Whether you’re dealing with a recent breakup, in a confusing situationship, celebrating your one-year anniversary or enjoying decades of marriage, Valentine’s Day is a confusing, stressful and perhaps romantic holiday for all of us.
Sobbing to a cheesy romantic comedy, getting drinks with your single best friends or going on an intimate date with your significant other can make the day fulfilling, but what could you listen to between these events?
The following list of songs will help you enjoy your Valentine’s Day, no matter what your situation may be.
Songs for hopeless romantics
“Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel: This list kicks off with track three of Billy Joel’s 1977 album, ‘‘The Stranger.”Joel sings as a man who is so madly in love with his significant other, he does not want her to change a thing about herself. Lyrics include, “I don’t want clever conversation/Never want to work that hard, mm/I just want someone that I can talk to/I want you just the way you are.”
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” by Olivia Newton-John: Released as a part of the Grease soundtrack on April 4, 1978, this ballad sung by the character Sandy (played by Olivia Newton-John in the movie-musical), is one of the most well-known songs from the Grease movie. Sandy sings about her uncontrollable feelings for the male protagonist, Danny, expressing her desire to be noticed by him. Lyrics include: “My head is saying, ‘Fool, forget him’/My heart is saying ‘Don’t let go/Hold on ‘til the end’/And that’s what I intend to do/I’m hopelessly devoted to you.”
“Something” by The Beatles: Considered one of the greatest love songs of all time, “Something” is simply about a man realizing that he doesn’t want any other lover in his life but this woman. This song is track two on arguably one of the greatest albums of all time, “Abbey Road.” Lyrics include, “Something in the way she moves/Attracts me like no other lover/Something in the way she woos me/I don’t wanna leave her now/You know I believe and how.”
Songs for delusional lovers
“Lovefool” by The Cardigans: Released on Jan. 1, 1996, “Lovefool” by The Cardigans is a song with a fun and ditzy-like instrumentation with impactful and somewhat disturbing lyrics attached to it. The repetitive and catchy words have made “Lovefool” such an iconic song of the ‘90s and has been included in films like “Romeo + Juliet” and TV shows like “The Office.” Lyrics include “Reason will not reach a solution/I will end up lost in confusion/I don’t care if you really care/As long as you don’t go.”
“Talk Too Much” by Reneé Rapp: A perfect anthem of self-sabotage and overthinking one’s love life, “Talk Too Much” sums up the stress and confusion of a relationship, even when it’s going well. Rapp sings about how she’s finding any excuse to end this relationship and questions why she is even trying to end it in the first place. Lyrics include, “I’m here again, talkin’ myself out of/My own happiness/I’ll make it up ‘til I quit/I wonder if we should just sit here in silence/I think I talk too much.”
“Somebody to Love” by Queen: This powerful rock ballad tells the story of a depressed and lonely man who desperately wants to love somebody. With strong and gut-wrenching vocals by Freddie Mercury, this song easily evokes feelings for the listener. Lyrics include: “Got no feel, I got no rhythm/I just keep losing my beat/I’m okay, I’m alright/I ain’t gonna face no defeat/I just gotta get out of this prison cell/Someday I’m gonna be free, Lord.”
Songs for bitter lovers
“You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon: While this song is famously featured in the 2003 rom-com “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” this Carly Simon hit can easily stand as a masterpiece all on its own. Released in 1972, this song was inspired by multiple of Simon’s unknown lovers, with each one having a verse dedicated to them. Lyrics include: “You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive/Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair and that you would never leave/But you gave away the things you loved/And one of them was me.”
“All I Wanted” by Paramore: This aughts hit by the pop-punk band Paramore speaks to so many individuals who have gone through the pains of a breakup. Haley Williams voices the pain of someone who just lost a lover, even though all they wanted in the world was that one person. Lyrics include, “I could follow you to the beginning/Just to relive the start/And maybe then, we’d remember to slow down/At all of our favorite parts.”
“Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac: Based on the strained relationship of Steve Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham,” Silver Spring“ details the end of their relationship, which they both wanted to see as a fairy tale when it was a nightmare. In 1997 the band performed this song together with Nicks and Buckingham passionately and intensely looking at each other throughout the whole performance, reminiscing on what once was. Lyrics include, “Time cast a spell on you/But you won’t forget me/I know I could have loved you/But you would not let me.”
Paige Hanson can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @Paige_Hanson1.
