The Love That Never Was...
-
Artist:
-
Album:
-
Track:
I've always been drawn to dark, hopeless, stick-a-knife-in-your-chest-pull-it-out-re-insert-and-twist type of unrequited love songs. Or more simply put, "I love you but you don't love me" songs. Some songwriters are over-the-top while bitterly trash talking their escaped loves and others paint the pained picture so perfectly. You feel what they are singing about, even if you're not in the same uncomfortable situation.
I'm sure many songs are autobiographical. It can be a very personal thing to pen a song about an unreturned love. What lyrically are the best unrequited love songs? I'm not talking about songs that are amibiguous in whether the object of affection recpricates the feeling but I'm speaking of songs that are just plain obvious that the writer won't get what he or she wants. I'm intrigued to hear if there are any women singing about lost love. The topic of conversation seems to be more dominated by men. Ian Brown sang about his infactuation with a lesbian love in Sally Cinnamon. Morrissey always sings about his failed relationships. Disco 2000 is one of my favorite Pulp songs. E sings Jeannie's Diary so well. Lyrically, Crown of Love by Arcade Fire is little over-the-top for me. What about your favorite unrequited love songs? Do you have any that you've played in the darkest of time?
How dark can you get?
Comments (8)
Off the top o the noggin':
"It Aint Me Babe" and "Don't Think Twice" by Bob Dylan
You're talking my language. I hate that I'm drawn to the same "stick-a-knife-in-your-chest-pull-it-out-re-insert-and-twist" songs. I've got a couple for you, give me some time home sitting alone in a melancholy state and I'd come up with a heck of a lot more..."Waiting" by City and Colour (that entire Bring Me Your Love album really); "Nicest Thing" by Kate Nash; and "Limit to Your Love" by Feist.
Thanks for the Dylan songs, Contra. They're beautiful songs, especially Don't Think Twice. He's got a way with words.
Nella - Nice! 2 females singing about unrequited love. These are three songs I haven't heard but I'm checking them out as we speak. Waiting is a beautiful song. Haven't heard of City and Colour but I think it's going on my queue. I think I'm going to compile a playlist of these types of songs (for a rainy day). I don't have The Reminder but Limit to Your Love sounds like a perfect example of what we're talking about here.
Keep 'em coming when you think of 'em. I'll continue throwing a few out when my mind wonders to that dark side...
How about Jaymay's "Gray or Blue"
First thing that comes to this twisted and tired mind is Invisible Touch by Genesis. I took this album to be a "concept" album, and despite the amount of radio-play it received, one of the band's best. I definitely got "unrequited love" from that one. And there are more...just below the bubbling surface... I'll be back.
It was just brought to my attention that Ruby Falls by Guster is a song of unrequited love. I'm not sure but the lines "Love confession number one/ impossible and sorry/ and judge can you look the other way?/ some things are best unsaid" do seem to suggest it. Another voice here says that Jesse's Girl is an example but it's almost too...whatever to mention.
My dictionary says that unrequited love is "withheld or unreturned." This definition broadens the field of my search and many of Jeff Tweedy's songs could be understood as songs of such. Take We're Just Friends as an example. Does that work?
Of course, for my darkest times, I long wandered The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd. Wish You Were Here (altho I know that was written for Syd Barrett) also worked on many occasions. Also, Me In Honey by R.E.M. was the soundtrack during some of my most unrequited moments.
Thanks for the hard work and thought put into these titles...Invisible Touch is a quinessential unrequited love song. So onesided it hurts. Only thing is, the tune makes it seem like a fun, upbeat type of topic.
Tweedy and co. have a huge array of songs well worth highlighting. I think I am Trying to Break Your Heart is in the same vein but again, a little ambiguous.
Agreed on Jesse's Girl but it's a good thought...
Ruby Falls...just looked into it and it has a tone of unreturned love but it seems somewhat of a mutual breakup at first glance into the lyrics.
Nice ones all around.
great call with pulp, this album is one I have played a million times. I am a sucker for love songs, and I could list a shit load that cause me to sit back and smile. For tonight I will go with Skyway by the replacements, listened to it on the way home from soccer