love and its antithesis

I was in Send in the Clowns today, indulging in the journals and stationary, the racks and racks of cards, the photo albums and the candy. Valentine's Day is definitely coming, but as I browsed the little pink stuffed animals and the lovey-dovey cards, I realized that I'm really excited. I want to write Valentines for my Drama 100 kids and buy chocolates for my housemates and find the perfect cards for my sisters and my mom and my friends and for Steve. I want to buy new pink underwear, and have pictures of people kissing as my desktop wall-paper and learn how to say "I Love You" in 100 languages.

So, in honour of the fact that I am clearly breaking my "don't care about commercialized romantic holidays" rule, I'm coming back to earth with a special top five. Without further ado, I bring you

Bri's Top Five Break-up Songs of All time
or: Stop thinking about stupid love, you stupid girl

5. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - Bob Dylan
This song is so bitter in its resolve that it's almost sexy. The line that I've wailed out loud to, while driving down highway 22X in Calgary at 2 in the morning (oh Adam, you broke my heart!): "I give her my heart but she wanted my soul, But don’t think twice, it’s all right"

4. Take Another Little Piece of my Heart - Janis Joplin
All the power to us. Before there was Alanis, Sheryl Crow or Avril to dissect a woman's pain, Joplin was crooning like no one before her to those who broke her heart, "Each time I tell myself that I can’t stand the pain, But when you hold me in your arms, I’ll sing it once again." Besides - what girl hasn't stood on a chair and shouted at the top of her lungs, "COME on! COME on! COME on!"? It does feel good, doesn't it? I thought so.

3. The One That Got Away - Tom Waits
In true Waits fashion, this one's not as transparent in it's lyrical message, but the raw quality that you can pick up in his voice, the haunting delivery and lines like, "Well I've lost my equilibrium and my car keys and my pride" just might make you want to curl up in a dark corner and cry.

2. Trouble - Cat Stevens
It's the perfect song for wallowing or even indulging in a bit of self-pity. Stevens' delivery of the line "you have made me a wreck now won't you leave me in my misery" feels like he's singing to everyon and to no one. It's one of the loneliest songs I've heard and could easily top my list of musical melencholy if it weren't for...

1-with-a-bullet: One - U2
An emotive masterpiece. It just makes you want to be with someone, because anything would be more comfortable than listening to Bono sing
Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
We hurt each other
Then we do it again
The thing about this song that strikes me is its finality - two people who obviously love each other, but are too late to heal all the hurt they've caused themselves. It's aching and loving and fleeting - a breakup song for the ages.

Runner up: I Tried - Jeff Healey Band
Maybe I gave my heart too easy
Maybe your heart was never mine
I did my best to make you happy
Yes I tried
You know I tried

Well, now I feel great. I think I'll round this one out with another top 5, with a bit more spunk:

Top 5 Love Songs That Aren't Sappy and Girly
or: Just admit that you're a girl, you stupid girl

5. You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman)
Just because singing it can feel so freaking sexy. This song is just sex, sex, sex all over the place.

4. Your Song - Elton John
I like its simplicity - the power is in the sincereity of saying someting almost inconsequential. And when you think about it - is there a girl out there who wouldn't love to hear "I hope you don't mind that I put down on words, how wonderful life is, now you're in the world". I get weepy just TYPING it.

3. In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
He sings "I want to be that complete". For those of you not familiar with this gem, download the acoustic version and prepare to have your life permanently altered. The song is intimate and it's poetic and it's vulnerable and if it was good enough for Lloyd Dobler (in Say Anything) then dammit, it's good enough for me.
"Without a noise, without my pride, I reach out from the inside"

2. True Companion - Marc Cohn
This is a sentimental inclusion - True Companion has been my favorite love song since I was old enough to know what love was. It's the story of a man who loves a woman and wants to make love to, marry, grow old with, and wait in heaven for his true companion. I can't really describe the song - I think that it almost describes me.
When the years have done irreparable harm
I can see us walking slowly arm in arm
Just like the couple on the corner do'
cause girl I will always be in love with you

1-with-a-bullet. Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney
No words, no review, nothing I could ever say would be remotely good enough for this song. This is love, in whatever way anyone has ever expressed it -McCartney, with a guitar and a simple message captures both the vulnerability and the soaring feeling of realizing for the first time that someone loves you too.
Baby I’m amazed at the way you love me all the time
Maybe I’m afraid of the way I love you
Baby I’m amazed at the the way you pulled me out of time
Hung me on a line
Maybe I’m amazed at the way I really need you

Does it get any better than that?