Heard any of these?
Like any pint-filled chat with a friend that’s recently engaged, a discussion with my mate quickly covered all of the main points about his upcoming nuptials.
Venues, the stag, best man duties and the DJ were all glossed over but we spent more time talking about music.
While he didn’t disclose his first song, he was adamant that there would be no ‘cheesy Ed Sheeran shite’ being played on the day. This got me thinking about those romantic songs that aren’t so sweet that they would instantly send you into a diabetic coma upon hearing them.
Awwwwwww….
The Hollies – The Air That I Breathe
Romantic reasoning: Meet the right person and everything else can seem trivial.
The ‘awww’ lyrics: “Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe, And to love you”.
The National – Hard To Find
Romantic reasoning: Things between couples won’t always be easy but that doesn’t mean it’s not 100% worthwhile.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “You’re beautiful and close and young, In those ways we were the same, There’s a lot I’ve not forgotten, I let go of other things”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APiGd7F8gVo
Sam Cooke – Wonderful World
Romantic reasoning: Money, status, education and a host of other things can ultimately mean feck all when you’re trying to win the affections of someone else. Chemistry is chemistry.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “I do know one and one is two, And if this one could be with you, What a wonderful world this would be”.
Pearl Jam – Nothingman
Romantic reasoning: All men will ultimately meet an amazing girl but somehow mess it up. Consider this heartbreaking song your warning.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “Once divided…nothing left to subtract… Some words when spoken…can’t be taken back…”
Pete Doherty – For Lovers
Romantic reasoning: There will be a time when it feels like just the two of you against the world.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “I’m running away with you, from yesterday’s news, let’s leave it all behind, help me back to my mind”.
Bloc Party – This Modern Love
Romantic reasoning: Arguably the finest representation of the ‘ups and downs’ that are associated with romance, dating and love in the modern era. I’ve previously discussed Bloc Party’s stunning debut and this blistering track features very prominently.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “This modern love breaks me, This modern love wastes me”.
Bob Dylan – Simple Twist of Fate
Romantic reasoning: Because everyone has a special story about how they met their partner. Luck, chance and coincidence will always play a huge part.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “People tell me it’s a sin, To know and feel too much within”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0RzDqa5W_A
Bon Iver – Skinny Love
Romantic reasoning: Nobody’s perfect but any future with someone else will always depend on how much you’re willing to put up with them.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “I tell my love to wreck it all, Cut out all the ropes and let me fall”.
Coldplay – Sparks
Romantic reasoning: At some point, you’ll hold a torch for that one person and who knows? Maybe they’ll be back.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “My heart is yours, It’s you that I hold on to, That’s what I do”.
Otis Redding – Cigarettes and Coffee
Romantic reasoning: There’s always those ‘getting to know you’ late night conversations.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “I’ve got you, And you’ve got me, And we’ll have each other”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyMg-EhZ1Es
De La Soul – Eye Know
Romantic reasoning: Being all of the following will help you win someones heart; 1) honesty, 2) passion, 3) charm.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “It’s I again and the song that I send , Is taking steps to reach your heart , Any moment you feel alone, I can fill up your empty part”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1CaN4thI5w
Duran Duran – Ordinary World
Romantic reasoning: Sometimes things don’t work out but you still have to move on.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “I turned on the lights, the TV, And the radio, Still I can’t escape the ghost of you”.
The Beatles – Something
Romantic reasoning: This list really needs some classic rock and while Led Zeppelin – Thank You, The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset and Rolling Stones – Angie all appealed to me, there’s no denying the wonderful simplicity of the finest song that George Harrison ever wrote. It perfectly captures what it means to be in love without getting shmoltzy or whiny.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “Somewhere in her smile she knows, That I don’t need no other lover”.
Nick Drake – Northern Sky
Romantic reasoning: In my view, this track is probably the second best song about romance that has even been recorded. Nick Drake was gone far too soon but he will never be forgotten. I genuinely feel that no other modern day artist will ever come close to matching his sublime depth, descriptive lyrics and wonderful ear for composition.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “Would you love me for my money, Would you love me for my head, Would you love me through the winter, Would you love me ‘til I’m dead”.
The Pogues – A Rainy Night in Soho
Romantic reasoning: Us Irish are all hopeless romantics at heart, regardless of where we come from. It’s in our blood.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics:”I’m not singing for the future, I’m not dreaming of the past, I’m not talking of the first time, I never think about the last”.
The Moody Blues – Nights in White Satin
Romantic reasoning: One of the greatest songs ever recorded because it captures one universal truth, love will absolutely f**k you up. It’s also a tune that has more scope, ideas and complexity than every single track in the current Top 40 combined.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “Just what the truth is, I can’t say any more, ‘Cause I love you”.
Simon and Garfunkel – Wednesday Morning, 3am
Romantic reasoning: A one night stand will never sound this good.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: ” I know with the first light of dawn, I’ll be leaving, And tonight will be, All I have left to recall”.
The Flamingos – I Only Have Eyes For You
Romantic reasoning: Timeless. Breathtaking. Seductive. Heartwarming. Honest. Universal. Magnificent.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “My love must be a kind of blind love, I can’t see anyone but you”.
Sweet Thing – Van Morrison
Romantic reasoning: I’ve previously discussed why I feel it’s the most romantic song of all-time. I stand by my words.
The ‘awwww’ lyrics: “And I’ll be satisfied, Not to read in between the lines, And I will walk and talk, In gardens all wet with rain, And I will never, ever, ever, ever, Grow so old again”
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