite Waste Of Time
Elvis Costello - I Want You (fantastic, chilling vocals)
Bob Dylan - Love Sick (from Time Out Of Mind)
Bob Dylan - She Belongs To Me (from Bringing It All Back Home)
Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine
My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes
Spandau Ballet - True
The Miracles - Tracks Of My Tears
The Andrews Sisters - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
Derek & The Dominoes - Layla
David Bowie - Be My Wife

Lots of great Billie Holiday love songs too (Don't Explain, My Man etc etc etc)

If you want to explore the dark side of relationships, there's The Crystals - He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss), but this might be too much for some people's tastes. That song creeps me out every time I hear it.

These are all pretty obvious choices really, but I couldn't think of the more interesting and creative ones (brain isn't awake yet.) I mean, aren't a good 25% of all songs written, actually about love? I can give dozens more of these kinds of suggestions but they're easy to find with the help of Google.

I was going to add the clean version of that Dead Kennedys song, but that's not really about love is it.....!

 

[ERD50]

Paul McCartney & Wings - Silly Love Songs ...

Sorry, but I'd puke right there and then - gawd I hate that song!

I think we had a thread on love songs a while back, I general hate love songs as they are mushy and trite and often just plain bad.

There are only a few love songs I like because they deal with true commitment type love, not mushy head-over-heels love.

A (very) few that fit the bill for me:

Mandolin Wind - Rod Stewart

The Dutchman - Steve Goodman is well known for this song, written by Michael Smith.

Check the lyrics of those songs for some very tender, true love.

Michael Smith Lyrics - Dutchman




Oh, and some songs that women seem to swoon over are just terrible if they would actually listen to the words. "When a Man Loves a Woman" is all about how manipulative a women can be. "You look Beautiful Tonight" is all about the man showing off his 'trophy' and the woman taking care of him when he gets so drunk he needs to be helped into bed. How romantic!


-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

...

If you want to explore the dark side of relationships, there's The Crystals - He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss), but this might be too much for some people's tastes. That song creeps me out every time I hear it.
...

Does Rihanna cover that!

I saw a reference to that song recently, I thought maybe (hoped?) the "He hit me' was a metaphor. Like when someone says "That hit me like a ton of bricks". But it sure seems literal when I read the whole thing. Creepy indeed.

And people talk about 'the good old days'.

-ERD50

 

[razztazz]

Oh, and some songs that women seem to swoon over are just terrible if they would actually listen to the words. "When a Man Loves a Woman" is all about how manipulative a women can be. "You look Beautiful Tonight" is all about the man showing off his 'trophy' and the woman taking care of him when he gets so drunk he needs to be helped into bed. How romantic!

-ERD50

The way the people of New Jersey at one time wanted to make "Born to Run" the official state song.

 

[tmm99]

This is just one song, a newer song, so I am not sure if many of you are familar, but I would like to present John Legend's "All of Me". When I heard it on the Grammy's, I was like WOW. Very simple tune, but beautiful vocals and very romantic lyrics - almost like a lullaby. You can play this song on Vday, whatever you two are doing, you can sing along (or lipsync if you are desparately out of tune) gazing into your spouse's eyes (that would be so corney that you are guaranteed to get a laugh... or tears..)

I found this Youtube vid which has an extra fun in it - John Legend just showed up at a restaurant, and started singing his song to unsuspected customers...

John Legend - VEVO GO Shows: All Of Me - YouTube

 

[robnplunder]

DW would like me to sing ... IOU (Lee Greenwood). I'd like to sing When I am 64 (Beatles).

 

[Major Tom]

I saw a reference to that song recently, I thought maybe (hoped?) the "He hit me' was a metaphor. Like when someone says "That hit me like a ton of bricks". But it sure seems literal when I read the whole thing. Creepy indeed.
-ERD50

When you consider that the song was produced by Phil Spector, it becomes even creepier.

Yes, I'm with you on how many love songs are overly-mushy and just a bit too saccharin, but I can definitely handle a song about yearning and attraction (as opposed to one about real commitment) if it has the virtue of great lyrics and/or a great vocal performance. I fee like I should have given myself the time to put together a solid list of just the more intelligent love songs but hey - I just threw that one together and besides - some people love the mush!

 

[HFWR]

Oh, and some songs that women seem to swoon over are just terrible if they would actually listen to the words. "When a Man Loves a Woman" is all about how manipulative a women can be. "You look Beautiful Tonight" is all about the man showing off his 'trophy' and the woman taking care of him when he gets so drunk he needs to be helped into bed. How romantic!


-ERD50

That would be "Wonderful Tonight". Written for Patty Boyd, George Harrison's ex. (As was "Layla") Yep, a bit sappy, but easy to play. We received a request to play it one night; learned it during break...

 

[Amethyst]

Song that evokes physical passion: "Bushfire" by the B52s. "Rolling in a field of molten flowers" - indeed.

Amethyst

 

[Amethyst]

I remember a (male) high school English teacher pointing out to a classroom of teens how incredibly male-chauvinist this song really is.

Amethyst

"You look [-]Beautiful [/-]Wonderful Tonight" is all about the man showing off his 'trophy' and the woman taking care of him when he gets so drunk he needs to be helped into bed. How romantic!


-ERD50

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Gordon Lightfoot, "Beautiful."

 

[robnplunder]

If Silly Love Song by PM isn't good for you, how about Maybe, I'm Amazed? It will make my V-day playlist along with numerous Bob D songs.

 

[W2R]

For some of us who were around way back when, this is one of the most passionate songs ever. Seems to me it also provides a great description of why someone might be thinking of more than special gifts and food on Valentine's Day.

The Air That I Breath - The Hollies - YouTube

"The Air That I Breathe"


If I could make a wish
I think I'd pass
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound
Nothing to eat, no books to read

Making love with you
Has left me peaceful, warm, and tired
What more could I ask
There's nothing left to be desired
Peace came upon me and it leaves me weak
So sleep, silent angel, go to sleep

Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe
And to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
Yes to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe

Peace came upon me and it leaves me weak
So sleep, silent angel, go to sleep

Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe
And to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
Yes to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe

Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe
And to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
Yes to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
And to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
Yes to love you

 

[tmm99]

If you want to really pi*s off your spouse on Vday, sing My Lady by Tom Jones.

Well she's all you'd ever want,
She's the kind they'd like to flaunt and take to dinner.
Well she always knows her place.
She's got style, she's got grace, She's a winner.
She's a Lady. Whoa whoa whoa, She's a Lady.
Talkin' about that little lady, and the lady is mine.
Well she's never in the way
Always something nice to say, Oh what a blessing.
I can leave her on her own
Knowing she's okay alone, and there's no messing.
She's a lady. Whoa, whoa, whoa. She's a lady.
Talkin' about that little lady, and the lady is mine.
Well she never asks for very much and I don't refuse her.
Always treat her with respect, I never would abuse her.
What she's got is hard to find, and I don't want to lose her
Help me build a mountain from my little pile of clay. Hey, hey, hey.
Well she knows what I'm about,
She can take what I dish out, and that's not easy,
Well she knows me through and through,
She knows just what to do, and how to please me.
She's a lady. Whoa, whoa, whoa. She's a lady.
Talkin' about that little lady and the lady is mine.
Yeah yeah yeah She's a Lady
Listen to me baby, She's a Lady
Whoa whoa whoa, She's a Lady
And the Lady is mine
Yeah yeah yeah She's a Lady
Talkin about this little lady
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Whoa and the lady is mine
Yeah yeah She's a Lady
And the Lady is mine.

 

[Mr. Paul]

Lots of great songs! Interestingly enough, the first thing I did when I started volunteering at the radio station was delete "Wonderful Tonight" so no one would ever ever ever be able to play it again.

That John Legend song ... wow ... just, wow.

 

[ERD50]

That would be "Wonderful Tonight". Written for Patty Boyd, George Harrison's ex. (As was "Layla") Yep, a bit sappy, but easy to play. We received a request to play it one night; learned it during break...

I remember a (male) high school English teacher pointing out to a classroom of teens how incredibly male-chauvinist this song really is.

Amethyst

Ahh yes - "Wonderful Tonight", not "Beautiful Tonight". Thanks for the correction - I actually googled it to double check the lyrics, and guess what - google did their automatic substitute thing, and I didn't notice it, so I thought that was right. I hate the way google does that.


So odd that the same woman inspired songs on such opposite ends of the spectrum for me (I love the song "Layla").


Good to see at least someone saw how demeaning those "Wonderful" lyrics are.

If Silly Love Song by PM isn't good for you, how about Maybe, I'm Amazed? It will make my V-day playlist along with numerous Bob D songs.

Yes, I do love "Maybe, I'm Amazed", infinitely better tune and lyrics, IMO.

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

This is just one song, a newer song, so I am not sure if many of you are familar, but I would like to present John Legend's "All of Me". When I heard it on the Grammy's, I was like WOW. Very simple tune, but beautiful vocals and very romantic lyrics - almost like a lullaby. You can play this song on Vday, whatever you two are doing, you can sing along (or lipsync if you are desparately out of tune) gazing into your spouse's eyes (that would be so corney that you are guaranteed to get a laugh... or tears..)

I found this Youtube vid which has an extra fun in it - John Legend just showed up at a restaurant, and started singing his song to unsuspected customers...

John Legend and Alicia Keys did a great rendition of "Let It Be" on that Beatles special.