What makes a great love song? Music, lyrics, emotional delivery, and sincere performance. How do you not cross the line and avoid making the song outright cheesy? It must be the hardest part for a songwriter working on a love song to also be deeply in love at the time. When one’s emotions are contained, it does not necessarily mean that they are less sincere. There may be more passion in silence than in the endless “love you” on repeat. In this post, I will share songs where a perfect emotional balance is maintained. You’ll want to listen to these songs when you are in love and when you are not.
News:
I am very happy to announce the release of my book Night Rock – The Werewolf Confessions. It is available on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle edition and Google Play Books as an eBook and musical audiobook. You can also purchase the eBook and audiobook on my website. To celebrate the release, I am offering 50% off until the end of the month. I recommend starting with the audio version. It turned out quite well. So, without any further ado, get yourself a copy and be the first to see the world through the eyes of a werewolf!
Music Picks:
"Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0yp3TvJNlG50Q4tAHWNCRm
This classic can speak for itself—or not speak at all—since the words don’t matter nearly as much as the feelings themselves.
"Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1qQSRy9DjrGh3jtsSCU6B1
Another classic where a minimum of words express a maximum of emotion.
"Seed of Love" by Ben Caplan:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7A4JEGcEje6MY9oDTjUwGs
This artist is much more eloquent in his messaging. And his message about seeking true love is delivered beautifully.
"Stay" by Crystal Monee Hall:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2mWk9l7kNY8nyjrVLzVCjq
I saw this lady perform at the Montreal Jazz Festival years ago. I like her style and wish that there were more of her songs on Spotify. Note the difference between this love song and the first three. Not sure if this is the industry standard for men and women to be singing so differently about love, or maybe it is just the expression of how men and women feel when in love. What do you think?
"Blue Jeans" (reggae cover) by Natty Bong:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0JUJEu66hmWMJsDDAP3IWk
I hope that you like this version of Blue Jeans as much as I do. It sounds perfect to me. The overall direction of the lyrics is similar to the previous song.
"Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" by Janis Joplin:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1y6KBuPwQFqPuXj4iin6kv
This old-school classic is a great song to finish my music picks with. The emotional delivery is awesome. The song is so cool and funky that you don’t notice it is a love song until you really start paying attention to every word in the lyrics.
Final Thoughts:
Love can surely be a great inspiration for songwriting. It is not the only source of inspiration, of course. You don’t have to fall in love to write a song. It would be quite a bit of trouble otherwise, and it would make the whole concept of falling in love a little perverse as well. Whatever is guiding your creative process, stick to it. Write great songs and remember to send them to me.