Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love for many and a reminder of loneliness for others. In the spirit of love and loneliness, I have organized — in no particular order — some of the best indie love songs over the last 10 or so years or so. Each of these songs are draped in melancholy while also delivering a powerful and heartfelt message of love. Throughout my life, I have used these same tracks to wallow in sadness, whereas now they supplement my feelings to the one I love.
So, whether you are feeling down and out or deeply in love, this playlist will help you make it through the day.
1. Radiohead – “Lucky”
A song I often listened to when lost and lonely. I now clearly see the very powerful and forward-looking message Thom Yorke passionately delivers.
2. Augustana – “Coffee and Cigarettes”
Escape and love: the clear message behind this song. Escape from ourselves for some, escape with love for others. Beautiful.
3. Nada Surf – “Weightless”
Not necessarily a love song but the meaning comes across as such whilst one is/becoming twitter-pated. Listen to the lyrics clearly, and you’ll see it’s rather sad.
4. Neutral Milk Hotel – “Three Peaches”
This song makes me cry. It is beautiful — draped with love and melancholy. This song gives you a deep sense of being alone but with great desire for love.
5. Weezer – “Only In Dreams”
A very Weezer take on a love song (they are Weezer, after all.) This is my favorite of their many love/love lost compositions.
6. Wilco – “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”
To be honest with myself, I can’t find a hint of sadness in this track. The lyrics are sung with great meaning and backed by an upbeat and powerful set. I often find myself singing this song at the top of my lungs to my girlfriend (in the safety of the car, at least — cheesy!)
7. The Flaming Lips – “Do You Realize?”
The entirety of this song is a question. “Do you realize…?” It asks us to view ourselves at face value — to view our love as something that will fade or die. It begs for us to enjoy our love or our life without love. “It’s hard to make the good things last…”
8. The Postal Service – “Such Great Heights”
A song about a distanced love, maybe a love that is unrecognized or de-prioritized. This song gives hope — or is it false hope?
9. Iron and Wine – “Naked As We Came”
Sam Beam’s delivery of this song mixes our emotions with thoughts love and death. We become one again with the earth while retaining great love.
10. The Decemberists – “Of Angels and Angles”
A beautiful song about falling in love. Pretty straightforward.
11. Elliott Smith – “Everything Reminds Me of Her”
This song is terribly sad and beautiful. Elliott’s words draw forward strong connection to who one loves — a connection that may be lost or is lost.
12. Tegan and Sara – “Take Me Anywhere”
A song of hope — or loss — for love. It begs for the opportunity to fall in love — begs for attention: “I’m full of love and longing… Take me by the hand…”
13. Muse – “Falling Away With You”
Again a song rife with love and love lost. Hope and destruction of hope. The beginning of a new life of love — the crumbling of the same love.
14. The Weepies – “World Spins Madly On”
The Weepies created a piece that encompasses the feeling of loss of control in life. Whether that loss of control is caused by a new love or a lack of motivation towards life itself. Another beautiful song with a wide variety of possible messages.
15. Rocky Votolato – “Streetlights”
Beautiful words by Rocky Votolato… Begging for a new chance or a new beginning — hoping for renewal or creation of a missing part of life.
16. Bon Iver – “Skinny Love”
Ending on a sad note… as love often does. A song of love that did not survive despite great effort — overcome by lack of effort to retain something great.
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