Top Ten Romantic Songs

Last week I posted on my top ten favorite sexy songs. This week, I thought I’d list my favorite romantic songs. You know the ones that make you want to dance in happiness, do a little twirl, get all gushy.

This has been a far harder list to come up with than the sexy songs; maybe I’m not a romantic Grrrl. A lot of love songs just make me want to slap some sense into the singer and tell them to get a grip, for God’s sake. Sigh. I’m not a woman who is easily swept away by sentimental ballads, but hey I’m not impervious. Here are my romantic songs

Moondance by Van Morrison—This song sets the standard for romance for me. The jazzy tempo and the vivid fall imagery always take me away to a terrace under starry skies.

True Companion by Marc Cohn—Heartfelt and earnest, this is an over-the-top proposal, completely romantic. My favorite part is how he sings of growing old together, “When the years have done irreparable harm/I still see us walking slowly arm in arm”

You Bring Me Joy by Anita Baker—Anita Baker has such a unique voice and when she croons “You bring me joy…,” it gets right to the heart of a good relationship.

Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen—This won’t seem like a romantic song to most people, but it’s a song of second chances. When Springsteen sings, “So you’re scared and you’re thinking that maybe we’re not that young anymore/Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night/ You ain’t a beauty but hey you’re all right/And that’s all right with me” this middle-aged non-beauty is ready to jump in the car and grab that “one last chance to make it real.”

Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young—“A dreamer of pictures, I run through the night, you see us together, chasing the moonlight, my Cinnamon Girl.” Wish that were me.

Something in the Way She Moves by James Taylor---Sweet baby James. Smooth, soft, and casual, love is like a great pair of jeans. “I feel fine anytime she’s around me…”

Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You by Stevie Nicks—A song I used to put on repeat and get lost in. Evocative. There’s nothing more meaningful to me than the idea of someone giving me a piece of themselves and their art. “Has anyone ever written anything for you?” So different from writing to someone. I’ve written for very few people. “Poet—priest of nothing.”

Beginning by Chicago—Chicago was a great band, and this song takes me back to a good time in my life. Love the contrast of laughter and silence this song addresses, because “mostly I’m silent.”

Groovy Kind of Love by Phil Collins—What a stupid, insipid song—why do I like this? Don’t know. Just do.

Soul Provider by Michael Bolton—I still remember the first time I heard Michael Bolton sing, “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You.” It hit a bit too close to home. I bought the CD, and discovered I loved the title track, “Soul Provider,” best. I liked the idea of someone feeding my soul, and I also loved the wordplay of soul provider vs. sole provider.

October 19, 2006

Copyright 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved. www.v-grrrl.com

Comments

[Wendy]

I love Bruce...and I have to add..Wait for me....from a later work. a very romantic song "I'll wait for you..If I should fall behind, wait for me" A married adult anthem!

[Flubberwinkle]

I'm starting to like this list posting... (can't wait til we do favorite actors).
;-)

These are my all-time favorite love songs

1.Words (F.R. David)
2.Everything I Do, I Do It For You (Bryan Adams)
3.Making Love Out Of Nothing At All (Air Supply)
4.Hold Me Now (Johnny Logan)
5.Right Here Waiting For You (Richard Marx)
6.Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (The Platters)
7.Then You Look At Me (Celine Dion)
8.Tia Amo (Laura Brannigan)
9.Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers)
10.Hearts (Marty Balin) [this last one always makes me cry]...

[V-Grrrl]

Wendy,

I've got everything Bruce has ever done on vinyl and/or on disc.

So did he write Born to Run for you?

"Wendy this town rips the bones from your back/It's a death trap/It's a suicide rap/We've got to get out while we're young/ Tramps like us, baby we were born to run."

Kinda romantic. Bruce is always ready to hit the road and get the hell out of town. Love on the run!

Flubberwinkle,

I was struggling to remember the names of some of Richard Marx's ballads when I was making my list. Right Here Waiting is a good one. He's a great songwriter. I have a few of his discs.

[TB]

This is a good list. I'll add three:

Grow Old With Me - John Lennon
Push - Sarah McLachlan
Better When We're Together - Jack Johnson

[Nance]

Don't you find this a tough one, in some cases? If I listed my "romantic songs", they'd seem goofy. Mine are tied up in moments, and it's not really the songs themselves that are romantic. Or maybe I just hear a piece or two of lyrics that I find particularly romantic and the rest of the song is really not romantic at all.

[Nancy]

Ooh, this one is much harder than the sexy songs, for some reason. So far all I can think of is Unchained Melody and What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong). Oh, and "On Your Shore" by Enya (that's what my hubby and I danced to on our wedding day).

[RD]

I can't add to your list because I've never been good at recalling songs I like. It's a deficiency! However, maybe it's the title of your previous post that reminded me of Aretha Franklin's sappy song I heard as a young teenager and which I found so, so romantic. I still remember the emotion it elicited in me! "Strumming my pain with his fingers, singing my life with his words. Killing me softly with his song, killing me softly..." Yeah, that's the one.

[Wendy]

How did you know bruce writes for me? At a concert senior year, high school, at the forum...LA.. I saw him and wept. Like the girls with the Beatles.

Thunder Road speaks more to me in it's words..but what girl wouldn't love to hear bruce sing her name?

[JMo]

I can't agree with having Mr. Bolton on the list - I don't mind when people remake songs (even songs that were great the first time around). But when you win a Grammy for doing so and can't even bother to thank the guy who wrote and performed the original (When a Man loves a Woman - Percy Sledge) you don't deserve to be called an artist.

Heres some unconventional ones:

Nothing Else Matters - Metallica (my cousin danced to this at his wedding reception)

Love Hurts - Nazareth

Thats the Way - Led Zeppelin

[V-Grrrl]

JMo,

I never knew you were a romantic headbanger.

[amber]

This is such a good idea for fun posts! I still need to do the sexy posts, too. But I will keep this one for later... James Taylor. Is there a sweeter voiced man? Or a more romantic song? I think not.

:)

[Shirl Grrrl]

Suger Magnolia by the Grateful Dead
Angie by The Rolling Stones
Annie's Song by John Denver
Any of the songs from Bread in the 70s

I'm pretty sure it was Roberta Flack that crooned Killing Me Softly. I loves me some Aretha but we must give credit where credit is due. But it is a great love song.

[Angela]

Mmmm...James Taylor. Love, love, love his voice. "How Sweet It Is" is one of my favorite love songs. We danced to it at our wedding.

[Dan]

Romantic Songs:

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
For My Lady - Moody Blues
Michelle - Beatles
You Make Me Feel So Young - Sinatra