Sad Love Songs

So, it's Valentine's Day and I've realized that I'm kind of neutral on the whole "got to have someone on Valentine's Day" thing. It's really no different than any other day in my book. I'd love to have someone to spend time with, but on the other hand I really don't mind lying on the couch by myself watching TV in the evening either. My "loneliness" comes at much more random times. Valentine's Day doesn't remind me that I'm lonely. A lot of other factors need to come into play to make me feel lonely. However, I am aware that a lot of people are reminded of that dream person that they don't have on Valentine's Day and look at this day with disdain.

Misery loves company. There's nothing like wallowing in sorrow with someone there to understand how you feel. Therefore, for all you people out there who do let Valentine's Day get to you (and this is not a bad thing), I've compiled a list of cool songs to help you deal with the pain, complete with a painful lyric or two.

I love a pretty female voice, and a pretty lyric. So, gather up your change on your dresser, hit iTunes up and maybe you'll find something new and different. Let me know what you think…

Stars

Stars are one of the most romantic bands out there. They write visceral lyrics about every day life and cynical views of love. Often they have a guy singing with a girl and a drama plays itself out as a discussion or an entire relationship inside a neat little 3 minute song. Give these ones a shot:

"Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" from the album Set Yourself On Fire

This is the ultimate breakup song. It's empowering. The lyrics portray two people who have recently been in a relationship, randomly run into one another, and then realize that they are completely over the relationship.

Girl: "The scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin…you tried to reach deep but you couldn't get in…now you're outside and you see all the beauty…repent all your sin."

Guy/Girl Together: "Live through this, and you won't look back….there's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave…you were what I wanted, I gave what I gave…I'm not sorry I met you, I'm not sorry It's over, I'm not sorry there's nothing to say…"

"Elevator Love Letter" from the album Heart

This is for any girl who feels like all she does is work, and has no time for love, or happiness. She finally meets a guy, and he turns out, of course, to be a jerk. The beautiful thing about music, unlike movies, is that we don't need a happy ending.

Girl: "My office glows all night long…it's a nuclear show and the stars are gone…elevator, elevator, take me home."

Guy: "I'll take her home after midnight, and if she likes I'll tell her lies of how we'll be in love by the morning…I don't think she'll know that I'm saying goodbye…"

Girl: "Don't go, say you'll stay, spend a lazy Sunday in my arms…I won't take anything away…"

"Heart" from the album Heart

Another depressing one. The guy is holding on, the girl is staying out of pity. Finally, she leaves.

Girl: "Alright, I can say what you want me to…Alright, I can do all the things you do…Alright, I'll make it all up for you - I'm still in love with you."

Guy: "You get back on the latest flight to paradise…I found out from a note taped to the door…I think I saw your airplane in the sky tonight…Through my window lying on the kitchen floor."

Rainer Maria

Rainer Maria creates powerful songs about love – either good or bad. Their lead singer sings from deep within and gets a lot behind her voice. Some good songs of suffering are:

"Already Lost" from the album Catastrophe Keeps Us Together

This is pretty much a bad breakup.

"Lay down all those instruments of navigation…cause we're already lost…maybe we can come apart at the seams…I waited up all night…and my thoughts are all of desolation…but the best part of waiting up all night was in the morning when I didn't feel a thing."

"Burn" from the album Catastrophe Keeps Us Together

This one's about a mistake I make often—letting the right person go or rejecting them, and then realizing that they are no longer there when you're finally ready…

"Love's some kind of sorcery…An inquisition's questioning…You said that you believed in me, and to take you on sometime…You said that you believed in me, and would burn for your beliefs I watched you burn…burn for me… Maybe I couldn't see…That you would burn for me…You were strong and clever…and I didn't know any better."

Asobi Seksu

Asobi Seksu's poppy songs are rife with tones that sound sweet and sugary.

"Thursday" from the album Citrus

Here's a tune about a broken down relationship, the guy let it go, and the girl laments it.

"On gentle ground I waited for you…In drops of dew…I wished that were you…With heavy hands…I reached out for you…My skin soaking wet…My eyes searched for you…Now that we've lost our way, The rest can all fall apart…All I see here is you…All it does is remind me."

Mazzy Star

Mazzy Star's dreamy style is a testament to all things melancholy. Lead singer Hope Sandoval's voice is a gift, full of strength but incredibly vulnerable at the same time.

"Flowers In December" from the album Among My Swan

In this ballad, Hope Sandoval laments yet another relationship where the guy lacked follow through.

"They say every man goes blind in his heart…They say everybody steals somebody's heart away, And I've been wondering why you let me down"

Magnetic Fields

Magenitic Fields approach their love songs with the same stark honesty as Stars. The one I've picked out for this list is for all you girls out there in a long distance relationship.

"Come Back From San Fransisco" from the album 69 Love Songs

This song is a girl calling for her boyfriend to come back from across the country. I'm really happy that other people stay up late thinking…

"Come back from San Francisco…It can't be all that pretty…When all of New York City misses you…Will you stay, I don't think so…But all I do is worry…Pack bags, call cabs and hurry home to me …When you betray me…Betray me with a kiss…Damn you - I've never stayed up as late as this..."

Definitely download these songs and feel miserable along with the bands. But fret not. This year I decided to ask a cute friend out to dinner. Last month I told her: you have one month to get a date for Valentine's Day, or you're going to end up going with me. Needless to say she scrambled around, I'm sure. But, in the end, she never dug anyone up. So, we will have dinner tonight. Try to look at Valentine's Day as a day to celebrate friendship with a cute friend instead of having to be in some sort of heavy relationship. Most of the time, the friends are the ones that turn into the great relationships anyway.