20 Sweet: Valentunes

Some people have been counting down the hours to Valentines Day since pre-Halloween, stocking up on those sugary hearts that say “Fax me,” or subtly leaving a florist’s phone number face-up in his or her significant other’s trashcan. For these folks, mushy love songs are everywhere, whether being played over grocery store soundsystems or sold on Valentines Day CDs at Starbucks. Another group of people feel only slightly excited for the supposed big day, but are more interested in simply letting their loved ones know how they feel—in a slightly less conventional way than playing “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey. And then there is the third group left hanging out to dry: those brokenhearted or bitter souls who, if they could choose, would probably just skip straight from the 13th to the 15th. It is for these last two oft-ignored groups that I have created two separate Valentines Day playlists, along with a particularly memorable or unique lyric of choice from each of the songs. I hope that they make for a great 14th, no matter which group you fall into.

Unconventional Love Songs
1. “Everyday is a Holiday (With You)” – Esthero and Sean Lennon
-You're the crescendo to that melody, that melody I love

2. “She Moves in Her Own Way” – The Kooks
-I love her because she moves in her own way / She came to my show just to hear about my day

3. “Parentheses” – The Blow
- If something in the deli aisle makes you cry / Of course I’ll put my arm around you and walk you outside / Through the sliding doors, why would I mind?

4. “Caraluna” – Bacilos
-Mientras siga viendo tu cara en la cara de la luna / Mientras siga escuchando tu voz, entre las olas, entre la espuma
-Translation: While I keep on seeing your face in the moon’s face / While I keep on listening to your voice / Between the waves, between the foam

5. “Till Kingdom Come” – Coldplay
- For you I’d wait 'til kingdom come / Until my days, my days are done

6. “The Way I Am” – Ingrid Michaelson
- I'd buy you Rogaine when you start losing all your hair / Sew on patches to all you tear

Continued after the jump!


7. “5 Years” – Noah and the Whale
-Well I feel, oh, pretty happy too / And I’m always pretty happy when I’m just kicking back with you

8. “Oxygen” – Willy Mason
- I wanna be better than oxygen / So you can breathe when you're drowning and weak in the knees

9. “Anna Begins” – Counting Crows
- And every time she sneezes I believe it’s love

10. “My Favourite Book” – Stars
- I know your face / All the ways you move / You come in and I can read you / You’re my favourite book

Songs for the Brokenhearted/Bitter
1. “Woke Up New” – The Mountain Goats
- The first time I made coffee for just myself, I made too much of it / But I drank it all, just cause you hated when I let things go to waste

2. “F**k You” – Lily Allen
- Cause we hate what you do, and we hate your whole crew / So please don’t stay in touch

3. “Nothing Better” –The Postal Service
- Will someone please call a surgeon / Who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart

4. “Gotta Have You” – The Weepies
-No amount of coffee, no amount of crying, no amount of whiskey, no amount of wine, no no no no no, nothing else will do, I gotta have you

5. “Merry Happy” – Kate Nash
-I can be alone, yeah / I can watch a sunset on my own

6. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) – Beyoncé
-Cause you had your turn, and now you gonna learn / what it really feels like to miss me

7. “I’m Good, I’m Gone” – Lykke Li
- Well, say it now cause when I'm gone / You'll be calling but I won't be at the phone

8. “Smoke” – Ben Folds
- Leaf by leaf, page by page / Throw this book away / All the sadness, all the rage / Throw this book away

9. “Dry Your Eyes” – The Streets
- Dry your eyes mate / I know it's hard to take but her mind has been made up / There's plenty more fish in the sea

10. “Ain’t Nothin’ You Can Do” –Van Morrison
- When you’ve got a backache / Little rubbin’ will see you through / When you got a heartache / There ain't nothin' you can do