I thought id see what some on here had to say on a topic that my fiancee and i had a bit of a friendly argument about. I said that to me some of the best love songs and the most meaningful ones are the ones that are not as flowery and obvious about the topic. To go further i think that one of the most meaningful topics on love is the fear of being in love and recognizing that you were scared to be that vulnerable to someone. For that reason a song like sea of no cares is my idea of the ideal love song. So i guess what im getting at is do you think that to be a good love song the song has to be about love as a perfect state or even about love at all?

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I am the fountain of affection
I'm the instrument of joy
And to keep the good times rolling
I'm the boy, I'm the boy,

I think most of the "love songs" you hear on the radio might be better characterized as "infatuation songs," which is fine if you're in the narrow age demographic that spends the most money on music!  I agree that something like "Fast As I Can" is more realistic - it acknowledges the differences between people and how love has to be actively nurtured rather than just taken for granted.

Love (wishing you "agape," that is), Columbine

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I also agree that the best love songs are not the mushy, surperficial ones that are often popular.  Sea of no Cares ( nod to anther thread) is a great example of what it really is to be in love - stepping into the unknown, casting aside fears that would otherwise keep you away from such a journey, or which are simply unacknowledged. 

When I met my husband, I was sure there was no hope for me but instead of not calling him as my fears woudl dictate I decided to call and see what happened.  Scared to death, I didn't actually call but sent a voicemail message.  Still, I did it.  When I went on a weekend trip with a girlfriend, I called him every night, even though my friend was standing over me, rolling her eyes.  We got married without having lived together first and after seeing several of our friends marriages either end quickly or carry on miserably.  We put aside our fears along the way, trusted ourselves and each other and celebrated our 8th anniversary earlier this month.  Sea of no cares,man, it's all about the 'Sea.

(tell that to your finacee )

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Sing an unwritten song or repent for the deeds you left undone.- GBS
If curious means that you trade your routines for something free, the freedom you feel's the whole point of the deal so curious I'll be! - BNL
Priates over Ninjas!!

I agree. There are alot of songs by GBS that prove that point. How bout Boston and St. John's ,or  Can't Stop Falling  or Stumbling In ? In fact the very song with only the "L" word in it's title is probably my least favorite GBS song. Although I can appreciate the sentiment and timing of when the song was written I still dislike it . (sorry Sean).

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"Some government bastard now takes it from me"... E.McCann

"Politicians don't care for whats yours or what's mine" - E.McCann

"Music is sound organized for the purpose of decorating time"...Frank Zappa

"If life was fair Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead"...Johnny Carson

I'm probably a terrible comment on this, looking at my own marriage (people accuse us of being unromantic and acting too much like friends; I say we're enlightened), but I think a really well-written song can be quite obviously about love and still be effective. The best example of a modern love song, I think, is "This Must Be The Place" (Naive Melody) by the Talking Heads (not so much how David Byrne does it with the strings these days, but the old synth flute and bends). The music is incredibly simple, but it forms a nice foundation for the lyrics, which are all about home being right next to the person you love ("I'm just an animal looking for a home and to share the same space for a minute or two, and you'll love me till my heart stops, love me till I'm dead..."). So yeah, no secrets about the topic, and my most favorite love song of all time. It makes me tear for a second quite consistently.

The close second favorite these days is "Stumbling In," or "Haven't Seen You In A Long Time" if that counts :) It's some kind of a love song, even if not a completely healthy one.

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The monument was in the shape of a seahorse and the plaque read we got hot and died. (RB)

Bryck123:

To go further i think that one of the most meaningful topics on love is the fear of being in love and recognizing that you were scared to be that vulnerable to someone.

 

If you haven't heard it yet, try to listen to Joshua Radin's "Fear You Won't Fall." That's exactly what it's about. Captures the essence very well :)