Love & Hate: Eight Songs For Your Valentines
If you’re in love or if you’ve lost love, everyone who needs music in the veins knows that some songs sum up the way you feel far better than you could…
LOVE
Foo Fighters / “everlong”
“Everlong” is a contender for the best Foo Fighters track ever and a firm crowd favourite from an era before Foo Fighters became a household brand. Whilst first single from The Colour and the Shape kicked our doors in to demand attention, “Everlong” soothed us and reminded how everything would be okay.
Pearl Jam / “Last Kiss”
Pearl Jam’s cover of a 1960s country song by Wayne Cochran became an unexpected underground hit before it was properly released. This song makes no apologies about mixing a love story with a car crash and it is as bitter as it is sweet. Pearl Jam were one of the rock bands that helped define the American rock in the 90s and whether or not you agree with them covering a 60s country track, Eddie Vedder’s baritone vocals are undeniably well suited to sing about tragic love.
Goo Goo Dolls / “Iris”
This song changed the definition of success for a band who occupy a rare ground between rock and mainstream attention grabbing. “Iris” is one of the few film soundtrack songs that outlive the mass appeal of their accompanying music video made entirely of action film clips. Probably the only song that could ever make watching a woman through a telescope sound romantic, or perhaps it’s simply the anticipation of being so close yet so far which appeals.
Tool / “Schism”
“Schism” reminds us that rhythm is an art form; this song hit the public consciousness like a baseball bat and ushered in a new era of Tool, as the first single from the epic album, Lateralus. A prime example of music from a band that can’t be imitated; this song looks at one single aspect of relationships communication. As a relationship starts to rot we all face the frustration of knowing everything that we used to agree on has somehow broken down.
ANT-LOVE
Killswitch Engage / “My last serenade”
Writing songs about a girl is one of the best ways to charm her. This song explains what happens when love turns to rust and it’s complete with the aggression that you would expect of anyone who knew they were delivering their last serenade. The anger of this song makes a rare balance with the harmony in the chorus.
Tool / “Pushit”
Love is both an adventure and a struggle at the same time, this is a fact, and “Pushit” is one of the few songs ready to admit it.
“Pushit” first appeared on Ænima and was later reincarnated for the live album Salival, which starts the song with lead singer Maynard Keenan explaining that they’ve been looking “at one of their songs in a new light” before launching into a song that was even more epic and meaningful than the original.
Stone Temple Pilots / “Sour Girl”
This slow and reflective song felt like a contradiction for a band better known for loud ‘n’ fast songs, yet it remains one of their best. Lead singer Scott Weiland tells the tale of two people who were happy when apart and sour when together. It doesn’t make any profound statement on love, but it has one of the best and most effective choruses of any love song, giving the song an uplifting yet melancholy edge.
Nickelback /“How you remind me”
The song that single handedly made millions of people run out and buy Nickelback’s Silver Side Up tells the story of falling in love with someone who will happily stamp on your heart. Many of us have been there, and the smart amongst us will not go there again. It tells the story of learning to value yourself in a world full of other people through loud guitars, rather than through self-help DVDs featuring a man in a jumper insisting “you can…” do whatever it is you’ve been stalling on due to lack of spine.
Andrew S Valentine
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