Love Songs for Everyday Folks

It occurred to me recently, during a stint of having the radio on for a few days while trying to bang out some client documents, that many to most romantic love songs seem to be written about (arguably, also by) people or relationships that are in some way seen as special. Exceptional. Overpowering. Love that moves mountains and launches ships; love for which people are prepared to dieeeeeeee (often exactly like that). There's a reason that the more interesting love songs tend to be about love forsaken, betrayed or abandoned - pain draws out more complexity than the towering loves of special, beautiful, exceptional people.

It made me think: where's the music about everyday love?

You know, the kind that's about standing together doing the dishes and watching TV, raising children and juggling bills, and just now and then, catching sight of the familiar in the Other as you pass by. Love that's not glamorous or fancy, and in which mountaintop experiences are few and far between. Love that's a neck massage when you have a migraine, or a cup of tea when you're writing furiously.

Love that isn't between two (or three or however many) sexy-beautiful people, but just between regular joes, or people that aren't "supposed" to be lovable in the heroic model. Love that doesn't occupy your every waking moment and doesn't solve all life's problems and doesn't set you on fire all the time or define who you are as person. Love that does not swamp you or make you willing to either kill or die in its service. Love that leaves room to be who you are; that allows for the possibility of its own fading; that is part of life, not life itself.

This is the kind of love that sits, quiet and ever-present, beneath all your actions, all your successes, all your decisions. Love that's not so much about the magic and beaaaaauuuuty of the niiiiiight, that doesn't invade dreams or ward off sleep, but that's more about the pale light of the dawn sky and what you have to get up and do in the world.

I thought about it, and I could only easily think of four songs that really talk about ordinary love between everyday folks.

First, there's this, which is my Best and Favourite:



(Yeah, we're OK. We're fine.)

Then there's this:



(No superhero. No fairytale bliss).

Everyday love forsaken, but still quietly present:



(The door will always be open for you).

This one is borderline - it's a bit schmaltzy - but it's about a craptastic ordinary day and the most romantic action in it is her partner handing her a towel, so it's in.



Can you think of any more?

EDITED TO ADD THESE GEMS PROVIDED BY READERS:

Also check this:



And the quintessential Australian song about ordinary people in love:



(He took it pretty badly, she took both the kids ... but here he is, headed To Her Door.)

AND ... for the sake of balance, here are two absolutely overblown love-is-all songs that I totally adore anyway :-)



(I love you like the stars above, I'm gonna love you til I die...)



(My love is like a storybook story...)