Songs that capture the complex emotions of love and longing

Hayley Williams of Paramore
There are songs that center or dwell on love and explore all the feelings, good or bad, associated with it… that fact alone leaves an endless array to choose from when it comes to that subject matter. And with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, what better way to express how we feel than through songs we can make our significant other listen to?
Yet, I will not take the predictable route by choosing typical ones. I have always followed my own method of selecting, and that is no different for my latest entertainment article. The five songs I list below represent the complex emotions one feels when loving someone or longing to be with that person, whether you are searching for that special someone, reliving the times you had together, or savoring every precious moment you have left with her.
My list of favorites does not include the cheesy, corny, or overly familiar types that everyone has already heard. In fact, some of you may have never heard of any of them. Haha. This only proves how vast and knowledgeable I am about the history of music, as well as my willingness to share the songs I enjoy that have lasting appeal for various reasons.
The selection of songs I have chosen below is one that everyone should have the chance to listen to with their significant other or even by themselves, whether it is during Valentine’s Day or not. The songs listed are of superb quality and are worth listening to and re-listening to on any occasion, month, or time of day. Give them a try!
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Article continues after this advertisement1) “A Girl Like You” by Edwyn Collins – This song holds a special place in my heart. For me, this is one of the greatest songs ever made for several reasons. Besides being one of the most iconic guitar-driven alternative rock songs from the 90s, it is also one of the hardest to cover or replicate by any current band or artist. Many modern artists have attempted to cover this song in their concerts or perform their own versions, but all of them have fallen short and cannot compare to the original.
Article continues after this advertisementThere has always been something about “A Girl Like You” that I can’t explain or express properly. The song has that magical “It Factor” that is usually reserved for artists, but this is one of those rare cases. Not many artists can say that their most remembered song appeared not only on their full-length album but also in the track list of one of the most iconic 90s movies, ‘Empire Records.’ Impressive is what I have to say.
Beyond being a one-hit wonder, which it is not, this song is part of a soundtrack for an entire generation that was exposed to amazing music and unrestrained artistry. Edwyn Collins was already a veteran singer, performer, and musician before he created his most legendary song, “A Girl Like You.” The rest is history; if you listen to this song today, it still sounds as good as it did decades ago. This reminds me that I dedicated an entire article to this song months ago. You bet it deserves to be on anyone’s list.
2) “Just Another Day” by Jon Secada – The year 1992 was the breakout year for Jon Secada who was the former backup vocalist and the primary songwriter for Gloria Estefan until he decided to pursue his own solo career as an artist. The career move he made was not only timely but the right one on his part. After all, Jon Secada was, in fact, responsible for a number of the greatest hits of Gloria Estefan before he came to the self-realization that he should be the one singing his own original compositions that have the potential to become chart-topping hits.
“Just Another Day” with its mid-to-fast tempo setting, strong Latin-American vibe, and bouncy beat, resembles more of a dance floor anthem. But don’t be fooled by the immediate and obvious musical traits of this song because “Just Another Day” packs a punch lyrically especially for the broken-hearted and lonely with its melodramatic lyrics by Jon Secada singing his heart out for the woman he loves. But apparently, the woman couldn’t care less for reasons she alone knows, leaving him feeling “lost” and without any direction as to what to do next without her love.
I don’t know which is a more saddening thought–whether this song by Jon Secada was based on a real event in his life or the fact that “Just Another Day” was to be the only chart-topping hit from him? Whichever it is, one thing is sure. If you listen to this song you will feel a tug in your heart and that feeling alone that you get as you listen to “Just Another Day” is a victory in itself for Jon Secada because, although and sadly, his career as an artist did not last years after this song was first released… the raw emotion it carries with it for the listener still holds 20 plus years later.
3) “Brick” by Ben Folds Five – Singer-songwriter Ben Folds, formerly of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five, was one of the most underrated singer-songwriters in my book during his heyday in the mid 90’s to early 2000’s. The guy had some moments of true musical genius throughout his music career and his best-known song “Brick” is one of them. This song holds a special place in my heart and for many others who are familiar with “Brick”.
My initial impression of “Brick” even after hearing the song played a few times under the original format of NU107 in the late 90’s was that lead vocalist Ben Folds was singing about his terminally ill girlfriend, trying to savor every remaining moment he may have left to be with her whether her parents approve of him or not. And many years later, I still get the same gloomy depressing impression of “Brick” because of its overall tone, lyrical meaning, and piano-centered structure of the song. For me, the song is beautiful because the message it conveys to the listener is to ket
Lastly, there is a specific section of the song that still gets my interest and that is the last verse which has always stuck with me more than anything else to this day because it leaves me to ponder what Ben Folds really meant by it.
Listen to “Brick” and you can draw your own conclusion about what the song is really about.
4) “Decode” by Paramore – It is often said, and I may have been the first to say this in a local publication, that a true great band is one whose song in a movie’s soundtrack becomes as memorable as the film itself. In Paramore’s case, this is true. Say what you will about this band, but Paramore was remarkable in their prime, and Hayley Williams was the “It Girl” for a generation of pop-punk and alternative-rock fans who looked up to Paramore as their idols in the music scene.
“Decode” is as stingy, heart-tugging, and melancholic as any Paramore song, but taken up a few notches higher. Its interesting song structure, atmospheric chorus, grand production values, and memorable lines have always made me listen to it again from time to time. It reminds me of a different time, and many years later, I still consider “Decode” one of the band’s best works—one that they sadly can never perform as well in a live setting. In 2009, Paramore was at the height of their fame, and they were definitely younger; we were all younger back then. Looking back at this track and including it in your list of Valentine-themed songs, or any other kind of list, is well deserved.
Forget the sparkling vampires, the excessive cheesiness, and the cringe-worthy moments of The Twilight Saga. If you are a music aficionado or basically, a fan of any masterfully made song, listen to this Instead, remember this masterfully crafted song from Paramore, because “Decode” has aged well like fine wine. If there are a handful of songs I will remember Paramore by, this is one of them.
5) “Anybody Seen My Baby” by The Rolling Stones – This song by The Rolling Stones is the first single from their album entitled ‘Bridges To Babylon’ album released in 1997. This was probably one of the first songs I got to hear from The Rolling Stones in its entirety when I was in my early teens. It helped a lot that Channel V Asia, the other music channel at the time, put the music video on rotation for a short time for everyone to get a better grasp of the song and appreciate it more.
Guitarist Keith Richards with his dreamy and wavy-like chord progressions which can be heard throughout “Anybody Seen My Baby” are one of the strongest musical impressions that “Anybody Seen My Baby” has left on me after all these years. I still listen to this song because of Keith Richards’ magnificent guitar work here. Just to hear those series of sequences from him playing his guitar takes me back to a different time–the time I discovered this masterpiece of a song by The Rolling Stones. This is one of the best moments for me in the year 1997 when it comes to the continuing development of my musical tastes.
Mick Jagger, with his signature style of singing, is incomparable. His persona, his stage presence, and his longevity in the music industry are the stuff of legend.
Mick Jagger singing his original composition “Anybody Seen My Baby” makes me wonder if it was about a short-lived romance or a serious relationship that ended abruptly for no clear apparent reason and one that he regretfully still wishes did not end the way it did? Did it lead him to continue to search for her anywhere he went, the memory of her never leaving his mind and in his confusion, Mick Jagger wondering if she was even real in the first place or was she just a figment of his imagination?
Again, this was the song that introduced me to the music of The Rolling Stones proving that their music has spanned generations and will continue to do so forever. As I write, there are teens now and even kids who are coming across the songs of The Rolling Stones, and even adults rediscovering the songs they were first exposed to growing up decades ago. That evident and unmanned self-perpetuating cycle of keeping their legacy alive will never end. The Rolling Stones are certified music legends, indeed.