My Book Of Love.

It's almost half twelve in the afternoon. So far I've been out for a walk with the dog, had my breakfast and I've been dressed as Peter Pan. 

On my walk I had 'The Book Of Love' by Peter Gabriel playing in my ears and I began thinking about love songs. I'm an old romantic deep down, I'm one of those people who will storm off if their favourite TV couple don't get together by the end of the series, my favourite part of any film is when they admit how much they love each other and kiss, I know the whole speech from 'When Harry Met Sally' and I have seen 'The Notebook' thousands upon thousands of times.

So, with that, here are a selection of some of my favourite love songs;

Bob Dylan - Make You Feel My Love

It's not often people realise that this song was not originally performed, nor written, by Adele, but by our favourite folk singer Bob Dylan. I realise that Dylan's voice is probably the worst it's ever sounded, the poor boy could never sing, but what differs this from Adele's version is that it's very believable. Adele has a soulful voice that is clearly shown in her cover but it feels as though she is just reading the words off of a sheet of paper and not bothering to connect with the meaning, but what Dylan does is make us believe everything that he promises in this song. Maybe because he's written it? Maybe because he's had the painful experience of unrequited love. Who knows?

Peter Gabriel - The Book Of Love

This is my all time favourite love song. It's not often that one looks into the future and sees hope, I often look into the future when I have worries or I'm over thinking situations but sometimes I can just lay down on a night and fall asleep as flashes of my future play along in my mind for me. Maybe it's stupid, but I don't care because this is one of the most beautiful songs to have ever been written and performed, it gives me shivers in every bone of my body and as soon as I hear those violins enter I can't help but raise a smile and feel hopeful.

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows

This is just one of those songs where you sit back and say "Yes, finally a song that tells the truth." I'm sick of hearing songs these days where singers are promising the world and promising to catch grenades, watching films where a man will do the impossible for his lady friend but finally it seems that the Beach Boys have just sat down and said "Look, I'm sick of hearing these songs that don't make any sense or don't ring true." It's just a basic song of how one feels, and how relationships go, which is basically shown in the line; 'if you should ever leave me, my life would still go on believe me, the world would show nothing to me, so what good would living do me?' I'm sick of hearing the same old sentiment of one person dying if the other left them, and that's not going to happen unless they suffer from Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, a rarity in the medical world. But the Beach Boys manage to say that they wouldn't die without their lover but there would be no point in being alive, makes perfect sense to me.

The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand

Not for one second do I believe that all Paul McCartney or John Lennon wanted to do with a girl is just hold her hand, but it's the sentiment of holding someone's hand, isn't it? Have you ever just looked at someone and thought "I'd give anything in the world to be the one who holds their hand"? because I know I have and I'm not ashamed to admit to such a thing. 

It's a subtle way of saying "Look, I want you in my bed right now" and that's what I love about it, love has always had this reputation of being young and naive, and this is what this song basically proves.

The Pretenders - I'll Stand By You

This is the side of love songs that deal with sticking beside someone no matter what happens. I don't really know what can be said about this Pretenders classic, all you have to do is listen to the lyrics to understand why it is one of my favourite of the love song genre.