Tag: Holidays

Happy Valentines’ Day, everyone. As per previous years (2005, 2006, 2007), I’ve gone ahead and thrown up some songs for the day (for the first time via the magic of Youtube.) The obligatory once-a-year update from behind-the-curtain: Sadly, no romantic life to speak of around here, uh, whatsoever. But, that’s fine. Particularly given that my last serious break-up metastasized into Something Awful, and I spent basically all of 2007 with a virulent case of the broken-hearted blues, I’m actually feeling pretty happy about being single right now. Even as little as two months ago, I might’ve gotten defensive about it, and, to paraphrase our dear Senator from New York, grumbled that “false hope” is not a luxury I can afford to indulge in at the moment. But, these days, all the old wounds feel cauterized, and I’m actually just content to live as I am, I am Legend-style, with Berk, new movies, the most exciting election in a generation, and goodly amounts of dissertoral work taking up my plate. There are much worse ways to spend your days. Anyway, to the music:

If Kraftwerk’s “Computerlove” didn’t tip you off two years ago, there’s a certain kind of cheesy, toe-tapping, heart-on-your-sleeve love song to which I’m highly susceptible. Yep, I’ll admit it, occasionally I can be a huge softy. I saw Titanic five times…in the theater. I’ll go hit the dance floor when somebody plays Madonna. I thought “Cry Me a River” was an inordinately good pop song. And I’ll admit to digging such obviously embarrassing groaners as “Always,” “Truly Madly Deeply,” and “Your Body is a Wonderland.” (Hey, admit it: Sometimes, only sometimes, you must be as embarrassing as me.) Still, I figured, if you’re really going to commit to outing your cheesy streak this Valentine’s Day, you might as well go straight to the source. Sigh…so, here it is. All I’ll say is, God help me, I can’t not smile and shimmy a little when I hear this tune.

From its fragile opening to its shimmering close, “If You Wear that Velvet Dress” may just be U2’s sultriest song. (I mentioned this the other day, but I’d have loved to hear this one through the IMAX system during U2 3D.) As in Achtung Baby‘s jauntier “So Cruel” (today’s U2 runner-up), all is not right with Bono and his ladyfriend here — The end is obviously near, but neither party wants to talk about it. (“It’s ok, the struggle for things not to say. I never listened to you anyway.“) In fact, the two have fallen into a self-destructive pattern that’s only making things worse. (“We’ve been here before, last time you scratched at my door.“) But, when the moon is in the sky, and she’s wearing that velvet dress, the clock stops, and nothing else matters. (This isn’t the official video — I’m not sure if there even is one — but it gets the point across: Whatever else is going on, something about that certain someone under a certain light will always take your breath away.) [Update: The fan video is down now — it’s just the song below.]

I ran a Leonard Cohen ballad (“I’m Your Man”) last year, and Tom Waits is of the same gravelly, take-no-prisoners persuasion. But while the older Cohen sings with grim resignation, and often sounds like he’s got a handle on his heartbreak (even when he clearly doesn’t — see “In My Secret Life“) Waits is flailing about in the center of the maelstrom. You’ll either see it or you won’t, I guess, but I find this performance of “Make it Rain” from Letterman a few years ago almost frightening in its intensity. It’s like Waits crawled out from the black, primordial, whiskey-soaked depths of the male Id to bellow away his rage and hurt. (He can sometimes ruminate on the happy times too, of course, such as in this lovely waltz (and a close runner-up for this post), “All the World is Green.”) One wretched soul’s undiluted howl of pain, anchored and drowning in a bluesy murk, “Make it Rain” is a song to beware of in concentrated doses. (But, as Bob Dylan once said of another classic, play it f**king loud.)

Looking at the ledger of my 33 years thus far on Earth, I’d say I’ve been in love four times and had three all-consuming (unrequited) crushes, none of which I will delve into here. Nevertheless, for those seven women — and, even though none of you are in my life anymore, y’all know who you are — this one’s for you.

As a bonus track, I’m recycling this one from 2005, and why not? Even notwithstanding all the imagery from this jaw-droppingly beautiful Chris Cunningham video that I’ve pilfered for GitM over the years, it’s really the best Valentine’s Day message one can hope for. So, happy V-Day, y’all. Have a safe and happy one.