If you are fortunate to know me outside of the limitations of The WoW Report, you understand that I am not big fan of the holidays. I feel that the special days are imposed on me and aside from being guided by a director on stage or in front of a camera, I dislike being told what to do. Except, of course, when I am being ordered around in the throes of sexual heat, but even then, I am left feeling a bit resentful, if satisfied.
I do give a nod to most holidays: a pumpkin on the porch, a crèche on the mantle, the viewing of fireworks, but celebrating calendar obligations makes me grouchy.
Yet, I always have gone in for Valentine’s Day. Except for a few years in my early 20s (1970s), I have never been single, and I have almost always been in love, so it was rarely a painful day for me. Despite my cynicism, and a reputation for shunning the mushy stuff, I appreciate the regards of romanticism and all that goes with it.
I feel that romance can be bruising to the heart; love can make you irrational and queasy. But, I am always willing to celebrate romance in songs.
My 10 Favorite Romantic Recordings:
The Book Of Love – Peter Gabriel
God Only Knows – Brian Wilson and Tony Asher
I Can’t Help Falling In Love – Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss, as sung by Elvis Presley
Your Song– Elton John
More Than This – Bryan Ferry
The Way You Look Tonight – Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, as sung by Tony Bennett
A Case Of You – Joni Mitchell
This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) – David Byrne, as performed by Talking Heads
Fly Me To The Moon – Bart Howard, as sung by Frank Sinatra
My Funny Valentine – Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, as sung by Chet Baker
