Love to Love Songs

 

Paul, Linda, and Martha the dog, taken in Scotland

For as much as we all know social media is a cesspool there are also items that produce harmless thoughts and conversations.

A good account that I follow asked, "What is the most romantic verse out of a song that you really like?"

There were myriad responses from songs that you'd expect and, to be honest, mine was no reach. My immediate response was:

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time

Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time

You hung me on a line

Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you

If you don't know, that's from "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney from his 1970 album McCartney. While it's not really a "slow dance" number, it's a groove that hits - especially live, where it became a hit on the Wings Over America album.

The exercise led me into the love songs department and one thing to know is that, just like "Maybe I'm Amazed," love songs don't have to be Sinatra standards.

A great love song can come from an unexpected place.

But, of course, there are simply the classics, such as "Your Song" by Elton John (and co-written, as if it needs to be said, with Bernie Taupin).

I always found the line about the subject's eyes to be just incredible and I know I'm not alone.

So excuse me forgetting

But these things I do

You see I've forgotten, if they're green or they're blue

Anyway the thing is, what I really mean

Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

Masterful.

Or the slow jam groove of Rev. Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." It gets right to the heart of things after an instrumental opening with horns and keys, to this:

I, I'm I'm so in love with you

Whatever you want to do

Is all right with me

'Cause you make me feel so brand new

And I want to spend my life with you

McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon could all appear on any list, with the brilliantly complex "Something" leading the charge from George.

You're asking me will my love grow

I don't know, I don't know

You stick around, now it may show

I don't know, I don't know

He's, er, devoted. Maybe. 

Paul was a master of the soupier songs, writing words of love that could have been about his then-girlfriend Jane Asher ("And I Love Her," "Here, There, and Everywhere," "I Will") and, of course, wife Linda later on ("Maybe I'm Amazed," "The Lovely Linda," "My Love,"). Lennon comes aboard with "If I Fell" and the deeply personal "In My Life."

Alas, we can break the lads down for hours and perhaps one day we will but there are myriad other songs that we can dive into.

Sinatra, of course, had standards that were complex as well ("I've Got You Under My Skin") as well as straight to the heart ("The Way You Look Tonight," "Fly Me to the Moon"). Elvis Presley checks in with "Can't Help Falling In Love" among others.

Then we hit the Beach Boys and few love songs are better than "God Only Knows."

I may not always love you

But long as there are stars above you

You never need to doubt it

I'll make you so sure about it

Billy Joel can say hello in with famous songs like "She's Always a Woman" or a hidden gem like "She's Right on Time." 

The Carpenters? Where to start. Simply the sound of Karen Carpenter's voice should be enough, right?

Chicago. The Eagles. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Otis Redding. Sam Cooke. Smokey Robinson. Carole King. Diana Ross. Streisand. The Bee Gees. All have a case to make in this discussion.

And, of course, when speaking of love and complications, there's her. Taylor Swift. She's the problem. It's her. But, seriously, she wears short skirts and T-shirts and so on (yes, I know I'm butchering the lyrics).

Can we also mention the late Donna Summer and "Love to Love You Baby?" Because I was seven when that came out and it sort of scarred me but I digress. Then again, that could lead me back to The Beatles and "Why Don't We Do it in the Road" so we'll just leave things as they are. You know, family blog and all.

I suppose if anything troubled me about this exercise it was how overwhelming it could be.

Now, I've tried to avoid schmaltz but, as always, this is always subjective. You may want or expect Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, or Celine Dion, and justifiably so. I'm sure that some of you are thinking I'm leaving obvious choices out and that's OK. In fact, it's sort of what I want. In fact, Carey's "Vision of Love" was a favorite of mine to play on Majic 105 back in 1990-91. Things were still innocent then and we hadn't dealt with "Christmas Mariah" yet.

And these songs have all been basically messages of devotion, with a few complications thrown in. But even a breakup song is, at its heart, about love. Think of Carole King's "It's Too Late." It's heartbreaking because she still cares about her subject but "We just can't stay together, don't you feel it too?"

And let's not leave The Cure out ("Love Song") or even Led Zeppelin ("Thank You"). Love knows no musical boundaries -- be it hard rock, metal, goth, country, pop, or anything else.

Sometimes it's OK to express a feeling or two.

Oh, yeah, and there's one last love song that I will wrap up with. It's a, er, curious thing.

First time you feel it, it might make you sad

Next time you feel it, it might make you mad

But you'll be glad baby when you've found

That's the power makes the world go 'round

You knew I had to mention that one.

Feel the power of love.

Because love is all you need.