IMAGI-BLOG
I do not think that song means what he thinks it means!
Submitted by imaginary dana on April 2, 2007.MySpace Music has taken to placing a Top 5 list on its music landing page. Today's entry comes from Tom Higgenson of the band Plain White T's. The list is amusing: My Top 5 Unrequited Love Songs.
(It's not actually the list that amuses me but the link below it that reads "Don't know what "unrequited" means? Click Here to Watch Tom explain his picks.").
As for his list, I don't like it!
- "Yesterday" by The Beatles
- "One" by U2
- "I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
- "Gone" by N'Sync
- "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper
Other than "I'm on Fire" (which I agree is one of the best songs of unrequited love and yearning, ever), I don't agree with these picks one bit. First off, let's start with the definition. Unrequited love is "not returned or reciprocated," which to me implies a love that was always one-sided, never returned -- versus a love that went away or turned sour. Right?
So that rules out "Yesterday" (as clearly only the day before, Paul was happy as a clam in love), and while I've never heard the N'Sync song (yes, I am really that much of an indie-geek), I'm guessing by the title that it's likewise about the girl who got away... being that she's "Gone." My powers of deductive reason astonish even me some days.
Next up, "One" by U2, song that I'm sure is about God and not a Girl (c'mon, it's U2). And anyhow, that song is played out and drives me completely insane. That leaves us with "Time After Time," a song I've grown to love even though I was never a huge fan of Lauper's shrieky little voice. I've always thought it was a super sweet love song about a couple that's having a hard time pacing their relationship, but one that will always be there for each other, despite their issues. "If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting! Time after time." Hell, I've known peeps who used this tune as their wedding song. Have we been wrong all these years.... or does that song not mean what Tom Higgenson seems to think it means??
Besides, everyone knows this is the best unrequited love song ever!
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imaginary dana said on April 2, 2007:
Hahaha -- I had the same thought! The only song on that list that was released in the last decade was N'Sync... and c'mon!
Also: Jonas, you have the coolest last name I've ever seen.
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El Jefe said on April 2, 2007:
I was getting a bit burned out on "One" as well. What really rekindled my love for it though was this version.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0qAuqq1LFnU
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imaginary dana said on April 2, 2007:
OH MY GOD. Whatever God I may or may not believe in, that video offends it. It's the worst thing I've seen/heard!
Here it is again, hyperlinked (so you can blaspheme too):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0qAuqq1LFnU
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imaginary liz said on April 3, 2007:
I started to make a list of a whole bunch of songs that are actually about unrequited love (and are actually really good)... and then I found this list. It is a lot more complete than the 'quick off the top of the head' list I had just jotted down.
It is so complete in fact, that I'm certain I had a crush on this guy once.
I guess another brain teaser could be coming up with my favorite Wedding Present song about unrequited love.
Here's Rob Conroy's 'Art of the Mix' mix:
1. The Black Heart Procession It's a Crime I Never Told You About the Diamonds in Your Eyes
2. Fudge - Superstar Junky
3. Husker Du - Books About UFOs
4. Guppyboy - Avalon Ballroom
5. The Mountain Goats - Hand Ball
6. Suede - To the Birds
7. The Raincoats - Fairytale in the Supermarket
8. The Flashing Lights - Half the Time
9. Of Montreal - Nicki Lighthouse
10. Plush - Soaring & Boring
11. Songs: Ohia - Coxcomb Red
12. The Donner Party - The Owl of Minerva
13. Billy Bragg - The Saturday Boy
14. Robyn Hitchcock - Flavour of Night
15. The Wedding Present - Shatner
16. The Style Council - Headstart for Happiness
17. Spacemen 3 - So Hot (Wash Away All of My Tears)
18. Joel R.L. Phelps/The Downer Trio - Rev. Robert Irving
19. Elliott Smith - St. Ides Heaven
20. Galaxie 500 - Song in 3
21. Blur - This is a Low
22. Aztec Camera - Down the Dip
23. Bright Eyes - Kathy with a K's song
24. Rickie Lee Jones - Smile
*Sigh*
Doesn't it make your eyes tear up just reading the list?
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Diana said on April 3, 2007:
i always thought "Yesterday" implied a general earlier time period.... but other than that i agree about these songs. sadly though, can we really expect any different from a Myspace top 5 list??
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kaley said on April 3, 2007:
Get yer unrequited bossa nova on!
"The Girl from Ipanema" has got to be one of the top songs of lustful, unattainable longing ever.
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Reviews
Jonas Wååg said on April 2, 2007:
Does Tom from the Plain White T's, as if that holds water anywhere on the planet Earth, belong to the VH1 Record Club or something? How does a young guy like that have such dated bad taste? Outside of "Time After Time," which I'll give a sentimental pass to, those selections are terrible! Do people under 50 actually listen to U2? I suspect this might be a guerilla-informercial to sell some back catalogs.