Buzz
Love songs can be compared to Rorschach tests or, in a more poetic sense, drifting clouds. They reflect our personal desires, leaving ample space for misunderstanding. Just because a song features a beautiful tune and includes the word love doesn’t mean it portrays a healthy, fulfilling relationship. Often, these songs hide darker themes, revealing sadness, complexity, or outright chaos. Here are 11 "love" songs you might reconsider adding to your Valentine’s Day playlist.
1. "The One I Love" // R.E.M.
In R.E.M.’s breakthrough hit, Michael Stipe describes someone as "a simple prop to occupy my time," a clear sign the song is about manipulation rather than affection. Despite this, many fans still interpret the 1987 college-rock anthem as a heartfelt love song. “It's probably better that they think it's a love song at this point,” Stipe remarked to Q magazine in 1992. “That song emerged from somewhere deep, and I recognized it as being truly violent and harsh.”
2. "Every Breath You Take" // The Police
Sting, the lead singer of The Police, has described this 1983 hit as “a nasty little song.” He explains it revolves around themes of “jealousy, surveillance, and possessiveness,” and as the songwriter, he would know. However, many listeners overlook the ominous lyrics, captivated instead by the soothing guitar and mellow tune. Sting once recounted how a couple chose this song for their wedding, to which he replied, “Well, good luck.”
3. "Marry You" // Bruno Mars
In this 2010 chart-topper, Bruno Mars portrays marriage as a sacred bond fueled by alcohol. “Is it the look in your eyes / Or is it this dancing juice?” Mars questions in the chorus. Clearly, it’s the latter, as the couple is admittedly intoxicated on tequila and seeking “something dumb to do.” Mars even reassures, “If we wake up and you wanna break up, that's cool,” highlighting the song’s carefree, impulsive tone.
4. "Kiss On My List" // Hall & Oates
Many listeners believe the chorus of this 1980 Hall & Oates hit says, “Your kiss is on my lips,” which would be quite romantic. However, Daryl Hall actually sings list, implying the narrator undervalues his partner’s affection. “It’s an anti-love song,” Hall explained in the liner notes. “It means your kiss is just one of many good things, not the ultimate. People think it’s about undying love, but it’s the opposite.”
5. "Crash Into Me" // Dave Matthews Band
While the instrumental melody of this 1996 ballad is enchanting, the lyrics reveal a darker story. Dave Matthews describes a voyeuristic figure spying on a woman through her window. “He’s the kind of person you’d call the police on,” Matthews confessed during an episode of VH1’s Storytellers.
6. "Just What I Needed" // The Cars
Penned by Ric Ocasek and performed by Benjamin Orr, “Just What I Needed” portrays a toxic relationship. The narrator complains that his lover is “wasting” his time but admits he’s fine with it because she fulfills his needs. What are those needs? “I needed someone to feed,” Orr sings. “I needed someone to bleed.” Clearly, this character could benefit from professional help.
7. "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" // Heart
Heart’s “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You,” one of the most bizarre Top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, was penned by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, the legendary producer behind Def Leppard, AC/DC, and Shania Twain. This seemingly romantic power ballad tells the story of a woman who picks up a stranger, takes him to a motel, and conceives a child without his knowledge. She leaves him a note to stay away, and years later, after having his child, she dismisses him when they meet again. Heart’s Ann Wilson has called the song “an empty, strange, and somewhat hateful tale,” leading her to change the lyrics during live performances.
8. "Can’t Feel My Face" // The Weeknd
If this 2015 hit is about a real woman, she’s someone you’d want to avoid. “And I know she’ll be the death of me,” The Weeknd sings in the opening verse. “At least we’ll both be numb.” The “she” is widely interpreted as cocaine. The Weeknd hints at this meaning (and expresses surprise at the song’s mainstream success) in his 2016 track “Reminder”: “I just won a new award for a kids show / Talkin’ ’bout a face numbin’ off a bag of blow.”
9. “I Will Always Love You" // Dolly Parton
“I Will Always Love You,” written and first performed by Dolly Parton, is a deeply emotional ballad. It conveys the pain of letting go of a relationship for the other person’s sake, even though it hurts. Interestingly, Parton didn’t write it about a romantic partner but about her decision to part ways with her longtime collaborator Porter Wagoner to focus on her solo career. Whether sung by Dolly, Whitney Houston, or others, the title line carries a profound sense of loss.
10. "One" // U2
“One” explores multiple themes, none of which involve conventional romantic love. Bono has revealed that the 1992 U2 hit was partly inspired by a young man coming out to his devoutly religious father. Beyond that, it delves into the struggles of reconciling differences and coexisting. This applies to romantic partners as much as to bandmates. “It’s anti-romantic,” Bono explains in U2 by U2. “'We are one but not the same. We get to carry each other.' It’s a reminder that we have no choice.”
11. "One Way Or Another" // Blondie
In relationships, there’s a fine line between persistence and obsession. The man who inspired Debbie Harry to write “One Way Or Another” crossed that line. “I was actually stalked,” Harry revealed to Entertainment Weekly. “So the song came from a dark personal experience. I tried to add some humor to make it lighter, but it was really a way to cope.”
