All posts in Cute Love Songs

Every good hipster knows the genius of Ben Gibbard’s music catalog. The lead singer of Death Cab For Cutie has a knack for metaphorical devices and all the other things a good lyricist should be good at. The song “I Will Follow You In The Dark” strips down love and humanity, and what it means beyond this world. The test of true devotion is following a person to the ends of the earth, no matter where it may lead.

The music of the 70’s doesn’t get enough credit. There are so many hidden gems that are left forgotten from this wonderful decade. Sure, Beyonce’s current hit “Love On Top” showcases her crazy ability to change keys about four times in one song, and I applaud her. Yet, there’s something so honest and simple about the music of artists like the Carpenters, James Taylor, or one of my personal favorites – Jim Croce. If you are familiar with any music from the 70’s, chances are you probably know his hit “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” which was a top 10 single in 1973. However, I want to focus on one of his other songs, a love song appropriately titled, “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song.” Croce’s wife Ingrid tells the story of how the song came about:

I questioned Jim about our finances. After a year and a half of his working so very hard on the road, we were barely making ends meet, but Jim wouldn’t talk about it. He hated questions as much as he hated confrontation, especially about money. He stormed out of our bedroom and went down to the kitchen table to brood. The next morning he woke me gently by singing one of his new love songs. “Every time I tried to tell you the words just came out wrong. So I’ll have to say I love you, in a song.”

(Info obtained from: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5157)

The world lost Croce and his talent when he died in a plane crash on September 20, 1973. But he left behind a simple song with a simple message about love – sometimes love is so hard to grasp it cannot be expressed in words. In essence isn’t this why artists write love songs – to try to describe love in the most poignant and real way? And don’t many people (whether musicians or not) use music to express love? We can all learn a lesson from Croce and give the love songs of the 70’s a closer listen.

The Violent Femmes are beloved by 80’s and 90’s kids everywhere, and their song “Good Feeling” stands out in their catalog of music. The song has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity after being featured on the hit sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” in a pivotal episode, introducing this simplistically beautiful song to a new generation. While the melody is a little typical of grunge music, the way the lyrics and the melody combine feels unique and personal. The heartfelt plea comes across in a few words:

Good feeling
Won’t you stay with me
Just a little longer
It always seems like you’re leaving
When I need you here
Just a little longer

So whether or not you were alive when the song came out, this is a good one to listen to when you are holding onto something or someone that always seems to be just out of reach. We can all relate to that!

In this song, the beautiful Colbie Caillat tells us about how she is falling for an unlikely man. In the video, it’s obvious that the guy she is falling for is not the best looking or most dashing man, but she can’t help it. Real love looks past the shallowness of physical appearance and many cute love songs convey this theme as well. I’m sure many people know what Colbie is talking about with these lyrics:

I’ve been spending all my time
Just thinking about ya
I don’t know what to do
I think I’m fallin’ for you
I’ve been waiting all my life
And now I found ya
I don’t know what to do
I think I’m fallin’ for you

“Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison is an oldie but a goodie. The song was written in 1967 and faced some criticism for it’s racy lyrics (see below). Although the original lyrics are found in the song that was released on his album, he also released a radio edit version in which the lyrics “Making love in the green grass” were replaced with “laughin’ and a-runnin’, hey hey”. Although cute love songs nowadays often have racy lyrics, radios seem to be a bit more lenient on what they actually consider “racy”.

So hard to find my way,
Now that I’m all on my own.
I saw you just the other day,
My how you have grown,
Cast my memory back there, Lord
Sometime I’m overcome thinking ’bout
Making love in the green grass
Behind the stadium with you
My brown eyed girl
You my brown eyed girl

“The Gambler” is a cute love song that is written from the perspective of an old man looking back at the life he has shared with his love. I’m sure many couples feel the same way as how the man does when he describes their relationship. Not many cute love songs are sung in that perspective, but it is interesting to think about how that could be you in the future.

We were barely 18 when we’d crossed collective hearts.
It was cold, but it got warm when you’d barely crossed my eye.
and then you turned, put out your hand,
and you asked me to dance.
I knew nothing of romance, but it was love at second sight.

Oh John Mayer, what to think of him? His personal statements and interviews don’t show him as the perfect boyfriend type, but he sure can write some cute love songs. The video shows John Mayer and a girl taking part in different flirty activities that couples do everyday. Love can be felt when you listen to this song. John Mayer can play a mean guitar, but he also can make a girl get chills down her spine.

Some cute lyrics:

Something ’bout the way the hair falls in your face
I love the shape you take when crawling towards the pillowcase
You tell me where to go and
Though I might leave to find it
I’ll never let your head hit the bed
Without my hand behind it