What EVER happened to Love Songs? (Part I)

Originally posted on MYSPACE (February 27, 2008)

Hey Everybody,

Okay, so I've been thinking about the sad state of music lately... primarily the demise of love songs.

Some of you youngin's might be thinking, "What are you talking about Miss Yvette? (don't you love how younger people put a Miss in front of a woman's name? tee hee... but I digress) There's lots of love songs!" And I would say, "No, young grasshopper, sadly, what you guys consider love songs are just lust songs or worse, sex songs."

FYI: Songs where the singer asks when he can "get it" or ones detailing what he'd like to do once he does have nothing to do with love. I hate to sound like I'm 500 years old, but this generation is missing it. You've totally missed out on what those of us who came of age in the 80's know... love songs are the bomb.

To school you, youngsters... and to remind you twenty and thirty-somethings who may have forgotten... I'm going to be digging up lyrics from some of the songs my mama used to play when I was a kid. This is the good stuff I grew up listening to. That's right, young whipper-snappers, I'm talking about REAL music!

This will be a multi-part series of blogs... so pace yourself. I present Part I of: What EVER happened to LOVE SONGS?!This installment features:

THE O'JAYS

(That's right, Gerald LeVert's daddy and 'em) and their CLASSIC... "Darlin', Darlin', Baby..."

You're my darlin', darlin' baby
You're my darlin', darlin' love
You're my darlin', darlin' baby
I said you're everything I ever hoped for in a woman
And as long as I may live

Ooh, you're my darlin', darlin' baby
You're my sweet and tender love
You're a very special lady
I said you're the one that I always dreamed of in a woman

I'll give all that I can give

I'll give you plenty love
Because you deserve the best
You should have everything a queen sittin' on a throne should have
You deserve to have it all
And I'm gonna do my best to give it to you, to give it to you, to give it to you

Ooh, you're my darlin', darlin' baby
You're my sweet and tender love
You're a very special lady
I said you're everything I ever hoped for in a woman
And as long as we may live

I'll give you plenty love
Because you deserve the best
'Cause you're better than the rest
You're my queen on a throne, the one that I want to own
And all the things that you desire
I'll do my best to give it to you, to give it to you, to give it to you

Ooh, you're my darlin', darlin' baby
You're my sweet and tender love
You're a very special lady

*****
Okay, so that, "one that I wanna own" part is a little outdated, but everything else is on point! And not because he's talking about all the things he wants to give her. This isn't about "Gold-digger" love.

The beauty of this song is that this man loves this woman SO much that he dreams of giving her everything she desires (it doesn't matter if he actually can or even if she's the kind of woman who'd want him to give her things... not all women are like that, by the way.) It's the thought that, "Ooh, if I could, I'd give you the world, baby! That's how much I love you!"

It's like in "It's A Wonderful Life" George Bailey tells Mary that if she wanted it, he'd lasso the moon for her. Mary didn't want the moon. Mary wanted George. But it had to be nice for her to know that George wanted to give her the moon. Ya gotta love that! That's love!

In the song, the point is that he loves her so much that he wants her to have the best. He says that,"she should have everything a queen sitting on a throne should have!"

Say what, now?

He's saying she's a Queen!

And again, I say, it's not about things. Who cares about things. It's not about treasure. It's about being treasured! He treasures HER! That's what I'm talking about. That's love!

Okay, that's it for part one. Chime in with your thoughts about it all, would ya? And share some "vintage" love songs that you love as well!

God Bless,

Yvette Nicole :)