Of course there are countless great love songs out there... but is there any song more endearing/haunting than the Smiths "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"? I remember the first time I heard the song (and particularly, the chorus "and if a double decker bus, crashes into us, to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die") so many emotions stirred inside of me I had to listen to the track another dozen times just to absorb it...

Sent by David | 5:14 PM ET | 02-04-2008

The first mix I made for the first girl I ever really loved had, of course, two goals: to let her know I was interested, and let her know I have a good taste in music. As a result, there's a wide variety on there, from Ella Fitzgerald to Ani DiFranco to Sergei Rachmaninov the Dave Matthews Band (still kicking myself for that one). However, the one that really stood out as the centerpiece was "All I Want" by Joni Mitchell. It summed up, well, everything! But in a way that got across hopeful and heartfelt, without being sappy and unlistenable. Trust me, I've got a million favorite love songs (and even more breakup songs) but I keep coming back to this one.

Sent by Jack | 5:26 PM ET | 02-04-2008

i immediately thought of the magnetic fields when i read your question. oh, but which song do i choose?! there are 5 good candidates on the first disc of 69 love songs alone. and i could pick one or two more from each of their albums.

but when i hear those first few strummed chords, and cannot help but cry, i know that my favorite love song is "nothing matters when we're dancing". the lonely ukelele and the beautiful, soaring vocals, make me feel like i'm slow dancing, dumb in love, staring in to the eyes of my girlfriend. and it get's me talking like an absolute cheeseball.

i'm also quite partial to "don't let me down", by the beatles. xo

Sent by matt barrett | 7:12 PM ET | 02-04-2008

might not be indie enough for the npr set, but i think there is nothing more romantic than bob marley's "is this love" when he sings "we'll share the shelter/of my single bed."

Sent by dan | 7:27 PM ET | 02-04-2008

I've always liked "You Send Me," by Sam Cooke. To me, it's a really great declaration of love. It's not grandoise or bombastic in it's statement, just simple and sincere.

Sent by jason | 8:25 PM ET | 02-04-2008

I've always thought Nick Drake's "Northern Sky" to be one of the greatest love songs of all time. It's probably made its way into too many romantic comedy soundtracks to still be considered cool but I still love it.

Sent by Chris | 8:42 PM ET | 02-04-2008

"Love Street" by (no, not the Doors) World Party continues to be a moving, refreshingly cliche-free take on the love song, 20 years (!) later.
Others: "Glow-Worm" finds The Church in a rare sentimental mood, dripping with those wonderful guitar layers
"Searching for a Heart" by the sultan of the sardonic, the late Mr. Warren Zevon

Sent by Todd | 9:33 PM ET | 02-04-2008

Can't live without "Corinna, Corinna" - performed by Leo Kottke. His voice makes the line "... I can't breathe, when she talks to me" do strange things to the lining of my stomach every time I hear it (in a good way, of course).

Sent by Kate | 10:28 PM ET | 02-04-2008

"Forty-five Years" by Stan Rogers.

Sent by racerabbit | 10:31 PM ET | 02-04-2008

I was trying to think of what makes a good love song, and i'd lean towards the lyrics and having some emotion in the delivery.

I'm a big fan of the song, "I Will Always Love You", as written AND sung by Dolly Parton. There is so much emotion in her delivery as it is a personal song, and not to be confused with the horrific "power-ballad" version done by Whitney Houston. I still shudder thinking of that version.

Baby You're My Light, by Richard Hawley. Excellent instrumentation, and lovely sentiment without being trite.

Mystery of Love, by David Gray, from the album Flesh. Again, very simple delivery, and a lovely story being told.

Have I Told You Lately, by Van Morrison. Again, the title says it all.

For a song with a story, it could be one of several songs by an Irish Band, called THE PRAYER BOAT. The band is sadly no longer, however the lead singer (and songwriter) EMMETT TINLEY is still performing and had a critically acclaimed album out last year called "Attic Faith". I was a fan since seeing the band do an acoustic set on an alternative music show on Irish TV called, No Disco. I went and got whatever they had released at the time, namely a few E.P.'s and went to see them live whenever they came to my city. I also introduced their music to my brother and sister who also became big fans.

A few years later, my sister organised a charity concert to raise money for cancer research (with no previous experience!!), and managed to get The Prayer Boat and a few other bands to perform (The Frames, and Mundy also came down to play). They were a really nice bunch, and she felt so passionately about their music that she subsequently organised a commercial gig for them in our city again and sold it out through friends and word of mouth.

At this concert, a hastily arranged request of a particular song was the catalyst for my brother and his girlfriend to get back together. So the song has always meant a lot to them.

To top it all off, years later, as a surprise (and a favour to my sister), Emmett Tinley himself came back over to Ireland for their wedding, and sang a few songs for them at their reception. So it has really done it's job as a love song in this instance, and remains a favourite of mine as well.

The song itself, was called "She's My Escape", by THE PRAYER BOAT, off their "Dark Green" E.P. Unfortunately, it is really really hard to find these days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prayer_Boat
The songs "Saved" and "It Hurts to lose you" give an idea of the style, though the Dark Green EP is even more stripped down in sound.

apologies for the length of the reply. Feel free to edit this liberally :-)

Sent by Gearoid O'Sullivan | 3:39 AM ET | 02-05-2008

"Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips is a beautiful song. It's always hard to write a love song that's honest about life. This one does both and does it well. It's realism gives more reason to love.

Sent by Tim | 6:14 AM ET | 02-05-2008

i guess i'm too much of a punk rocker, i love the damned's "love song"!

but i think the most romantic song in the world has to be roxy music's "more than this"! something about brian ferry's singing mixed with andy mackay's smooth saxophone work just brings out the softer side of me!

Sent by OlderMusicGeek | 8:24 AM ET | 02-05-2008

In my experience nothing has made my girlfriend I spontaneously break out in to a mid-dinner dance than Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home". This song has the right amount of groove and enticing pleading to create a very lovable and energetic break from the rest of the day.

In new music, I think emerging London pop/soul singer Adele hits the spot in her description of the perfect counterpart in her song "Daydreamer". Her flawless vocal acrobatics and the
melodic fingerpicking puts a new spin on what seems like the sweetest homage to past british pop-folk.

Sent by Ryan Micklos | 10:06 AM ET | 02-05-2008

My mind went striaght to The Magnetic Fields, too (Long-Forgotten Fairy Tale, Let's Pretend we're Bunny Rabbits, from 69 love songs!!). But I love O Baby by Siouxsie and the Banshees, This Must be the Place by The Talking Heads.

Sent by Lu | 10:46 AM ET | 02-05-2008

What am I living for by Chuck Wills

Sent by Lily | 12:33 PM ET | 02-05-2008

Well, It's hard to choose just one. So I will say two.
"Crown of Love"-Arcade Fire.
I enjoy this song because it speaks of falling out of love and restoring love. It goes from desparate to hopeful. For me this song embodies the emotions that often the trials of love can bring.

Second:
"Harvest Moon"-Neil Young
"When we were strangers, I loved you from afar
When we were lovers, I loved you with all my heart"

It's just so sweet! Nothing more I can say

Sent by Alexis Clements | 1:36 PM ET | 02-05-2008

I wrote a blog post on my current favorite love song: Slow Show by The National. It is such a lovely song.

The original post is here:
http://dynamicmeter.blogspot.com/2008/01/you-could-drive-car-through-my-head-in.html

Sent by Stephen Kimball | 1:46 PM ET | 02-05-2008

It's probably not the most romantic song ever, but "Lover, You should have come over" - Jeff Buckley

"all my riches for her smiles when I slept so soft against her
It's never over, all my blood for the sweetness of her laughter"

And I always enjoy "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison

Sent by Amy | 2:17 PM ET | 02-05-2008

Many songs by The Descendents
"Silly Girl"
"Good Good Things"
"Hope"

perhaps in this order

Sent by Oli | 3:02 PM ET | 02-05-2008

It's probably too new to really be considered my favorite, but I love "Detlef Schrempf" by the Band of Horses. The line "Eyes can't look at you any other way" kills me every time.

There's also "Good Weekend" by Art Brut, which is the opposite of romantic but an excellent love song anyway, and the entirety of You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This by Mirah. That album is drenched in romanticism.

Sent by David | 3:43 PM ET | 02-05-2008

"Mutineer" by Warren Zevon

Long ago we laughed at shadows
Lightning flashed and thunder followed us
It could never find us here

Sent by Charlene Komar Storey | 3:46 PM ET | 02-05-2008

Robin and Bob,
My pick for greatest love song would be "Stay Or Leave" by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, particularly the live version from Radio City. The lyrics are tragic, like many great love stories. They are emotional and simple.
"The river swims at midnight
Shiver cold
Touch the bottom, Stars are bright
with muddy toes"
The acoustic guitars compliment each other, just like two lovers. One of which is serious and predictable, while the other more free, fun and unpredictable. This song captures what love really embodies; compassion, playfulness, and adoration.
"Wake up naked drinking coffee,
Making plans to change the world
While the world is changing us..."

Sent by Maggie | 4:14 PM ET | 02-05-2008

I've heard a lot of songs about falling in love, but after fifteen years of marriage the song that I want to hear is a song about staying in love, and that song is "When it don't come easy" by Patty Griffin. Patty Griffin is just a delight all the time anyways, but this song is real romance. "I'll stay by you when it don't come easy" Does it get more romantic than that?

Sent by Marie | 4:32 PM ET | 02-05-2008

I love Clementine by the Decemberists. They're just so in love with language and with story-telling. How can you not be charmed by the idea of "kickabout hearts"?

You slept in your overalls
After the wrecking ball
Bereft you of house and home
And left you with sweet fuck-all
So we got in your car
With our kickabout hearts
And we hollared out 'sweet clementine'

Tell your mom to marry us
A candle to carry us
With cans on our bicycle fenders
So sweet and hilarious
And we'll find us a home
Built of packaging foam
That will be there 'til after we die

And, I'll play the clarinet
Use clamshells for castinets
We play with our bags on our shoulders
My sweet lady lioness
And I watch as you sleep
So indelibly deep
And I hum to you sweet clementine

Sent by Delynn | 5:49 PM ET | 02-05-2008

My vote is "A Song For You," written of course, by Leon Russell, but recorded to perfection by Donny Hathaway. Props to Ray Charles, but Donny sings it in a way that makes your toes curl. "Listen to the melody, 'cause my love is in there hiding..."

Sent by Arianne | 6:15 PM ET | 02-05-2008

The best I could do was narrow it down to two:

"No World at All" by The Milk and Honey Band (My top pick for a band to call my own. These guys are truly in love with making music.)

"I'd Like That" by XTC This one perfectly captures the happy/giddy feeling of new love.

Sent by Kristin | 7:43 PM ET | 02-05-2008

Love songs come in many forms...so here are the ones that stick out to me:

Secret World, Peter Gabriel
Perfect Circle, R.E.M.
Metropolis, The Church
The Fourteenth of February, Billy Bragg

But see, love's not always the nicest thing...

Best Lovelorn Song
I am the Cosmos, Chris Bell

Unrequited
Branches, Midlake

Best Anti-Love Song
Kingdom of Rain, The The

Finally, I have to concur with including Detlef Schempf, Band of Horses. It's my favorite love song to come out recently.

Sent by Catch | 11:08 PM ET | 02-05-2008

I am personally obsessed with "What Sarah Said" By Death Cab For Cutie. It's a very sad love song about loss but it always strikes a chord with me. It describes the kind of love that is truly eternal and passionate because it goes on living even though one of the lovers has passed away. Give it a listen....

Sent by Patricia Realini | 6:56 AM ET | 02-06-2008

I would have to say "I will follow you into the dark" by Death Cab for Cutie tops my list. Nothing is more delicate or sincere than the chorus: "If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs, if there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, I will follow you into the dark."

Sent by Ashley | 8:16 AM ET | 02-06-2008

True love? Then it has to be "I Think I Hate You" by Shiveree

Sent by JB | 10:21 AM ET | 02-06-2008

My favorite "love" song is "The Reasons" by The Weakerthans. Sample lyric:

"How the past chews on your shoes,
And these memories lick my ear. I know, You might roll your eyes at this,
But I'm so, Glad that you exist."

Sent by Brian | 11:10 AM ET | 02-06-2008

Angel Mine off of the Cowboy Junkies' Lay It Down album... It is so full of the joy and hope of love...

Sent by Finn | 11:41 AM ET | 02-06-2008

I know this has been carried away by the current of the mainstream, but I can't shake "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds. From the peace-invoking piano to Ben's sentimental lyrics one can't help but feel moved to love more purely. Easily the best!

Sent by James | 12:15 PM ET | 02-06-2008

"I wasn't really drunk" by Clem Snide. Best desperate love song ever.

Sent by Maddie | 12:35 PM ET | 02-06-2008

oops, I meant by Eef Barzelay, but you get the point :)

Sent by Maddie | 12:40 PM ET | 02-06-2008

It's hard to say, but I think my top 2 choices are, different as they may be, "I Believe (When I Fall in Love...)" by Stevie Wonder and "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel.

"What a beautiful face I have found in this place that is circling all 'round the sun." I could listen to Jeff Mangum's songs a million times and never tire of them.

Sent by k | 12:41 PM ET | 02-06-2008

"In Spite of Ourselves" by John Prine & Iris Dement.. like love, it's a duet, and like love ought to be, it doesn't take itself too seriously..

Sent by julia | 12:55 PM ET | 02-06-2008

I'm no rock critic, but I am a musician who appreciates a song with a good hook and lyrics that are simple and poetic...

...The Song "Together" by the Raconteurs does this with lyrics like, "You want everything to be just like/ The stories that you read but never write/ You gotta learn to live and live and learn/ You gotta learn to give and wait your turn/ Or you'll get burned"

Give it a listen; You'll know what I mean. Thanks and Happy Valentine's Day!

Sent by Mick Perlin | 1:28 PM ET | 02-06-2008

"Love Has Found Me Somehow" by Centromatic. It was the first song put on the first mix-tape (CD) made for me by my boyfriend. It holds a special place for me. The lyrics are so sweet, and the music is so silly (in a good way).

Sent by Emily | 3:01 PM ET | 02-06-2008

When trying to choose my favorite love song, I felt a little like Bob Dylan after being asked to summarize his last thoughts on Woody Gutherie in 25 words or less. "I couldn't do it."

Here are three songs out of a million that I could never do without. Two are from the mid-Eighties that I keep going back to over and over, and one is a 2005 song that surprised me in the most amazing way...

The Cure-"Just Like Heaven" This song makes me feel elated. It's so infectious and brilliant, yet incredibly sad in its conclusion. Still I play it over and over, "spinning on that dizzy edge." From the moment the drums start, my hand is already reaching to turn up the volume as I am about to be singing this at the top of my lungs to my wife, who at witnessing my dorky profession of everlasting love, will just shake her head and smile at me.

Robyn Hitchcock "Airscape" Sometimes I hear the backwards guitars on this song and think "this is the most beautiful song ever." Yeah, I'm crazy... It doesn't play like a love song, but its affect on me tells me it is. "Your perfect lover's never there... And if she was, she wouldn't be... And neither, though, would you." Somehow, that existential Mobius strip of words works for me. Back this song up with Brian Ferry's "More Than This." Perfect!

Todd Snider-"Just Like Old Times". There is an amazing amount of beauty and sentiment found in a story of two friends from high school who were definitely never voted "Most Likely To Succeed." The story, laid out in a seedy motel room where a drifter finds an ad for a call girl who just might be his old friend, isn???t standard fare. The proof of the man's unspoken feelings for his friend takes the form of a 23 year-old piece of evidence presented to a police officer who, like me, can't help but be moved by it. If not for one sentence, it would never be a love song, which is the most beautiful thing about it.

Lots of great songs listed so far!

Sent by Mark Cooley | 3:19 PM ET | 02-06-2008

i hate trying to pick a favorite of any type of song, but i think, especially for Valentine's Day (a day when those who feel they don't have someone to share the day with often feel left out or left alone) Bjork's "All Is Full Of Love" is an excellent choice... "You'll be given love/ you'll be taken care of/you have to trust it/maybe not from the sources you have poured yours/maybe not from the direction you are staring at..." i think it's a B E A U T I F U L message at anytime, but perhaps especially around Valentines Day...

Sent by josh baze | 4:10 PM ET | 02-06-2008

There is a splendid sweetness and soothing sound from the vocals of the Temptations in "Just My Imagination". when I met my husband over 30 years ago this song was popular and said it all for me then and now.

Sent by Linda Thomas | 4:20 PM ET | 02-06-2008

ok, a couple of more...

"Love Is Stronger Than Death" by The The is maybe the best song about non-romantic love I've ever heard...

"I Love You, You Imbecile" by Pelle Carlberg is maybe the most honest love song I've ever heard, in that it describes the many ways a loved one can infuriate, yet still manage to charm, you... "In Spite Of Ourselves" by John Prine and Iris DeMent is another good one in that same vein... So is "You and Me Song" by The Wannadies...

"What Is This Note?" by Eels is the hardest rocking love song I've ever heard...

"Honey Don't Think" by Grant Lee Buffalo is the best love song about someone who knows just how lucky they are to be loved by the one who loves them...

And finally, since this assignment is ultimately about two things, LOVE, and MUSIC, "O Song" by Augie March is the best song about loving music ever,ever, EVER, E V E R !!!

Sent by josh baze | 4:20 PM ET | 02-06-2008

Dang it... Ok. Seriously. If I had to pick one, JUST ONE, it would be "Love Letter" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Sent by josh baze | 4:24 PM ET | 02-06-2008

"God Only Knows"- Beach Boys

Sent by Michelle | 4:48 PM ET | 02-06-2008

CLOSER by Nine Inch Nails.

OK, not really.

I second HARVEST MOON by N. Young. I had that played at my wedding. Classy, very Americana yet with that Neil Young edge.

Sent by matt | 5:28 PM ET | 02-06-2008

"Overlap" - Ani Difranco ("Living In Clip") version

Sent by Amy | 9:10 PM ET | 02-06-2008

"kiss of life" by sade

Sent by monika | 9:17 PM ET | 02-06-2008

I know this might be incredibly random, but for me, it's the classic "I'll Be Seeing You" -- Jimmy Durante's version, in particular.

I was home from college last summer, and one evening my parents and I were eating dinner outside in the garden. In an odd generation twist, I had introduced them to Jimmy Durante and we were listening to an album of his when this track came on. I remember watching my parents sit there, listening to how beautiful the song was, and the moment was so peaceful that I couldn't help but think about how much I love them both and how much their love in return means to me. For the rest of my life I will think about them when I hear this song, and one day when they aren't around anymore, I'll do exactly as the lyrics say because they are such a huge part of me. And on Valentine's Day, it's a nice reminder that you don't need to be in a relationship to feel loved -- and I have my parents to thank for that.

Sent by Tamara Vallejos | 10:38 PM ET | 02-06-2008

M. Ward - "Poison Cup"

Badly Drawn Boy - "Magic in the Air"

Sent by izzy | 10:44 PM ET | 02-06-2008

Honeslty,

The best songs that would fit under this category.... are rap your head around this...

1) If you like Pina Coladas
2) Margaritaville (Ha!)
3) Whistle for the Choir By The Fretelli's
4) God Only Knows
5)Do You Believe in Magic?
6) So Happy Together

Sent by Jona | 10:45 PM ET | 02-06-2008

Oh man, even though this is ridiculously hard to narrow down, "Let My Love Open the Door" by Pete Townshend is probably my favorite. Everything about is perfect: the multi-tracked vocals, the "oooh"s in the chorus, the shimmering crescendos...and the things that man could do with a synthesizer! It just feels the way that falling in love should. And then, on top of all that beauty, there's the lyrics: "When everybody seems unkind/I'll give you a four-leaf clover/Take all worry out of your mind." So simple and sweet. M. Ward released an equally gorgeous, much more languid cover of the song on the Sweetheart 2005: Love Songs compilation. His voice is the antithesis of Townshend's: soft, warm and enveloping where Pete's is anxious and reedy. But sometimes a little anxiety in love is fun, too! Both versions are lovebird mixtape staples for me (but only super-special fellows get the original Townshend version).

Sent by Sara | 2:10 AM ET | 02-07-2008

Bright Eyes - The Calendar Hung Itself - is a great love song.

Sent by Angela | 9:55 AM ET | 02-07-2008

"Northern Sky" by Nick Drake

Sent by Katie | 11:28 AM ET | 02-07-2008

I have romantic associations with many songs and each one brings up different feelings about love. Longing, excitement, despair, etc. Representing all of these feelings is important when considering love songs because love really encompasses all of them and their combination is what makes love so enjoyable and addictive.

There are the you-are-about-to-leave-me-and-I'm-going-to-be-really-sad songs:

at the hop--devendra banhart
particularly the line: Put me in your tongue tie, make it hard to say
That you ain't gonna stay, that you ain't gonna stay

you're gonna make me lonesome when you go--bob dylan

more extreme songs for this category (jeff buckley of course) which I love for their absolute passion:
lover you should've come over--jeff buckley
particularly the line mentioned in a post above
last goodbye--jeff buckley
particularly the line: must I dream and always see your face?

there are the soul classics that make you happy to be in love:

let's stay together--al green
knocks me off my feet--stevie wonder

then there is always:

just what I needed--the cars

and a song that i absolutely adore for it's crashing, upbeat, me-and-you-against-the-world sentimentality:

i'll believe in anything--wolf parade

Sent by tara | 11:35 AM ET | 02-07-2008

No song does it for me more than "At Last" by Etta James. The very first version I heard of this song was by Marlena Shaw; but when I heard Etta's version, that was it for me.

Sent by George | 12:05 PM ET | 02-07-2008

"Black" - Pearl Jam
"Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"She Came Along To Me" - Billy Bragg and Wilco
"I Walk The Line" - Johnny Cash
"Lovesong" - Cure
"Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From" - Teenage Fanclub
"High and Dry" - Radiohead
"Falling Slowly" - The Frames

My personal favorites. Not a end-all be-all list...!

Sent by Carlos R. Pastrana | 2:53 PM ET | 02-07-2008

if you're in the dancing mood:
'lady don't tek no' - lyrics born

if you're in the mood for crying:
'Little Bit of Rain' -karen dalton (originally leroy carr)

Sent by alice | 3:18 PM ET | 02-07-2008

There are too many songs to choose from and in some fashion this is one heck of a ridiculous question, but here goes...

No Ordinary Love - by Sade
Love Song - Elton John

My husband and I are both professional musicians and celebrate these songs together. Interestingly though, we have promised never to perform them for an audience lest they get destroyed by monotonous repetition. They will remain ours...
Happy Valentines Day!

Sent by Allison | 3:26 PM ET | 02-07-2008

If you need a good cry this Valentine's Day, try Sufjan Steven's "Casimir Pulaski Day."

Sent by Sue Campbell | 4:07 PM ET | 02-07-2008

"You Still Believe in Me," off the Beach Boys, Pet Sounds. Brian's "I wanna cry," has got to be one of the most beautiful moments in pop history.

And in case things are getting a little too ballady even for Valentine's, I would also suggest "End of a Century" by Blur.

Sent by Mac Coldwell | 4:54 PM ET | 02-07-2008

How about Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry"? Always helps me get over the last girl... especially around Valentine's day!

Sent by Christian Werner | 6:18 PM ET | 02-07-2008

"Norwegian Wood" has to be one of the most striking love songs ever written, due to Lennon's weary vocal and the space left between the lyrics that the listener has to fill in. Though it was written about an affair Lennon had, it still conveys the bittersweetness of love.

Sent by john bradley | 7:14 PM ET | 02-07-2008

"Romeo and Juliet" by Dire Straits

Sent by Vincent | 7:25 PM ET | 02-07-2008

For purely romantic reasons... "the first time ever I saw your face" by Roberta Flack... the slowness, the deliberateness of every phrase, the overpowering expression of love in her voice... gets me every time.
And also "the one who knows" by Dar Williams. It's written about parental love but makes me think of the many forms of love in my life when I hear it.

Sent by Erin | 7:39 PM ET | 02-07-2008

Maybe it's because I grew up in Austin, but "You Were Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson still strikes a chord every time I hear it. It's got the right mixture of fondness and regret.

Sent by Anne | 8:35 PM ET | 02-07-2008

"i'm in love with a girl" by big star!
soo lovely

Sent by jason | 9:26 PM ET | 02-07-2008

"The Look of Love" sung by Dusty Springfield, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, is for me the ultimate song of love and desire.

Sent by Joanne | 9:38 PM ET | 02-07-2008

1) All time best is MIRACLES by Jefferson Airplane, simply a sonnet to sex.
2) MY BELOVED WIFE by Natalie Merchant, "You were the love for certain of my life..."
3) AS by Stevie Wonder, how can you celebrate any more than this?

Sent by Nancy | 10:19 PM ET | 02-07-2008

"Unison" Bj??rk

"O soave fanciulla" from La Boh??me

"You're in My Heart" Rod Stewart

An eclectic mix, but they're all bonafide love songs.

Sent by Alicia | 10:30 PM ET | 02-07-2008

There are lines from Josh Ritter's "Girl in the War" that really get me. Taken all together, I feel like the lyrics aren't entirely coherent. But the sentiment behind the song is something I find really powerful. This guy cares so much about this girl that everyone else can just go to hell. That's the kind of stuff that just bowls me right over.

Sent by Abby | 11:13 PM ET | 02-07-2008

I agree with whoever above said, 'Crazy Love,' by Van Morrison. It's also fantastic when done by Bob Dylan.

'On the Fiddle,' or 'Letting Us Be,' by Paul Curreri. No one writes like he does, and very few play better. They're just such well-drawn images of boy likes girl and wants to give himself to her.

'Gentle On My Mind,' by John Hartford. 'Through cupped hands 'round a tin can, I pretend I hold you to my breast and find,That you're wavin' from the back roads by the rivers of my memory ever smilin', ever gentle on my mind.'

Sent by Mark | 1:10 AM ET | 02-08-2008

My vote is for Dimming of the Day by Richard and Linda Thompson. Its the perfect song about companionship.

Sent by Declan | 3:00 AM ET | 02-08-2008

My favorite valentine's day song is "Valentine" by the Get-Up Kids; it has been since I first heard it in middle school. As far as love songs go, it'd be either "Prototype" by Andre3000/OutKast or Kingsport Town by Bob Dylan.

Sent by Charles | 8:03 AM ET | 02-08-2008

"Fixing My Make-up" by Tokyo Jihen. From the album Adult.

The popular Japanese jazz-rock combo Tokyo Jihen, formed by singer/songwriter/rocker Shiina Ringo, tones down their sound on this lovely song about missing a former lover. The lyrics are in Japanese, but the melody calls back to classical jazz tunes by Ella and Billie that we all love.

Sent by James | 10:42 AM ET | 02-08-2008

Regina Spektor's cover of John Lennon's "Real Love" is my favorite love song. Every time I hear it, I fall a little more in love with the song, with Regina Spektor, with everything around me.

Regina Spektor is at her best in concert, which is where I first heard her sing "Real Love." I was immediately enthralled. Of course, the fact that my boyfriend and I had fought and made up just before going to the concert didn't hurt.

This song can lift my mood, no matter how high or low it was previously. The proof: about a week ago, I was storming home, hungry and tired. It was cold and raining hard, and I didn't have an umbrella. My only thought was to get home and I didn't care who I knocked down as I ran. Then "Real Love" started playing on my iPod. Immediately I slowed down, within a block I was enjoying the feel of rain on my face, and I arrived home with a smile on my face. A song that makes you love January rain? Pretty damn good.

Sent by Lauren Houlihan | 10:45 AM ET | 02-08-2008

"And I Love You So". I was playing for a funeral of a woman that passed before her husband of over 50 years. Their love was as fresh as their wedding day. This song was played and I couldn't help but cry. The love of a man and a woman is the deepest friendship we could possibly be blessed with. That funeral taught me a great deal about life. I use each and every day to tell my honey ......and I love you so.........

Sent by Anita | 11:16 AM ET | 02-08-2008

Daft Punk--Something About Us!

Sent by Alex | 11:30 AM ET | 02-08-2008

Love isn't always pretty, and no one says this better than Southern artists. Love can be light and also dark - truly, it contains both emotions - love and hate.

"Love Like This" by the Athens, GA band the Drive By Truckers is my favorite love song.

As Mike Cooley so eloquently sings,
"Last night I slept with my boots on again,
one cut on my forehead and one my chin,
on the hard old floor with nothin to cover up with.
You got me real good, girl, and I must admit,
you pack purty mean punch for such a pretty little dish.
And it's a shame to know most folks don't ever know love like this."

Sent by Steph | 11:50 AM ET | 02-08-2008

Don't Talk - the Beach Boys
Norwegian Wood - the Beatles
If You See Her, Say Hello - Bob Dylan
Boots of Spanish Leather - Bob Dylan

Sent by Tim | 1:13 PM ET | 02-08-2008

Wagon Wheel, Old Crow Medicine Show

When I first met my boyfriend I mentioned that my friends and I listened to a bit of bluegrass and generally older or accoustic music not of the mainstream. He switched off the XM playing in his truck to a cd in the deck straight to the Wagon Wheel track by Old Crow Medicine Show, this was currently a favorite song by my roomates and I. Though he didn't know it at the time, he sealed the deal of our relationship status with that move. We saw them perform live in SLC a few months back, OCMR are an awesome live band to see.
This song has been covered by other bands as well, originally chorus written by Bob Dylan but completed by OCMR later
Rock me mama...

'Wading in the Velvet Sea' by Phish reminds me of lost loves, the happy times of them
Also seconding from above:
'In Spite of Ourselves' John Prime and Iris Dement
'Together' from the Raconteurs

Sent by Megan Seabrook | 1:24 PM ET | 02-08-2008

"I Want You To Be My Love" - Over the Rhine

Song that my wife and I picked for our first dance at our wedding reception.

Sent by Bob | 1:41 PM ET | 02-08-2008

Some of my favorite tunes for Valentine's Day (if you're spending the day with a special someone) include:

1- Belle and Sebastian "There's Too Much Love"
2- Joseph Arthur "Honey and The Moon"
3- R.E.M. "Be Mine"
4- The Flaming Lips "Buggin'"
5- Oasis "Wonderwall"

Sent by Joseorlando Mercado | 1:46 PM ET | 02-08-2008

Ahh I think Bert Jansch's "courting blues" is K-rad. Most certainly one of my favorite love songs. Listen to it while looking at someone you're fond of and they're all the more beautiful.

Sent by Hannah | 2:20 PM ET | 02-08-2008

On the Avett Brothers' album Mignonette, the first track "Swept Away" is an amazing love song. It describes the immediacy of love when you are with the person you care about, juxtaposed against the uncertainty of the future ("Who cares about tomorrow?... For what more is tomorrow than just another day.")
A friend of mine played this at his wedding for the first dance with his new wife, and it was awesome.

Definitely include this track!

Sent by mike | 2:34 PM ET | 02-08-2008

I enjoy Otis Reddings "That's How Strong My Love Is"

Sent by Neil | 3:59 PM ET | 02-08-2008

Serena Ryder's "Hiding Place", is without a doubt one of my favourites. This is one of her earlier songs, recorded on a live album.

"Hiding Place" is raw and honest. Each word is sung with a meaning that shakes to the core. While the vocals offer strength, the lyrics reveal a vulnerability only really understood by someone who has loved intensely - and Serena knows exactly how and when to capture this softness.

"Darling let me touch your face,
Let your skin be my hiding place.
I promise I won't take up
too much room..."

Enjoy!

Sent by Nicole Beemsterboer | 4:47 PM ET | 02-08-2008

Anything off of the 1963 recording of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is a perfect addition to a Valentine's Day soundtrack. With Coltrane's expertly improvised solos and fills behind Johnny Hartman's smooth, silky, sultry baritone voice, it's enough to make the heart melt. Just listen to the opening track, "They Say It's Wonderful," and whether you're in love or not, you'll take Johnny's word for it how wonderful it is.

Sent by Trevor | 5:37 PM ET | 02-08-2008

I am now a frequent reader - and comment poster - so, I wanted to first thank you for keeping this great blog.

I don't know if I would call it my favorite love song per se, but the song that immediately came to mind was "I'll Come Running" by Brian Eno. To the extent love is mutual, the lyrics are more about yearning. Still, I think of love whenever I hear this song (particularly the instrumental part) and my heart inevitably beats a little faster.

I am completely with you on this one. A favorite of mine without a doubt
bb

Sent by Pablo | 5:40 PM ET | 02-08-2008

Although kind of corny, I love Bonnie Raitt's "Something to Talk About." It just makes me so incredibly happy. Weird, I know. It's not like other love songs.

Awesome blog, awesome show.

Sent by Kat Wilde | 7:00 PM ET | 02-08-2008

My favorite love song only has a live version. True Love Waits by Radiohead. Being single most of my life Valentine's Day has never been a celebration of having found that 'someone'. But this song reminds me that love isn't found in the easiest of places.

"True love waits in haunted attics."

Sent by Jennifer | 7:14 PM ET | 02-08-2008

Three songs in particular really hit me in the heart strings:
"Electric Love Letter" by Langhorne Slim is a folksy and spectacular about the all the foolish bliss that comes with falling in love.
"Lay and Love," where Bonnie 'Prince' Billy coos his adoration for his woman in that haunting and warmly hollow way that only Will Oldham can.
"Holy Water," by Peter and the Wolf (a band of my own, one might say) is a simple and straightforward song of devotion, evoking the beauty of nature with the serenity of a content heart.

Sent by Benson | 7:47 PM ET | 02-08-2008

Thanks everyone.. now I have a great mix to give my girlfriend for Valentines Day :o) j/k

2 favs- both love songs with a twist...
Tom Waits - "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You"
Daniel Johnston - "True Love will find you in the end" (more just about love than a love song...)
Jump Little Children - "Close Your Eyes" - Also not really a LOVE song but a beautiful song that can be about love depending on to whom you send it :)

Sent by Chad | 8:44 PM ET | 02-08-2008

When I marry my fianc??e, "Such Great Heights" ??? Iron & Wine's version ??? is our song.

Sent by obo | 9:11 PM ET | 02-08-2008

"Can't take my Eyes off of You" by Frankie Valli. Without a doubt.

Its so...beltable. My partner and I don't have much of a story for it, and its so nice to croon it at one another. The lyrics are sweet and undeniably loving.

We also love "Don't go breaking my Heart" but Elton John and Kiki Dee. We're big Elton fans and its tons of fun at karaoke.

Sent by Kori Michele | 9:11 PM ET | 02-08-2008

"Spirit" by the Go-Betweens from their album Friends of Rachel Worth. My first ever romantic Valentine's day card contained the line "There's something in the corner of your eye that gets me." The boyfriend didn't last, but I've loved the song, the album, the band ever since.

Sent by Helen | 10:42 PM ET | 02-08-2008

One of the most beautiful songs I've heard is 'Are You Alright' from Lucinda Williams' West. I recently had to put my grandmother to sleep from a long bout with cancer as fluid was rising to her throat, and I can only imagine what my mother must go through to try to sleep each night, after, for weeks, barely stirring so as to carefully listen to her mother's breathing through the night. I know only that that call which Williams returns to repeatedly, facing sometimes the impossibility of a response, asks the only thing i want to know, absolutely, just hear, sometimes, from someone i love who is frequently gone.
A companion to this piece, for me, (though it's strange, I'm sure, how brains can work), is Derrida's 'hostipitalite', but also Marley's Redemption Song. The first time I heard this, I thought one of the lines was 'Weren't you here to sing...,' and I think that spatial invitation/call (and return to 'won't you help to...') still resonates deeply. That I sometimes don't know where he is-- in many different senses of the word-- disturbs me greatly, but my mistaken association of Marley's 'here', for me, is somewhere i know the person i love is, the people i love are, variously negotiating their ways through living, and where they are alright.

Sent by cortnay varela | 1:04 AM ET | 02-09-2008

The best love song of all times and of any musical genre is "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" by Richard Thompson. Classic lines such as "Red hair and black leather, my favorite colour scheme, And I'll give you my Vincent to ride" all tied together with the most virtuous and vital guitar work you would ever want to hear, make this unconventional love song one of the most compelling compositions of the last century. I've listened to it hundreds of times, seen it performed live several times, and it still gives me the heebie jeebies every time I hear it. This is not a wimpy, soft and slow love song-this is REAL LOVE.

Sent by Barry Avery | 7:51 AM ET | 02-09-2008

come monday by jimmy buffet....that needing of someone is always what keeps someone like me going....the knowing that even though there are many things in life that temporarily take us physically away from our loved ones..there is always a lover to look forward to holding again

Sent by daryl g short | 8:43 AM ET | 02-09-2008

My favorite love song is Neil Diamond's "The Story Of My Life". It reflects the relationship I have with my husband. My life began when I met him, and 18 years later it's still going strong. Every chapter of my life has been written with him and when he leaves this world, the book will end for me. I want us to go together or me first because I will have no life left if he is not here.

Sent by Leslie Welch | 9:06 AM ET | 02-09-2008

Howdy Bob and Rob,
Who says love songs have to be lovely?

Love is one part expression, five parts passion.

For pure originality I tip my hat to "The Distillers". With her smoke torn throat, Brody Dalle sings loud and proud, mixing love and hate into the song "The Hunger".

This song is for all those conflicted lovers out there.

Sent by Matthew Argalas | 12:45 PM ET | 02-09-2008

"Beauty" by the Shivers. The Shivers have pretty much been under the radar, but this one song will render you speechless.

Sent by Evy | 12:59 PM ET | 02-09-2008

Somebody by Depeche Mode. So beautiful.

Sent by Nuray | 1:17 PM ET | 02-09-2008

I have two and I can't exclude one.

When I thought about this, Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways" immediately came to mind. Maybe it's because it's still early February and I tend to think of him ("the day the music died"), but I've always felt something for this song. Its simplicity (love should always be simple; it's the things that aren't of love that complicate our lives) and its warmth (somehow this song has always reminded me of winter, yet it triggers memories of being warm and comfortable on a winter's night).

I think that most people who've been lucky enough to be in a remotely successful relationship are inclined to think that "just you and I know true love ways." And your relationship may consist of many intimate feelings and private experiences, but ultimately the same love that encapsulates your relationship often extends to those around you ("Throughout the days/those true love ways/will bring us joys to share/with those who really care"). "Sometimes we???ll sigh/sometimes we'll cry," but in the end a strong and mature love prevails.

(I am now considering the possibility that my contribution is coming across as being to sappy. I can only imagine Chuck Klosterman, of whom I am a big fan, flaming me if he was a contributor or commentator to this blog.)

Personally, I always imagine this song serving as Buddy's last blown kiss to his young wife before his untimely death. (I am not a hardcore Buddy Holly fan, but I'm sure he recorded a few more songs before his death and after this one.) I cannot imagine how painful it must have been for her to listen to this song in the years that followed his death (Did Yoko feel the same way about John's "Grow Old with Me" or "Just Like Starting Over"?).

For whatever it's worth, I prefer the slightly longer version of the song (found on the album 'From the Original Master Tapes'???I believe). During the studio chatter and count-in, it's as if you can hear Buddy clear his throat and inhale as he begins to commandeer his last song. The orchestral accompaniment then gracefully carries his final declarations as the credits from his life???s movie roll unbeknownst to him.

For me, "True Love Ways" is the quintessential closer for every Valentine???s Day mix disc! :-)

The same could be said for my next runner up. That would be Tom Waits???s "Take It with Me." This song makes me teary-eyed almost EVERY time I play it (man, this is a sappy post). As I understand it, the song (from 1999's 'Mule Variations') was written collaboratively with his wife.

I think the only reason it's not my #1 is that the lyrics are esoteric to some degree ("We lived in Coney Island" or "We fell asleep on Beaula's porch"; I have never been to Coney Island but I can picture it, meanwhile I haven???t a clue where or what Beaula's porch is). I often wonder if this song is the songwriters doing guesswork as to what they might see should their lives flash before their eyes. It seems like a compilation of memorable blips of simple and subtle events that are somehow touching and memorable to them.

That final verse just plucks the heartstrings every time!

Now, what 'All Songs' should survey is our greatest LUST songs. "What songs get you in the mood?" Ha! :-)

Sent by Dan Malosh | 1:19 PM ET | 02-09-2008

Tom Wait's has written some of the best masculine love songs of our time. Songs that guys won't feel embarrassed by.

"Bird & Whale" is a Tom Waits gem from his album "Alice" based loosely on the story of Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell, The song is about the doomed love affair between a bird and a whale and is one of the most beautiful things he's written.

Next in line would be his song "Johnsburg, Illinois" because it's set in a place that reminds me of home.

Sent by Gerald Schoenherr | 1:45 PM ET | 02-09-2008

Eddie from Ohio's "The Best of Me" is a great mockery of a love song....also, Mountain Goats' "Woke Up New" is an incredibly haunting song for anyone who's gone through a recent break up. John Darnielle plaintively asking "What'll I do/without you?" has nearly made me cry.
I definitely second "Such Great Heights" and "I Will Follow You Into The Dark".
Nickel Creek's "Hanging By A Thread" is also really good.

Sent by Casey | 1:58 PM ET | 02-09-2008

My boyfriend and I have been together for 4 years. I just moved 1700 miles away for grad school and though we usually don't make a big deal about Valentine's, this year I decided to do something romantic to show him how much he means to me. I made him a movie that is more or less the story of us - pictures, video clips, mementos, entries from my journal, etc. I agonized over the soundtrack and tried to pick songs that matched the progression of our relationship. Here's what I came up with:

Fresh Feeling by Eels
Chemicals Collide by Cloud Cult
The Book of Love by The Magnetic Fields
First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes
Just Like Honey by The Jesus and Mary Chain
You Are the Everything by R.E.M.
To Be Alone with You by Sufjan Stevens
Gold in the Air of Summer by Kings of Convenience
Boats & Birds by Gregory and the Hawk
Just One Thing by My Morning Jacket
By Your Side by Sade
I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie

I think Chemicals Collide by Cloud Cult really captures that new love feeling, but I don't think anything sums up my feelings quite as well as By Your Side from Sade.

Sent by Katie Gillespie | 2:18 PM ET | 02-09-2008

I don't think you could pick a more perfect favorite love song.

" I Don't Want to Get Over You" by Magnetic Fields

Absolutely Perfect

Sent by Emily Estes | 2:44 PM ET | 02-09-2008

While there is no romantic story surrounding this personally, I heard it on a online compilation of tracks that the SXSW offered a year or two ago. It offers a slightly different twist on one killing ones own valentine...sick yet adeptly crafted.

Bobby Bare Jr - Valentine

Sent by Charles Stepczyk | 3:51 PM ET | 02-09-2008

Hands down the best love song ever is God Only Knows by The Beach Boys.

I put it on a mixtape for a girl I was desperately in love with when I was 24. Although she's married, we're still very close friends, and occasionally one of us mentions this song to the other.

It's a beaut.

It sure is Steven
bb

Sent by Steven | 8:02 PM ET | 02-09-2008

Elliott Smith's "Say Yes"...because, eventually, she did.

Sent by Chad | 2:14 AM ET | 02-10-2008

I am not going to pick a single song by the Beatles. Yet they certainly have been the soundtrack of my most desperate love. Not long after I became lost in my parents old Beatles vinyl, I discovered love, and I can't help but suspect a causal connection. The Beatles covered the spectrum of love, and though they perhaps emphasized manic infatuation and the pained yearning of unrequited love, all the better for a skinny little boy starting junior high. Besides, the best literature doesn't shift the focus much either. (See, e.g., Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino). Help! and Hard Days Night are just busting at the seams with love songs, from the obliterating confusion of "I Want To Tell You" to the peppy confidence of "Tell Me What You See," but you can't discount the black hole singularity of love condensed into the "I'm in love for the first time" line from Don't Let Me Down or the "You're asking me will my love grow" line from Something in the later years.

But I won't pick a Beatles song. I can only narrow this down to three.

1) Love by John Lennon. This is finding yourself in love, raw and honest. It takes you back to a time before language, before you were used to boxing your emotions into little words. It is a gasp, when you're forced to take in your breath by that overwhelming feeling of warmth in your chest that is like your tears streaming backwards through your eyes and down your throat, steaming your lungs, and melting your heart. To have the frame of mind just to put together a complete sentence would be too self-conscious, too much of a removal. Whether you're dreaming of her, holding her, brushing the hair off her forehead as she's sleeping, or holding the child you have made together, this song captures and evokes what could only be spoiled by trying to explain.

2) "These Arms of Mine" by Otis Redding. They are wanting to hold you. They are burning from wanting you. This song makes me howl at the moon. You cannot listen to this song without closing your eyes, swaying, and deepening a furrow on your brow. If you try listening to it in public, people will think you are having stomach cramps. Which, I suppose, isn't so far from the truth when you are hit with a pang of loneliness. This one hits me hard this year. I moved up to Barrow, Alaska last fall, leaving my Valentine back in Eastern Standard Time. Come Thursday, these arms of mine will be lonely and feeling blue.

3) "Kathy's Song" by Paul Simon. Another one for the lonely long distance loves. Popular music does not get more lyrical--in vocals, accompaniment, and lyrics--than this. There is nothing much I can say--the song is like a pang of love that melts away the pretense of life that you can no longer bear to fake.

Sent by Adam Dubinsky | 6:24 AM ET | 02-10-2008

"Forgiving Me" by Timothy Seth Avett as Darling. I pretty much love any song by The Avett Brothers, but listening to Seth on his own is another experience entirely. Check out some of the lyrics from this song:

She said you're the one and that's how it is
And you can't be blamed for the evil that is
And you cannot be troubled with things that have been
And you need not worry for me
My life is what it should be
Just forgiving you

http://theavettbrothers.com/darling/

Sent by Paige | 9:50 AM ET | 02-10-2008

Lost of Love by The Bad Plus is pretty good... The song has no lyrics, but Ethan Iverson's recurring piano melody makes it pretty obvious.

Sent by Alex | 11:26 AM ET | 02-10-2008

I wasn't sure if this song should have gone under this blog or under the blog "Most Embarassing Songs." ha.
"Is This Love" by The White Stripes. I just love the 80s feel to it.

Sent by Tiffany | 3:35 PM ET | 02-10-2008

"Lovesong" by The Cure.

It is simply the most true love song I have ever listened to.

Sent by Magenta | 4:14 PM ET | 02-10-2008

I'm about to push Great Lake Swimmers twice in a few days, but I simply must.

My sister, now living in Alaska, recently got married and the best song for this occasion is "Your Rocky Spine" by the Great Lake Swimmers. The amazing metaphor of walking across a mountain/lover's body is simple and beautiful, bringing to mind isolation (as any great lovers really are) and the beautiful feeling of warming cold body parts on another. It is haunting, slightly creepy (as all good love songs are) and absolutely beautiful. What better vision of love in the frozen north could there possibly be?

As little sister, it was a big deal for me to see my oldest sister get married, but, aside from my selfish thoughts, seeing her and her now-husband together, both thrilled and saddened me. They truly seem absolutely made for each other and, as a necessity, they exclude others, albeit not intentionally. It's simply the nature of that consuming love.

My sister has always had the most amazing soul (right from her childhood) and it seems that her husband does as well. And, as amazing as being in love is, to stand on the outside of that kind of image is pretty amazing, too. wondrous.

And, as they are both Alaskan transplants and got married outside near a glacier (in October, no less), the song seems particularly fitting. No song captures their love for Alaska and each other quite as well as that of a fellow cold-weather dweller (as the Swimmers are Canadian). And as they are both climbers, the song is too perfect for words.

Here's the lyrics (but it's the music that makes the song, for sure):

"I was lost in the lakes
And the shapes that your body makes
That your body makes, that your body makes
That your body makes

The mountains said I could find you here

They whispered the snow and the leaves in my ear
I traced my finger along your trails
Your body was the map, I was lost in it

Floating over your rocky spine
The glaciers made you, and now you're mine
Floating over your rocky spine
The glaciers made you, and now you're mine

I was moving across your frozen veneer
The sky was dark but you were clear
Could you feel my footsteps?
And would you shatter, would you shatter, would you?

And with your soft fingers between my claws
Like purity against resolve
I could tell, then and there, that we were formed from the clay
And came from the rocks for the earth to display

They told me to be careful up there
Where the wind blows a venomous rage through your hair
They told me to be careful up there
Where the wind rages through your hair"

Simply amazing images.

Sent by Sarah | 4:48 PM ET | 02-10-2008

"If The Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me"
has stayed with me over the years, by Jimmy Buffett

Sent by JimW | 5:47 PM ET | 02-10-2008

I will name them without commenting because I am not sure I know how. 1.Elvis Costello: Almost You.
2. Talking Heads: And she was. 3. David Bowie: Cactus. And The Eels song whose title I can't remember but is all about not wanting to break her heart but having done it a long time ago and how sad it now is from Blinking Lights.

Sent by Sarah Hamaty | 7:03 PM ET | 02-10-2008

"Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding.
In Pretty in Pink, this is the song that Ducky dances to in the record store. This the perfect for anyone out there with unrequited love, with a message of such care.
"Wild Thing" by The Troggs.
It's a love song that manages to convey all of the passionate abandon of the 60s. You can't help but dance.
"Eleanor" by Low Millions.
Most people might think of this as a breakup song. You only have to listen to the lyrics to know that it's about heartbreak too painful to bear. That's love.

Sent by Kit | 7:06 PM ET | 02-10-2008

Nothing pulls at the heartstrings quite like Bob Dylan's stirring love song, "Boots of Spanish Leather." The narrator relays the story of his love, who has sailed to Spain leaving him to wonder when, if ever, she will return. She writes, "I just thought you might want something fine, made of silver or of golden, either from the mountains of Madrid, or from the coast of Barcelona." To which he replies, "if I had the stars from the darkest night, or the diamonds from the deepest ocean, I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss, for that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin.' " The gentle guitar playing, and the alternating male and female verses, come together to make a sad and lovely story of unconditional and timeless love.

Sent by Emily | 7:31 PM ET | 02-10-2008

No one does the infectious, quirky love song like Belle & Sebastian. How about "Wrapped up in books" or "There's too much love"?

"You say I've got another face
That's not a fault of mine these days
I'm honest, brutal and afraid of you"

Sent by Rachel | 8:38 PM ET | 02-10-2008

Beat Happening - "Our Secret"

We were "friends in our special stupid way" long before I realized that the one I hold closest was sitting with me at a friend's place over a cup of tea. Such simple lyrics and melodies that it perfectly demonstrates a sense of child-like wonder about falling in love.

Sent by Seth | 9:27 PM ET | 02-10-2008

Naked as We Came, Iron and Wine

Sent by laura | 12:58 AM ET | 02-11-2008

I can't hear "Give Yourself to Love" by Kate Wolf without tearing up. Its message of with hope is amazing. In a few lines, it inspires and gives strength to carry on when you open up your heart.

"Love is born in fire; it's planted like a seed.
Love can't give you everything, but it gives you what you need.
And love comes when you're ready, love comes when you're afraid;
It'll be your greatest teacher, the best friend you have made."

Kate wolf died an early death of cancer and left us way too soon. But she left this timeless song which will live forever.

Sent by Ken Yoshida | 7:00 AM ET | 02-11-2008

M. Ward's "Poison Cup" definitely holds a special place in my heart.

She said "If love
If Love
Is a posion cup
Then drink it up"

"Cos a sip
A sip
Or a spoonful won't do
Won't do nothing for you
Except mess you up"

Sent by mark | 7:43 AM ET | 02-11-2008

"Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" by Spiritualized. It got recognition for being used in the first commercials for the New Beetle, but it was featured far more effectively in the film "Vanilla Sky." It's a beautiful, sad love song.

Sent by Michelle Pronovost | 11:32 AM ET | 02-11-2008

I agree with above regarding the absolutely amazing duet version of "Crazy Love" preformed by Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. I found it back when I was 18 and in the throws of my first head-over-heels relationship. I was entering college, and there was something about that time in my life when the music of both Morrison and Dylan began to come into brilliant clarity. When I found the song, I felt like I was listening to the albums "Astral Weeks" or "Blood on the Tracks" for the very first time again. I cherished the fact that I could relive those moments, and all within a brief few minutes. It was a song my girlfriend and I adored, and a song I stil love to this day.

Sent by Michael | 11:41 AM ET | 02-11-2008

I'm not such a fan of Bright Eyes, but First Day of My Life would have to be my favorite love song. On the other end, No Children by the Mountain Goats has got to be the best break-up song.

Sent by Josh | 11:59 AM ET | 02-11-2008

Alison Krauss "When you say nothing at all"

Sent by Erin Brown | 12:41 PM ET | 02-11-2008

The Flamingos . I only have eyes for you.

Sent by Aaron | 1:02 PM ET | 02-11-2008

"I could make a career of being blue, I could dress in black and read Camus, smoke clove cigarettes and drink vermouth..."

I LOVE that song, mister (Robin's favorite listed in the post)! But it's not a very lovey love song.

My favorite right now is Josh Rouse, "Little Know it All" off of Home. So pretty.

Sent by kathryn | 4:02 PM ET | 02-11-2008

My favorite love songs are "Paper Doll" by the Mills Brother and "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Chet Baker.

Sent by David | 4:45 PM ET | 02-11-2008

Three days after I met my soon-to-be husband, he popped a tape (which dates the length of this relationship) into his car radio and said, I think this shoud be our song. It was 'The Nights were made for us' by Richard Hawley. A modern waltz. sigh.

Sent by Perrin | 5:20 PM ET | 02-11-2008

Theses might not be Valentine's Day love songs...
Bloodstream-Stateless
Your So Great-Blur
Blower's Daughter-Damien Rice
Two & Two-Talib Kweli
Tell Him-Lauryn Hill
Heartbeats-The Knife

Sent by Zoe | 5:24 PM ET | 02-11-2008

Ain't That Loving You - Johnnie Taylor
14th of February - Billy Bragg
Sweet Thing - Van Morrison
A Man Is In Love - The Waterboys
If I Fell - The Beatles ...and the list goes on and on and on...

Sent by Mike Freund | 7:29 PM ET | 02-11-2008

Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
So simple, so sweet.

Sent by Allison | 8:45 PM ET | 02-11-2008

Nicest Thing...Kate Nash.

Sent by Ella | 8:51 PM ET | 02-11-2008

This Year's Love- David Gray
The Light- Common
Delicate- Damien Rice

Sent by Adam | 9:17 PM ET | 02-11-2008

"In My Life", the Beatle's song, but the Jose Feliciano version is touching, memorable, sweet and sad.
"You Make Me Feel Brand New", by the Stylistics, is dancing in bare feet on wet grass,
in starlight.

Sent by Kevin | 9:55 PM ET | 02-11-2008

"one thing," finger eleven

one night i was sitting on a couch with a beautiful girl in my college dorm hallway and all of a sudden someone down the hall began to play this song loud enough so we can hear it. it set the mood just right...

Sent by Erik | 10:03 PM ET | 02-11-2008

Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately" was mentioned earlier is a great song. A close second is an old folk song (I don't know the title): "Tell me why the sun does shine; Tell me why the ivy twines; Tell me why the sky's so blue; Then I will tell you why I love you." It's appropriate for both my husband and my kids.

Sent by Lisa | 10:08 PM ET | 02-11-2008

naima by john coltrane is magical

Sent by Clay | 10:33 PM ET | 02-11-2008

The greatest version of a fantastic love song would have to be Judy Garland live at Carnegie Hall doing Harold Arlen's 'Come Rain or Come Shine'. What a singer...and listen to that band soar and pump... You just don't hear singing, playing, or arrangements like that anymore...a truly a great 'american' sound.

Sent by Russell in New Zealand | 11:03 PM ET | 02-11-2008

I absolutely love U2's "All I want is you." What a great title. What a great love song. I would absolutely melt if someone special said that to me and really meant it.

I also like the Old 97's song "question" I think that is the title. -someday somebody's gonna ask you, a question you should say yes to- once in your life maybe tonight I've got a question for you.
I love the way Rhett Miller sings! What a sweet sweet song.

Sent by Holly | 11:34 PM ET | 02-11-2008

Nobody Knows Me - Lyle Lovett
Romeo & Juliet - Dire Straits
Hello Mary - David Baerwald
I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt
My Funny Valentine - the guy playing piano at the bar, just after midnight

Sent by Tommy G | 11:51 PM ET | 02-11-2008

"a case of you" - joni mitchell

and unrequited love "boots of spanish leather" - bob dylan

'Oh, but if I had the stars from the darkest night
And the diamonds from the deepest ocean
I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss
For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'.'

Sent by emily | 1:02 AM ET | 02-12-2008

"Medley-Is Alright for Sentimental Reasons
Sam Cooke

This song played during my first kiss. I was 26.
Who knows why I waited so long? I was a shy kid. But there we were: in his pick-up truck, after a long night of talking and laughing. This song came on, and right as the band swelled up, right as Sam Cooke sang, It's alright, believe me, baby, it's alright," I felt a thrill along my lower back. I wanted to be kissed then.
That was awhile ago, but ever since then, I've always waited for that delicious thrill to know I truly wanted to be kissed.
Folks may disagree, but there's no shame in waiting for the right moment, the right song.
Believe me, baby, it's alright.

Sent by Li | 1:19 AM ET | 02-12-2008

'sweet avenue'...jets to brazil

Sent by jackie | 1:32 AM ET | 02-12-2008

I am the one who wrote in a few minutes before this comment with the songs 'A Case of You' by Joni Mitchell and 'Boots of Spanish Leather' by Bob Dylan. Reading your blog instructions further, I discovered that you asked people to attach a short story to why these are their favorite songs. I have a story about "Boots of Spanish Leather" by Bob Dylan that I would like to share. I apologize for not reading the instructions more carefully and for not attaching this to the last post. Thanks for your help!

My fiance and I are both graduate students, and pursuing our academic studies often takes us to different parts of the world. Last Valentine's Day I was in New Zealand and this Valentine's Day he is in Swaziland. Before I left for New Zealand, we listened to Bob Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather." Our CD skipped, so we only heard three-fourths of the song the part of pining desire and unrequited love that happens when you are an ocean apart. Since then, we have listened to the entire song and realize it is not a fairy-tale ending. However, Bob Dylan's pointed, emotive lyrics and candid voice capture the love and loss felt when love can no longer be a form of physical presence, but a test of faith and hope. So, this song is for my love. I know he is doing well, but I can not wait until the day he returns, or as put more eloquently by Bob Dylan, "Oh, but if I had the stars from the darkest night/And the diamonds from the deepest ocean,/I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss,/For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'." I do not need any souvenirs. Just him.

Sent by emily | 1:43 AM ET | 02-12-2008

Has anybody else heard Love Songs by Fleming and John from the album Delusions of Grandeur?
Possibly the greatest love song ever????

Sent by Muz | 3:35 AM ET | 02-12-2008

Crowded House / You can touch
Harvey Danger / Happiness writes white
Toad the Wet Sprocket / All things in time
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones / She just happened

Pearl Jam / Thin air
I mean, who would ever have expected Pearl Jam to drop a perfect love song? Simple, direct, elegant little ballad by a band not known for simple, direct, elegant little ballads, and it sure didn't make it to radio where I live. Go figure.

Louis Armstrong / We have all the time in the world
Not a bad way to finish a career ??? not only a 007 song, but one of the most beautiful romances ever set to music. Brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.

Sent by Adam Cederblom | 4:32 AM ET | 02-12-2008

"In your eyes" by Peter Gabriel is a wonderful love song. It's always the first love song I think of whenever a love song is requested, of course.

Sent by Trish | 6:13 AM ET | 02-12-2008

River Deep, Mountain high - The Animals

Sent by GK | 8:17 AM ET | 02-12-2008

You Don't Know Me - Ray Charles

and

Dance Me to the End of Love - Madeleine Peyroux

Sent by Alice | 8:40 AM ET | 02-12-2008

Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You"

It's got this sick-sweet depth of compassion to it that reminds you of how love builds you up as much as it tears you down. Starting with a fight and all and that part that makes you just ache - "I remember that time that you told me, you said 'love is touching souls'" - I get all silly just thinking about it.

My love and I have fallen on some hard times but this song seems to put it in perspective for us. Love for one another is unavoidable, sweet, and passionate, but sometimes difficult.

Sent by Jamie Olson | 9:17 AM ET | 02-12-2008

"I Will" by the Beatles, though the boys wrote so many gorgeous love songs, it's hard to choose just one. (And hard not to seem cliche in picking one!)

When I was a teenager, I learned to play this on the guitar and made MYSELF cry. It's short, simple, and (of course) sweet, and the bridge is absolutely perfect. I'm a sucker for Macca's sense of melody.

Sent by Celia | 9:22 AM ET | 02-12-2008

"you're so great" of blur's self-titled. I got this record in middle school and remember being really bummed out that the whole thing didn't sound like song2. I gave it another a try a couple of years later though and remember being totally blown away by it and this song in particular. It perfectly captures the way the right girl can make you forget about all the injustices of the world , if only for a few seconds.

Sad, drunk, and poorly
Sleeping really late
Sad, drunk, and poorly
Not feeling so great
Wandering lost in a town full of frowns
Sad, drunk, and poorly
Dogs digging up the ground

And I feel the light
In the night and in the day
And I feel the light
When the skys just mud and grey
And I feel the light
When you tell me its ok
Cos youre so great, and I love you

Sent by Matt Gross | 10:46 AM ET | 02-12-2008

There is no love song greater than "Punk Rock Girl" by The Dead Milkmen. When it seems the entire world doesn't act like you do, especially women, this song is a reminder that there is someone out there who will walk with you hand-in-hand on the fringes of society.

The punk guitar, the wandering accordion, Joe Jack Talcum's prepubescent voice... it just works.

Sent by Dan | 11:43 AM ET | 02-12-2008

"A Kiss to Build a Dream On," sung by Louis Armstrong is my all-time favorite. Mandy Patinkin also does a good version.

Also, I have always loved "Give Yourself to Love," by Kate Wolf.

"Kind friends all gather round
There's something I would say
What brings us together here has blessed us all today.
Love has made a circle that holds us all inside, where strangers are as family and lonliness can't hide."

This is a great song for a wedding, of course, but my brother adapted the lyrics for my son's baptism, and it was beautiful.

Sent by Kathleen | 11:47 AM ET | 02-12-2008

"A Heart Needs a Home" by Richard & Linda Thompson.

Sent by kathy | 11:55 AM ET | 02-12-2008

"Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez has gotten me through a whole year of love/loss.

And of course, as I post every year on this site: The Cure's beautiful ode to a lover - "Home"

"every time I try to tell you how I feel inside
I always make the same mistakes
Tie myself in knots
Sometimes even make you cry
When all I ever want to say
Is nobody else in the whole wide world
Makes me feel this way
Nobody else in the whole wide world
Takes my breath away"

Robert Smith is a lyrical master, especially when it comes to writing love songs. I just want to swoon.

Sent by Kimberly Scott | 1:04 PM ET | 02-12-2008

The Magnetic Fields : Love is like a bottle of gin

"it makes the sun shine, makes it rain"
"love is like a bottle of gin, but a bottle of gin is not like love..."

pretty much sums it up

Sent by Hilary | 1:12 PM ET | 02-12-2008

I would have to say Ben Fold's "the luckiest".

Sent by Casey | 2:36 PM ET | 02-12-2008

I was going to say "I Will" too! Such a sweet, light, romantic song--absolutely perfect.

Sent by Nicole | 2:41 PM ET | 02-12-2008

"Reservations" by Wilco is poignant, beautiful, and just plain lovely.

Sent by Hannah | 4:41 PM ET | 02-12-2008

I have many favorites, but one of the most recent ones I've discovered is "Somebody Loved" by The Weepies. I cry my eyes out every time I hear it.

Sent by M | 5:05 PM ET | 02-12-2008

2 songs come to mind from my two favorite bands:

1) This must be the place (Naive Melody)- Talking Heads
David Byrne calls it the first love song he ever wrote and I would say it is my fave song of his.

lyrics like "you love me still my heart stops/love me til i'm dead" and "out of all those kinds of people/you've got a face with a view" bring tears to my eyes. his voice has such desperation in it. I used to bebop around the house listening to this song with my dad not really thinking about how much emotion there was in it

2) Reservations- Wilco
It's haunting and dark but somehow jeff tweedy's emotions are bright to me.
"i have reservations about so many things/but not about you."
no matter what, there is no doubt in his mind about how he feels about this person. the instrumental portion brings a perfect end to a perfect cd.

Sent by Allison | 5:16 PM ET | 02-12-2008

Oh, there are so many! But in the interest of time and brevity - "Hopefully", My Morning Jacket. Don't lass this up. "Hopefully it occurs to me that the one thing i can't stand is the thought of one single day without your head in my hands"...so humbling of a man like Jim James with this godly soaring falsetto.

Sent by Elish | 5:17 PM ET | 02-12-2008

The simple beauty of Mason Jennings. "Train leaving grey" or "Sorry signs on cash machines" are examples of a pure love said in song. These are song that speak to the heart of this holiday

Sent by A.J. | 7:19 PM ET | 02-12-2008

First of all, I really had not considered how many love songs are out there in the world! Secondly, I didn't realize how many songs I consider love songs until I tried to choose just one for this blog :)
My Favorite:
This Must Be the Place - Talking Heads

Here are other lovely love tunes in no particular order:

Baby - Os Mutantes
Your the One For Me, Fatty - Morrissey
Birdhouse In Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
Back In My Arms Again - The Supremes
Groove Is In The Heart - Dee-Lite
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
Groovy Kind Of Love - Phil Collins version

Sent by Veronica | 8:51 PM ET | 02-12-2008

I grew up with a lot of music. My father is a dj (KUSP) who loves 60's garage rock, Doo Wop and girl groups. He gave me a copy of The Best of the Girl Groups, Volume 2 for Christmas some years ago. I knew all of the track on the cd but one - Ellie Greenwich's, 'You Don't Know.' It simply doesn't get any better. (Maybe James Carr's 'The Dark End of the Street.' Maybe.)

Sent by Ian Mullen | 9:28 PM ET | 02-12-2008

The love song that first comes to mind when I think of great ones is "1998" by a little known artist named Jon Crocker. His songs are lo-fi and simple, but written with a beauty and brutal honesty that I just can't help but to admire and love.

Listening to this song has a way of bringing me back to times since passed, when I was young, in love, and possibly a little naive.

Sent by Nathan Bourne | 10:12 PM ET | 02-12-2008

The posts here have definitely established that love needs many voices to speak of all of its righteous complexity.

I tend to be moved by music more than lyrics, but we all know that when we make mixes for our loves, the words have to say something that we might not be able to. Over the past decade or so, these are the songs I've relied on:

My favorite lead off track: "Love Lovely Love" by Jonny Polonsky. Pure pop from a Frank Black progeny that expresses that great early love swoon.

Middle track: Edson's cover of the Darknesses "I Believe in a Thing Called Love". It's crazy that you can take the jokey bombast out of the song and end up with something sappily sweet, but here's the proof. I know you're gonna whistle along. It's impossible not to...

Last track: Hothouse Flowers' "Stand Beside Me" I like to imagine that somewhere in the world, there's a dark and grimy bar where every night this song is the last number played by the house band. And each and every night, true love is inspired by this intense, overwrought, and heartfelt ballad.

Misc. tracks depending on how many confusing feelings you have:

Toss in Bobby Bare Jr.'s "Bionic Heart." Though it veers to the absurd, it still manages to be contemplative about how some relationships just don't end when they should...

Or consider Dogs Die in Hot Cars' "I Love You 'Cause I Have To". Because sometimes mixed feelings are best expressed by a skanking rhythm and confusing lyrics written by Scots.

And one entry I love, but would only suggest for the very...secure relationships: Consider Flight of the Conchords' "If You're Into It".

Thanks for the chance to sound off, and thanks for all your suggestions everyone!

Sent by Micheal Sanders | 11:09 PM ET | 02-12-2008

another vote for "such great heights," as performed by the postal service.

"my little corner of the world" by yo la tengo has some personal significance to me, as my now-boyfriend sent it to me a few years ago, when we lived about 1500 miles apart. at the time, we just knew each other through blogging and chatting online. between the time he sent it to me and when we started dating, he stayed in washington (state), and i lived in iowa, tennessee, and even china. eventually, a few months ago, i decided to move to his little corner of the world. when i hear the song today, it reminds me of him and how i ended up living where i live now.

Sent by Helen | 11:50 PM ET | 02-12-2008

an all time favorite of mine- more of a lust song than one of love- elvis costello & the attractions performing "Little Triggers" on This Year's Model the torch-y way Elvis emotes through this number, the squeak in his voice during the oooohoooh's, the clever couplets, the rythym that makes your hips sway along....it's just enough to confuse the lust with love.

Sent by Alice | 12:10 AM ET | 02-13-2008

"Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye" by Leonard Cohen is such a sweet and accessible love song. My boyfriend and I go to different colleges, and I think of this song every time after he visists.

"Moonlight Serenade" by Glenn Miller (or really anything by him) is another romantic tune. My mom likes to reminisce about how much her father (who died when she was 19) loved to dance around the house to his Glen Miller records. I wish my generation danced that way.

Others:
"Dearest" or "Words of Love" by Buddy Holly
"Dream a Little Dream" by Mama Cass
"You Belong to Me" by Patsy Cline
"If You're Into It" by the Flight of the Conchords (funny one)
"Eyes on the Prize" by Iron & Wine

Sent by Amy | 1:25 AM ET | 02-13-2008

"Jolene" by Ray LaMontagne. One of the few songs that no matter where I am when it comes on, it reminds me of the sadness of love. The feeling in his voice when he performs live is heartbreaking.

Sent by Irene | 2:22 AM ET | 02-13-2008

Hmmmm....my favorite love song(s) man there are alot of them but i think my top 5 are (some are probably not love songs but i guess u could take them for that.)
1. When You Sleep- My Bloody Valentine, the opening lyrics really express alot the emotions i feel when i see someone i love
2.Baby Blue Sedan- Modest Mouse, I love this song cause it expresses alot of feeling toward a lover never being like they used to be when you first meet them i think and i know that feeling all to well.
3. La La Love You- Pixies I think title says it all
4. Angles- Elliott Smith, i personally think its a great for a mix tape side 2 for someone u really like or something
5. Juileanna- Built By Snow, Its an amazing love song.....I think???

Sent by Mykul | 9:24 AM ET | 02-13-2008

"It's Only Time" by the Magnetic Fields is the perfect love song, subtly conveying the entirety of love. "Why would I stop loving you a hundred years from now." "If rain won't change your mind, let it fall." These lyrics teach that true love is eternal when two people live in the good times and persevere through the bad.

Sent by Jesse M. | 9:29 AM ET | 02-13-2008

Its an older one...In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel..what to say? The words say it all and the music is beautiful. And maybe I'm snookered by the association it has in my memory. : )

Sent by Liesel | 11:57 AM ET | 02-13-2008

A Case of You-Cristina Branco
True Love Will Never Fade-Mark Knopfler
I Am Aglow -Sarah Harmer
I Don't Love You Much Do I-Guy Clark
Me Enamora-Juanes
If Not For you- Dylan
Gandhi/Buddah-Cheryl Wheeler
Shining Light- Emm Gryner
Glory of True Love-John Prine
Top of the World- Lynn Anderson
Help Yourself- Tom Jones
The Way I Am-Ingrid Michaelson
Hold You In My Arms-Ray Lamontagne
A Taste of You- Lee Hazelwood

Sent by julie | 12:14 PM ET | 02-13-2008

Take Me As I Am by Wyclef Jean featuring Sharissa

Sent by Sonsonatta | 12:18 PM ET | 02-13-2008

"Tupelo Honey" Van Morrisson this song makes me melt every time I hear it.
"Kathleen" Josh Ritter
"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" Bob Dylan
"Quelqu'un m'a dit??? ??? Carla Bruni (aka Mme Sarkozy, I guess)
"Bring It on Home" Sam Cooke
what about You Send Me by Sam Cooke?
bb

Sent by Alexis R. | 12:58 PM ET | 02-13-2008

Has to be "When I Fall in Love," by Nat King Cole! Shortly after my husband Tony and I started dating, he played a recording of it for me, and told me it was exactly how he felt, and that he knew we'd be together "forever." Well, we HAVE been together now for 26+ years (married nearly 24), and everytime I hear "WIFIL," no matter who's singing, I still get all misty and I know that I am the luckiest and most blessed woman on earth!

Sent by Candy Charters | 1:47 PM ET | 02-13-2008

Thiteen by Big Star. This song is giddy and about first love and grown-up love all at the same time. I remember riding around Pittsburgh with this on a mixtape with one boyfriend, and dancing around a Brooklyn living room to Big Star with another boyfriend. And I think that's what the song is, or any good love song is. Love can change, but rock and roll is here to stay, but maybe the way we feel about and think about the songs changes. But, yeah, I still want to meet you at the pool, and please get those tickets to that dance on Friday.

Sent by Andrea | 2:20 PM ET | 02-13-2008

I was 19 and on my first real grown up trip to Europe with a girlfriend. Every where we went we would hear this amazingly sexy song blaring out from speakers in the streets. A very breathy, lustful female sang Al Di La to the masses. I was so young and innocent and this song was a wee bit embarrassing to me. At the same time I couldn't help but feel somewhat sophisticated to be among all of these people who obviously were not shocked at what they were hearing!

Sent by Marit from Bishop, CA | 2:55 PM ET | 02-13-2008

The Magnetic Fields - I'm Tongue Tied
The MAerican Analog Set - Know by Heart
The Features - The Idea of Growing Old
Yo La Tengo - Center of Gravity

I could go on and on and on and on

Sent by Jennifer | 3:49 PM ET | 02-13-2008

"Shamed Into Love" as sung by Anne Sofie Otter and Elvis Costello. This song is right smack in the middle of my late-night romance playlist on my i-Pod. Her lush voice juxtaposed with his quirky and rawly emotional vibrato, the orchestration, the wonderful Costello lyrics with the psychologically quirky take on Love--it's a real grown-up song. The next song on the mix is an instrumental (Leonard Cohen's "A Thousand Kisses Deep" played by Chris Botti) because the Otter/Costello duet is so inspired, I don't want to hear anyone else's voices immediately following.

The playlist is too long to post, but here's a sampling, from the beginning of an evening through late into the wee hours of the morning:

"We're All Alone," Boz Scaggs
"This Guy's In Love With You," Ronald Isley
"Jealous Guy," Madeleine Peyroux
"Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," Ann Peebles
"The World Exploded Into Love, "Bob Schneider
"No Other Love," Chuck Prophet
"Alfie," Brad Mehldau Trio
"Blue Alert," Anjani
"Au Large Deja," Autour De Lucie
"Whispering Pines," Alison Krauss
"You My Lunar Queen," Cousteau

Sent by Constance from Berkeley, CA | 5:09 PM ET | 02-13-2008

Is there any way to change something in the comment I sent. Must be old age.. not like that innocent youth I was. The song was J'Taime not Al Di La!

Sent by Marit from Bishop | 6:20 PM ET | 02-13-2008

all these songs are on my playlist on my ipod for valentines day. mix of your show. of old classics. soundtrack songs new and old and the ones that hit home check it out. this list is not in order of greatness check it out. i cant believe i said "check it out" twice. there i go again. this is the form the list is in.
artist- song.

good vibrations-the beach boys. save me- aimee mann. it aint me babe(cover)- johnny cash and june carter. whole wide world- wreckless eric. the brobecks- you or a ghost. its all gonna break= broken social scene. cat power- sea of love. cheap trick- i want you to want me. sara bareilles- love song. the cure- love song. the dandy warhols- bohemian like you. dr. dog- keep a friend. feist- so sorry. the format- dog problems. the format- inches and falling. fountains of wayne- hackensack. george harrison- something. jenny lewis and the watson twins-you are what you love. fiery furnaces- wanting to know you. fiery furnaces- ex guru. john lennon- oh my love. kimya dawson- loose lips. metric- calculation theme. nada surf- inside of love. nada surf- always love. rod stewart- maggie may. rilo kiliey does he love you. rilo kiley- silver lining. rilo kiley- with arms outstretched. rooney- that girl has love. tegan and sara- where does the good go? sufjan stevens- all the trees of the field will clap their hands. the turtles- happy together. weezer- suzannne. voxtrot- the start of something. the white stripes- you dont know what love is. the white stripes- a martyr for my love for you. Yo la tengo- my little corner of the world.

Sent by michael woodard | 3:10 AM ET | 02-14-2008

"besame mucho" the title says it all.

Sent by Eric Gamboa | 9:14 AM ET | 02-14-2008

"Has anybody else heard Love Songs by Fleming and John from the album Delusions of Grandeur?
Possibly the greatest love song ever"

Funny you should mention F&J because I put "Comfortable" on my Valentine's Mix along with "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds, Nouvelle Vague's cover of "This is not a love song", "(There is) No Greater Love" by Amy Winehouse, "World in My Eyes" by Depeche Mode, and "Got to Get Your Into My Life" by Earth, Wind and Fire

Sent by Linda Parets | 4:50 PM ET | 02-14-2008

2 favorites, completely different from what they would have been years ago... "If I Live" by Si Kahn, and performed by Mollie O'Brien, and "Where've You Been" by Kathy Mattea. Both speak of the richness of a love that's less about passion and fire , but more about being steeped and nurtured in a life spent together, a love that becomes one of being best friends. This is a love that I've come to experience and which unfolds richly and in new ways every day.

(That final note on If I Live that Mollie holds for 32 beats / 8 measures is also just incredible)

Sent by Geoff Babb | 5:18 PM ET | 02-14-2008

My number one favorite love song of all time would have to be "All the Way" by Frank Sinatra. I mean, talk about romance overdose! This was the song my husband and I danced to at our wedding reception, and it was perfect.

Other oldies but goodies:
"Misty", as done by Ella Fitzgerald
"Alison" by Elvis Costello
"I Melt With You" by Modern English
"Something" & "And I Love Her" by the Beatles
"My Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder
"Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS

I definitely second "Kathy's Song" by Simon & Garfunkel and "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel.

Can't forget these, though many of them aren't traditional love songs:
"Hallelujah", Jeff Buckley's version
"Janine" by Soul Coughing
"Falling for You" by Weezer
"The Sky is Broken" by Moby
"So Real" by Jeff Buckley
"Passenger Seat" by Death Cab for Cutie
"Greek Song" by Rufus Wainwright
"Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" by The White Stripes
"In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach)" by Elliott Smith

If I were to list all the sad unrequited love songs I've been obsessed with over the years, it might rival "War & Peace" in length, so I won't!

Sent by Joann | 8:57 PM ET | 02-14-2008

One of the most dynamic love songs I can think of that always makes me feel kind of giddy with love is Bjork's "it's oh so quiet." The video is by Spike Jonze and it's one of those rare videos that really enhances the experience of the song.

Sent by Davin | 10:08 AM ET | 02-15-2008

I married her because she looks like you- Lyle Lovett

Sent by Phil | 5:40 PM ET | 02-15-2008

I wasn't sure if I should have put this song under "Favorite Love Song" or "Embarassing Songs." Ha. But Whitesnake's "Is This Love?" I love the 80's vibe and just the whole feel and atmosphere of the song.

Sent by Tiffany | 7:58 PM ET | 02-15-2008

the son i would choose would happen to be .. "Pale and Precious" by XTC

Sent by Phil Blaustein | 11:16 PM ET | 02-16-2008

It doesn't come across as the most romantic but just listen to the simplicity and beauty of the fantastic Eels and the track "It's a motherf**cker" - always brings you back down to earth and realise to appreciate what you have today may not be there tomorrow.

Sent by Peter, Sydney Australia | 4:12 AM ET | 02-18-2008

i agree with julie--in spite of ourselves. my boyfriend and i call it "our song." every time i hear it i want to laugh and cry...

Sent by traci | 8:25 PM ET | 02-18-2008

Different situations call for different songs, so here are some:

Slow Dancing in the Kitchen:
Always and Forever - Heatwave

Dance Party Magic:
My Boo - Ghost Town DJ's

Karaoke Duet:
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Jefferson Starship

For the Sentimental Thug:
I Need Love - LL Cool J

Do You Know I Exist?:
Butterflies - Michael Jackson

Ultimate Despair:
Lover You Should Have Come Over - Jeff Buckley

Third Date Anthem:
Long Walk - Jill Scott

Their Ringtone:
I Just Called - Stevie Wonder

Will Be on a Mix CD You Make for Them/Receive from Them:
Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Sunday Night Dinner:
In a Sentimental Mood - John Coltrane & Duke Ellington

The Realization :
True Love Waits - Radiohead

For the Bedroom:
I Wanna Sex You Up - Color Me Badd

No Really, for the Bedroom:
Take Off Your Cool - Outkast/Norah Jones

The Drive Home:
Lover's Rock - Sade

Sent by Santi | 1:26 AM ET | 02-19-2008

I have always loved the song "I Used to Love HER" by Common [Sense]. Even though the song is about falling in love with hip-hop, and not a girl, it still shows how awesome love is. It is also one of the most cogent extended metaphors I have ever heard in any song.

Sent by Andy | 3:58 PM ET | 02-19-2008

'Halleluja' by Jeff Buckley, it has to be. And 'CREEP' by radiohead, it makes me cry and shiver each time (I'm surprised nobody mentioned it until now):
When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so fucking special

But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here

Sent by sonia | 11:55 AM ET | 02-21-2008

Donny Hathaway-I Love You More Than You will Ever Know
Donny Hathaway-A Song for You
De La Soul-Eye Know
Beach Boys-Wouldn't it Be Nice?

The last two are remind of of all the innocence my high school crushes. The first two are so absolutely beautiful. Live versions required.

Sent by peter | 4:12 PM ET | 02-22-2008

Midnight Snow by Abscondo

Sent by Freedom | 2:39 PM ET | 03-01-2008

"Long Afternoons" by Jerry Jeff Walker

Most of his work is traditional country ballads I don't really like much, but this love song stands out on its very own - it is completely different from all his other stuff (that I've heard). By far my favorite love song out of many: subtle, moody, sentimental, lovely. Can't even recall how I stumbled into this song, probably on the radio twenty or thirty years ago.

Sent by Boris | 12:42 PM ET | 03-17-2008

"When I can't find love" by Nelson

Sent by Rose | 7:43 PM ET | 03-20-2008

Only Hope by Mandy Moore

Sent by Ran | 8:40 AM ET | 03-22-2008

"The Purple Bottle" by Animal Collective

I talk too much about you
Their ears are getting tired of me Singing all the night through
Lets just talk together
You and me and me and you
And if theres nothing much to say
No silence is a bore

"How Deep Is Your Love" by The Bee Gees

"Love You Inside and Out" by The Bee Gees

"Falling" by Ben Kweller

"Babylon" by David Gray

Anything by Eisley

"Look After Me" by Hot Chip

"Us" by Regina Spektor.

"Fair" by Remy Zero

"Every Moment" by Rogue Wave

"Nightengales" by Sondre Lerche

"The Henney Bug Band" by Sufjan Stevens

Sent by Rosalie | 10:51 PM ET | 04-12-2008

"Come Undone" - Duran Duran
Honorable Mention: "Into the Night (1989 version) - Benny Mardones

Sent by RKD | 1:05 AM ET | 04-13-2008

Remember the Mountain Bed - Wilco with Guthrie's lyrics

Everything about this song--lyrics, music, Tweedy's voice--is so beautiful.

Sent by Caroline | 4:57 PM ET | 04-17-2008

The Very Thought of You - Nat King Cole
Nobody Knows Me - Lyle Lovett
Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show

Sent by Lauren | 5:48 PM ET | 04-23-2008

"The Temptation of Adam" by Josh Ritter is one of the most beautiful songs ever written

Sent by Mike | 10:40 PM ET | 04-29-2008

oooh! I looove Rascal Flats
Bless the Broken Road, very good song about the trials we go through to get to our soul mate.

Sent by trulyconfuzd | 10:42 PM ET | 07-23-2008

lay lady lay by magnet.

it gives me chills :)

Sent by hanna | 10:41 PM ET | 09-19-2008