To counterbalance next week's saccharine-fest, and in honour of a friend who's just done this, here, in no particular order, are ten songs that help mend broken hearts through the healing powers of great music. Pick the one that best applies to you, or better still, suggest your own.
- To The End - Blur. Nicely relates a relationship that has run its course in a reflective, matter-of-fact kind of way ("Been drinking far too much, and neither of us means what we say"), to a soothing, cascading tune. Nice bit of French, too.
- Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley. The definitve heartbreak song. Would make the Welsh Rugby squad's back row weep like little girls. Coldplay have made a career out of trying to live up to this.
- Nobody's Fault But My Own - Beck. We're in self-flagellating territory now. A great done-you-wrong, I'm-a-twat lyric set to a mesmerising drone.
- I Know It's Over - The Smiths. And while we're wallowing, this song from the kings of miserablism starts with the line "Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head", and goes downhill from there.
- Song For The Dumped - Ben Folds Five. None-more-bitter tune from the piano-punk trio. How bitter? The chorus goes "Fuck you too, give me my money back you bitch." Yes, quite bitter.
- 99 Problems - Jay Z. For "alone-and-fine-about-it" anthems, girls get "Single" by Natasha Bedingfield, blokes get this bit of theraputic mysogyny. Blokes win.
- No More Talk - Dubstar. This great little electro-pop band do sweet songs about stalking and pensioner violence, and here they tackle "the serious chat" with typical sensitivity and wit.
- Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning. No-one does ballads like Frank, but obviously he isn't the poor sap losing sleep waiting for his girl to call - you are.
- I Will Survive - Cake. Brilliantly replaces the original's defiant exuberance with a world-weary, caustic sneer, and then adds some swearing.
- Golden Slumbers - The Beatles. Just for the amazing air of finality - the last track on the last Beatles album - and for the last line "And in the end, the love you make is equal to the love you take." That's that then.
3 comments:
They may not be (ok they definitely are not) the coolest band in the world, but in my view you'd have to go a long way to outdo the lyrics of Ordinary World by Duran Duran.
Good choice there with Dubstar, a much forgotten band who at their best rivalled Portishead.
There is an argument that Duran Duran are on the verge of cool, now that sufficient time has passed. Actually on reflection that's a complete lie. Oh and by the way I forgot Yes by McAlmont and Butler - very much the indie I Will Survive.
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