Valentine’s Day is upon us and I’m reminded of all the songs that speak of love. Love, as it seems, is the emotion that reigns supreme when it comes to lyrics that move us. And the songs that embrace, romanticize and condemn it are countless. Here are my top 5 love songs of all time plus an Honorable Mention:
Honorable Mention. Lady Antebellum – Need You Now. My favorite line in this song is “I’d rather hurt than feel nothing at all.” It’s a poignant reminder that love is not only worth being vulnerable for; it’s required.
Here’s the countdown, starting with a classic in the #5 spot:
5. The Association – Cherish. This classic pop song from 1966 is a fitting reminder that sometimes love(or perhaps deep infatuation) wells up inside us and seems to take over all of who we are. The deep longing for what may never be and the love that we desperately crave is captured with these heartbreaking lyrics:
“You don’t know how many times I’ve wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you”
4. Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand. A nostalgic favorite, this song rushed to the top of the pop single chart in 1964. It was the Beatles first smash hit and remains a tribute to the simple pleasure of holding hands and the possibilities of everything else romantic. What’s not to love?
3. Nat King Cole with Natalie Cole – Unforgettable. The moment when you feel like you’re the luckiest person in the world is captured brilliantly in the remake by this father and daughter duet. The lines I’m referring to, of course, are:
That’s why, darling, it’s incredible
That someone so unforgettable
Thinks that I am
Unforgettable, too.
2. Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You. This is Whitney at her best. That voice, those haunting lyrics and the love that cannot be. Forget for a moment that this song is from the cheesy film, The Body Guard with Kevin Costner, and just focus on how beautifully Whitney moves you when you listen and you will see why this ballad makes the #2 spot.
1. Etta James – At Last. The iconic Etta James and that those first words…”At Laaaast…” just sets the tone for what is to come in this song and tugs at your heartstrings. It’s a tribute to finally finding that true love and soulmate. This classic rendition from 1960 reminds of us of the beginning of a relationship when the heart starts to flit and flutter with reckless abandon for the start of something magical.
At Last Lyrics by Etta James
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last
Of course, if love only depresses you because you are jaded, hurt or unhappily single, you can default to Tina Turner’s sentiments in her #1 hit from 1984, What’s Love Got To Do With It:
Oh what’s love got to do, got to do with it
What’s love but a second hand emotion
What’s love got to do, got to do with it
Who needs a heart
When a heart can be broken
