Tomorrow being Valentine’s Day, I’m planning to publish a list of The Greatest Love Songs of all time (in my opinion).
Today being not-quite Valentine’s Day, here is a list some of the Greatest Not-Quite-Love Songs… those that just didn’t qualify for tomorrow’s list.
Not that these aren’t great songs. They are. In order to make this list, a song has to be both musically powerful and effective, and lyrically evocative and meaningful. It’s just that these songs aren’t quite about pure, true, romantic love.
Perhaps they are about love lost, or maybe it’s obsessive love. Whatever their flaws that kept them off tomorrow’s list, I still felt they are amazing songs that deserve recognition. Don’t see your favourites on here? Too bad. These are, unabashedly and proudly, my favourites. Feel free to post yours in the comments, though. Click the titles to hear the songs.
One More Try – George Michael
Why the music rocks: Haunting sound, slow and simple, jazzy bass, juicy harmonies at just the right moment, vocals that float over it all yet give the punch when warranted. An emotionally-charged performance by George Michael at his finest.
Greatest line: And teacher, there are things that I still have to learn, but the one thing I have is my pride. So I don’t want to hold you, touch you, think that you’re mine, because there ain’t no joy for an uptown boy who just isn’t willing to try… I’m so cold inside… maybe just one more try…
Why it’s not-quite-love: I’ll admit I almost put this one on tomorrow’s list. But it’s just not quite “pure”. The singer has given up on love, doesn’t believe the object of his affections will be true to him, he is dejected and defeated. Only at the very last moment does the hope and promise of love stir his cold heart back to warmth. It’s a very unusual turn for a pop song, which are usually consistent in expressing one thought or theme from start to finish. Yet the darkness and sadness of the song before this moment — glorious as it may be — keeps it off tomorrow’s list.
Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
Why the music rocks: Haunting sound, slow and simple, jazzy bass, juicy harmonies at just the right moment, vocals that float over it all yet give the punch when warranted. An emotionally-charged performance by Sinead O’Connor at her finest. Um, yeah. Listening to One More Try immediately followed by this one, you really notice the similarities. From the opening synth chords, to the final line of “but I’m willing to give it another try”… Maybe that’s why I love them both so much.
Greatest line: All the flowers that you planted, mama, in the back yard, all died when you went away…
Why it’s not-quite-love: This is a song of love lost, of begging for your lover to return. The heartbreak in this song is so intensely expressed that it’s almost physically palpable.
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
Why the music rocks: Thick piano chords. A slow build to a huge climax. Cannons. And when Garfunkel turns the melody (and the intensity) up instead of down with the last utterance of the word “bridge,” you know you’ve got a serious torch song here. And did I mention — cannons?
Greatest line: Sail on Silver Girl, Sail on by. Your time has come to shine, all your dreams are on their way. See how they shine. If you need a friend, I’m sailing right behind.
Why it’s not-quite-love: This song never actually mentions romantic love. It is devoted friendship, unwavering support, help and comfort in your time of pain, utter devotion. But it could be a song for a relative, a friend… not necessarily a lover. It is certainly love, and indeed love in its very purest form… just not necessarily in a Valentine’s Day sense.
Lean on Me – Club Nouveau/Bill Withers
While Bill Withers’ original is certainly the more ‘beautiful’ version, the Club Nouveau cover from the late 80s was my first introduction to this song. It was “our song” with my first love. Cheesy? Maybe. But it’s still a great song.
Why the music rocks: Four notes going up, four notes going down. You know the riff. Full piano chords in the original, awesome. And the cover version has cool synth interjections, not to mention “we be jammin, mon” and “pump it up, homeboy, just like that.” Yeah, baby.
Greatest line: Lean on me when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.
Why it’s not-quite-love: This is another great song that’s about the love of devoted friendship, rather than romance. You certainly can sing it to your loved one, as my first love and I did, but it is still not, strictly speaking, a “love song.”
The Rose – Bette Midler
Oh, how I rue the day that I would ever put Bette Midler on a “best of” list, but so help me, I love this song.
Why the music rocks: The simple repetitive piano chords opening, with the subtle shifting harmonies.
Greatest line: When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long, and you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong, just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows, lies the seed, that with the sun’s love, in the spring, becomes the rose.
Why it’s not-quite-love: This is another beautiful song about love, but it’s not, strictly speaking, a love song. The context is of one person telling another (or perhaps herself) not to be afraid of loving, and that love is a beautiful thing that can grow despite pain and trouble. But it’s not an expression of devotion from one lover to another.
A Letter to Elise – The Cure
Of course there has to be something from The Cure on any music list I make. I waffled between this song, Disintegration, and From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea — all absolutely brilliant songs. But I think this one fit the bill of not-quite-love song the best.
Why the music rocks: Robert’s voice, so open and honest. The multi-layered sonic landscape. The “toy piano” riff. And that swelling, uprising solo break that bursts into the modulation back into the main theme, carrying you with it, the inevitability of the resolution, oh how glorious…
Greatest line: Oh Elise it doesn’t matter what you do, I know I’ll never really get inside of you, to make your eyes catch fire the way they should, the way the blue could pull me in, if they only would if they only would… At least I’d lose this sense of sensing something else that hides away from me and you there’re worlds to part with aching looks and breaking hearts, and all the prayers your hands can make, oh I just take as much as you can throw, and then throw it all away…
Why it’s not-quite-love: This one is love that just couldn’t make it. They keep desperately trying, they keep pretending, but the spark is gone, if it was ever even there. Heartbreak, helplessness, longing, and regret.
All Apologies – Nirvana
Why the music rocks: A great simple riff over a pedal tone bass line, with acoustic bowed bass adding energy and impetus. Quiet and sincere, it’s elegant grunge.
Greatest line: What else should I be? All apologies.
Why it’s not-quite-love: Frankly, I’m not 100% sure what the song is about. Kurt’s lyrics are wonderfully strange. I mean… aqua seafoam shame? It’s evocative, but still mysterious. My interpretation is that it’s a lover who has screwed up, trying to apologize for what he has done. Maybe the screwup is that he’s not the lover he intended to be, he feels trapped in a marriage and feels shame for not living up to what he promised. Maybe it’s something else. Whatever the specifics, though, it’s certainly a song about shame, regret… and not pure romantic love.
You Don’t Love Me Anymore – Weird Al Yankovic
Yeah… after Simon and Garfunkel and The Cure, I’m going to close the list with Weird Al. I told you, these are my favourites, no apologies.
Why the music rocks: Your classic acoustic folk guitar pop ballad. It’s really quite beautiful, Al uses his pretty voice for this one. If you didn’t pay attention to the lyrics, you could be fooled…
Greatest line: I even think it’s kind of cute the way you poison my coffee, just a little each day…
Why it’s not-quite-love: Seriously, you have to ask? This is a parody of cheesy love/heartbreak songs. It’s actually somewhat ironic that Al managed to turn this into one of his most beautiful and popular songs. The juxtaposition of the insanely violent lyrics with the mellow, thoughtful music just adds to the hilarity.




