As Valentine’s Day approaches, love is in the air and near constant PDA can no longer be avoided, let’s look at six of my favourite love songs.
“Annie’s Song” – John Denver
From John Denver’s 1974 album Back Home Again, “Annie’s Song” is a beautiful homage to Denver’s first wife, Annie Martell. The track’s instrumentals are quiet and simple, allowing Denver’s vocals (and his stunning lyricism) to shine through, which highlights how incredibly romantic this ballad is and solidifying its place on this list.
“Talkin’ to Myself About You” – Peggy Lee
Recorded in Peggy Lee’s early years, “Talkin’ to Myself About You” is a quintessential jazz ballad from a bygone age of classic romance. Lee’s vocals are warm and sweet as she beautifully croons about her girlish daydreams of love, making “Talkin’ to Myself About You” the perfect song for your Valentine’s playlist.
“Invisible String” – Taylor Swift
While Taylor Swift is renowned for her expertly crafted love songs, “Invisible String” is easily one of her very best. The track is saccharine and simple, allowing Swift’s gorgeous storytelling and pleasant vocal tone to shine. Although Swift and the muse that inspired this song are no longer tied together by a beautiful gold bow, “Invisible String” hasn’t lost its easy-going take on love, making it another great track to listen to this Valentine’s Day.
“Sweetest Thing (The Single Mix)” – U2
Although “Sweetest Thing” was almost forgotten, a B-side excluded from U2’s award-winning album The Joshua Tree, the track was re-released in 1998 and quickly became a number one hit. “Sweetest Thing (The Single Mix)” is a lighter take on the original 1986 recording, which was originally written by lead singer Bono as an apology to his wife for forgetting her birthday. While the track has the potential to be much darker, the dancing guitar rhythm and twinkling piano line featured on the single allow it to blossom into a beautiful love song perfect for a Valentine’s dance.
“Mama, You Been on My Mind (Studio Outtake – 1993)” – Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley’s rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Mama, You Been on My Mind” expertly displays his ability to perfectly capture the mood and atmosphere of romance in his music. Although it’s a studio outtake, the track isn’t hindered by its simple origins. Instead, “Mama, You Been on My Mind” is even more special thanks to its quiet beauty, featuring just Buckley and his guitar working through the hurdles of a love connection. While Dylan technically wrote the song about heartbreak, Buckley’s rendition of the track feels more like a longing for love, earning it a place on this list.
“Falling Slowly” – Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová’s “Falling Slowly,” in all its quiet yearnings, is quite simply one of the best love songs written in the past 20 years. Starting slow, the award-winning track immediately starts to build with the addition of various string instruments. “Falling Slowly” doesn’t waste any of its four-minute run time on useless musical filler, with every beautiful second proving just how perfect it is for Valentine’s Day.