I got to thinking the other day about the songs that mean the most to me. A good majority of them are songs about relationships and I noticed that artists write primarily about two phases of a relationship: the infatuation of a new romance and the struggles of a dying love. I then challenged myself to arrange a group of songs so that they documented the entire span of a fake relationship. There was a lot of temptation to put jokes in the form of songs into this mix (think "No 'I' in Threesome" by Interpol) but I abstained. If you would like to hear all the songs that almost made it, I have collected them into an album of B-Sides that I will happily make a copy of. The following songs have all at one time or another been very true to me and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Track 1 - "If Only She'd Leave Town" by The Pale Pacific
I thought it would be fun to start this mix off with a song about a guy precogitating an entire relationship from very little contact with a girl. The last line is really classic as well: "I don't know where we went wrong but I'm sure you can see this could all be smoothed out if only she'd leave town."
Track 2 - "Flaskaboozendancingshoes" by The Limousines
This song is a little more sinister, but along the same vein. The singer is suggesting that since so many things could go wrong that the two of them should just have an anonymous one-night-stand (he phrases it in the most eloquent way possible, but that is what I derive from the song). I would so much rather get to know someone than write them off because I was worried about what I might learn...
Track 3 - "Desperate Guys" by The Faint
The most important part of the beginning of a relationship is playing it cool. Nobody wants an uneven relationship.
Track 4 - "We Could Be Friends" by Freelance Whales
As you get to know her you will find little similarities that endear her to you.
Track 5 - "The First Five Times" by Stars
This lovely song is about the first five times a couple of friends enjoy the benefits of said friendship only to realize they have feelings for each other.
Track 6 - "Mass Pike" by The Get Up Kids
Pretty self explanatory song.
Track 7 - "Snails" by The Format
Not a lot of guys see the subject of this song as a problem but I have had to intervene on several occasions to prevent a relationship from moving too fast. What can I say, I'm a romantic. I also really like this song because Nate Ruess clearly isn't saying that he wants to break up with this girl. He likes her, he just wants to take it slower.
Track 8 - "Even Fairy Tale Characters Would Be Jealous" by PlayRadioPlay!
PlayRadioPlay! is the moniker by which Daniel Hunter, a high school kid from Texas, released his self produced electronic experimentation.
Track 9 - "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes
When my friend Cody got married it was a very unconventional wedding consisting of only his closest friends and family. During the ceremony his brother Ben performed this song on an acoustic guitar. It was one of the sweetest things I have ever witnessed.
Track 10 - "Kiss With a Fist" by Florence and the Machine
I do not condone domestic abuse so it's a good thing this song is meant to be taken metaphorically. Some relationships tear down both parties with the destructive nature of each of them.
Track 11 - "Sway" by The Kooks
The Kooks are absolutely breathtaking. I am constantly amazed by how good their body of work is. Anyways, this song is about seeing a love slipping away from you and realizing how much you need it.
Track 12 - "Lost Cause" by Beck
Sea Change is Beck's opus. He wrote the songs while he was going through the worst breakup of his life and it created an astonishing album. This is my favorite track from the album. For a long time I thought he was chanting "Baby I'm a lost cause," but later realized that he is saying "Baby you're a lost cause," which gives a whole different tone to the song and makes me like it more.
Track 13 - "Odds" by Mute Math
Eventually one or both of the people involved in the amour come to the understanding outlined in this song: that they will be better off apart.
Track 14 - "Nineteen" by Tegan and Sara
Just because you can defend your decision with sound logic doesn't mean it isn't hard. Especially if you haven't been through the process before (though experience doesn't ease the pain much).
Track 15 - "All the Pretty Girls" by fun.
Everyone's felt this at one time or another. Nobody can replace your heartache no matter how beautiful the girl is. "What's a boy to do when all the pretty girls can't measure to you?" (also I really love this song because it reminds me of Electric Light Orchestra)
Track 16 - "Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria
At some point during the parting of ways it is normal to feel a sense of betrayal and sometimes even anger towards your ex-paramour. Probably not to the extremes that Coheed and Cambria does, but this song is amazing and quite cathartic.
Track 17 - "Airplanes" by Local Natives
The loneliness gets to you and eventually you plead for your ex to come back.
Track 18 - "A Lack of Color" by Death Cab For Cutie
Even if your pleads are as poetically worded as Ben Gibbard she sometimes won't come back. "All the girls in every girly magazine can't make me feel any less alone"
Track 19 - "Landed" by Ben Folds
This is the point at which you see how much better things are without her. Especially if, as this song demonstrates, she was a raging bitch.
Track 20 - "What a Catch, Donnie" by Fall Out Boy
This whole process can really damage your ego but you have to pick yourself up and carry on.
Track 21 - "Next Girl" by The Black Keys
Next time you won't make the same mistakes. You will choose someone very different from the last one. You've come away from all of this with some scars but a lot of wisdom as well.
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