The dark side of love

I think it would be best if you got the playlist first

so here

The dark side of love

and then you can listen to it whilst I rant. (for those of you not on Spotify there is the list of songs at the end)

So, as promised on my post about cool love songs there are also the songs written about love lost or never found. There are so many songs about this it is ridiculous. In fact I would hesitate to guess that if you took the songs about love, the songs about love lost and the songs about wanting to get together, then you would be left with almost nothing, maybe some songs about cars ,surfing and Dungeons and Dragons type stuff. If you exclude the Beach Boys and Dio then that is about it.

Even the car songs, are about love, not a natural love in the way you and I understand it , but a weird strange love between man and a car. Strange that there are no songs about losing a car. . . but I guess I haven't been everywhere in the musical universe just yet. If you know a song about the love lost for a car please let me know, I am now interested in a strange sort of way.

Car love aside, the best songs are about love lost. A bold statement to be sure, but I defy you , challenge you to a duel, to prove me wrong. It has to do with artist inspiration. When people are feeling truly horrible, they produce brilliance. I guess it has something to do with understanding the feelings as they are so intense and then writing from what is left of their poor broken hearts. People tend to dwell more on negative emotions than on positive ones, well artistic types do. It makes for better production.

So, how then to define what is a cool song about such a bleak topic as love lost? I guess a cool song must fulfill the idea of being a good song to start with. it must get across what the writer is trying to depict with the emotion that is going through them.

There is no doubt that some people are far better at this than others. My list of favourite songs, yes there is a list, don't tell me you don't have a mental one as well because I will not believe you, you lie and I am not crazy, includes many of these artists. Immeadiate thoughts go to The Cure, Counting Crows, Beach Boys, Smashing Pumpkins Nickleback, The Church, Foo Fighters, Zeppelin, Radiohead etc


What you do find though is that some people have a surprising side when it comes to this and although their music isn't generally what you would put into this type of category , they have come up with a moment of brilliance that conveys it. Take Pearl Jam and Black, or Slipknot and Snuff. Just surprising, not that they have the same issues that other artists do, but that amongst all the other stuff they produce they have a moment that comes into this category and is so sharp that it could take your breath away.

For others it is perhaps their finest moment. I have written before about Fuzzy by Grant lee Buffalo, Ripple by The Church, Low by Cracker but also consider I Hope I Never by Split Endz. These songs rest on albums that apart for that song would have submerged under the murky waters of popular culture never to be seen again. They touch brilliance, albeit fleetingly , and so live with usforever.

I have always been fascinated by this type of music. I guess because when I was younger I didn't really have too many serious heart breaks and so I lived a little vicariously through the music. Plus I think it is just so much more interesting. Rather than people running about in the sunshine, holding hands and being spectacularly groovy, this is the music of rain and thunder. Being alone, cold and wet, and wondering if you will be there when the sun finally comes out again.

Far more interesting

It just is

Oh and I was joking about Nickleback - come on, seriously, Nickleback - you know nothing.

here is the list

Edge of the Deep Green Sea - The Cure
Ripple - The Church
Snuff - Slipknot
Fuzzy - Grant lee Buffalo
Apart - The Cure
Black - Pearl Jam
Low - Cracker
Miller's Angels - Counting Crows
Say It Aint So - Weezer
In a State - UNKLE
Head Over Heels - Tears for fears
Aftermath - Tahiti 80
I hope I never - Spit Endz
Tainted Love - Marilyn Manson
Soma - The Smashing Pumpkins
Nothing Compares To u - Sinead O'Conner
Babe I am gonna leave you - Led Zeppelin
Street Spirit - Radiohead
Exit Music - Radiohead
Losing my Religion - R.E.M.
The Bitter End - Placebo
Paradox - The Church
Message from Kathleen - Akaline trio
The Ocean - The Bravery
Somebody I used to Know - Gotye