Ok, so you're alone on Valentine's Day. I feel you. Luckily, you're not the only one. Several of your fellow lovesickies are also musicians, and they've created some songs that sum up how you feel. Here's a list of some of my current favorites, that will hopefully keep your lonely heart warm on this miserable, miserable day. You're going to have to purchase or illegally download them on your own-- but you'll have plenty of time, being as you have no date tonight:
Pangea - by Somebody Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Yes, the band name is ridiculous. But the song manages to be both lighthearted and mournful at the same time. "Pangea.... we used to be together, why'd we have to drift apart..." Brilliant.
Fade Away - by Sickabod Sane
An emotionally honest, lo-fi rap/r&b number, one of this underground rapper's early hits. "I never meant to make you fade away, I never meant to fade away."
Never Meant - by American Football
Discovered this band recently. Some great shimmering guitar, with the line "Let's just forget, everything we said, everything we did," emerging from the background.
Drunk Kid Catholic - by Bright Eyes
While I could list a dozen Conor Oberst-penned heartbreak songs here ("Take It Easy (Love Nothing)," "Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh," "Lover I Don't Have To Love"), I'll go with Drunk Kid Catholic for the line, "And every night I think I certaintly won't ever sleep sober or alone, And then suddenly it occurs to me, I've slept alone before you."
Somebody That I Used To Know - by Elliot Smith
When Smith died (of either suicide or murder), the world lost one of its best singer/songwriters. "I know you don't think you did me wrong, And I can't stay this mad for long, Keeping ahold of what you just let go - You're just somebody that I used to know."
Kim - by Eminem
The fact that Kim got back together (briefly) with Eminem after he made this song amazes me. It is without a doubt the most violent heartbreak anthem ever recorded. You've been warned.
So Long - by Guster
A longtime favorite of mine. Simple, quiet brush off to an ex. "And on to the next one..."
Maple Leaves- by Jens Lekman
I discovered Jens late one night on iTunes. "Maple Leaves" sold me on his musical genius. I may be misinterpreting this song as a breakup song, but then again, this is a song about misunderstandings. The song's narrator sings, "She said it was all make believe, but I thought you said maple leaves." Maybe I just included this because I like it so much.
Too Little, Too Late - by JoJo
Don't make fun of me. This is a great breakup song. As is her other hit, "Get Out."
Birthday Card - by Joseph Arthur
Joe is another one of those artists with an arsenal of heartbroken songs (Tattoo, Bottle of You, Black Lexus). Birthday Card just happens to be my favorite.
The Wounded Spider - by Lullaby for the Working Class
Another band I found on iTunes. Ancestors of Bright Eyes' Omaha rock movement, their album "Blanket Warm" includes this gem of a song, a mellow acoustic number that breaks out in the final stanza: "I'm sorry that I stand up straight, Sorry that you can not say what you mean, Take back all that you said, Lift up your shirt and compare your wounds with mine."
I Think I Need A New Heart - by The Magnetic Fields
A jumpy, upbeat number about... you guessed it, heartbreak. So catchy you almost forget that a broken heart is a bad thing.
Heart-Shaped Box - by Nirvana
Ok, so you're feeling sentimental, lonely, crying out "Oh why can't I have a girlfriend/boyfriend??!!" Then you turn on this classic love/self-hate song, think about Kurt and Courtney's tragic romance, and think to yourself, "Damn, Thank God I'm not in a relationship."
Natalie Portman - by Ozma
The Weezer-wannabe band Ozma penned this celebrity-crush song, and gave voice to the thousands of guys out there who feel there's no way they can ever be good enough for the one they love.
Your Dictionary - by XTC
An older song, but its the most perfect just-broken-up-with song, which is why I'm putting it here. "F, U, C, K... is that how you spell love in your dictionary?" Awesome.
Song For The Dumped - by Ben Folds Five
Ok, this isn't new either. But it captures the bitterness of a breakup so well. It's on my list of the top five break-up songs of all time. "Give me my money back you b%$*h!"
The whole playlist (except for the two not on iTunes) is available from the Apple Music Store: Songs For The Brokenhearted
Do you have a favorite break-up or heartbreak song? Let me know! Leave a comment below!
