Admittedly, I’ve been kind of cynical about love songs since a girlfriend gave me a Tuck & Patti cassette (yes, cassette) and said she wanted “You Take My Breath Away” to be “our song.”
I was newly out and a novice in all things lesbian (well, most things lesbian), so I put aside my qualms about choosing a song in such a non-organic manner, thinking that perhaps this was The Sapphic Way. But Tuck & Patti’s version of “My Romance” completely swept me off my feet, so I suggested we adopt it instead. GF acted affronted at the suggestion and said she really loved her choice. Well, OK. After we broke up, I learned that she gave that recording to each of her girlfriends and “My Romance” had already been allotted to a previous GF. That’s the story of, the glory of, love.
That said, Entertainment Weekly‘s list of the top 25 love songs doesn’t do much to inspire me. I mean, the No. 1 song, the Beach Boys‘ “God Only Knows” is the theme song to the No. 1 show about polygamy, Big Love.
Elvis Presley‘s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (No. 2) is better, although, at the risk of incurring all sorts of wrath, I like UB40’s version better. But the first song on EW’s list that I can really get down with is Aretha Franklin‘s “You Make Me Feel,” which ranks fourth.
Now that is a love song.
Perusing rest of the list, which Buzz Sugar helpfully condensed to a single page, one thing becomes quite apparent. Few, if any, lesbians were asked their opinions. Apart from Aretha’s signature song and Etta James‘ version of “At Last,” I don’t really relate to these songs.
I mean, where is Melissa Etheridge? Does any song express the ache of new love better than this?
Or k.d. lang‘s “Constant Craving“? (She is talking about love, right?)
On a lighter note, how about “I’ll Be Your Shelter” by Taylor Dayne, “Over the Moon” by Dallas singer Kerri Arista and “I Love You” by Sarah McLachlan?
I’m also partial to the Temptations‘ “My Girl” (with one small-but-crucial noun change). And obviously, every lesbian’s list of love songs would include the theme song to The L Word. In Hell.
Just for grins, I asked a few friends and AfterEllen.com bloggers to name their favorites. My friends Connie and Magda chose Bonnie Raitt‘s “Something to Talk About.” Marjorie and Elaine love Rod Stewart‘s “Have I Told You Lately.” Malinda cited two: U2‘s “All I Want Is You” and Jill Scott‘s “The Fact Is (I Need You),” which I hereby steal for my own list. roc couldn’t decide between “Love Song #1” and “Good Intentions” from Me’Shell Ndegeocello‘s Comfort Woman. I couldn’t decide, either, but I sure would like Me’Shell to sing them to me. And scribegrrrl, ever the romantic, picked a bit of Streisand perfection, “Evergreen.”
One of our newest bloggers from across the pond, browne, is keen on Michael Jackson‘s “Pretty Young Thing.” And Ace chose “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors. Hey, at least it wasn’t “Feed Me.”
How about you? What’s your favorite love song? If you could get anyone to sing it to you, who would it be? Did your girlfriend pick “your song” from Tuck & Patti’s Tears of Joy album? If so, we need to talk.
