Oh Valentine’ Day. There are so many songs about love; indeed it may be the one subject that has more songs written about it than any other. Unless you’re Talking Heads that is, in which case there’s only one song that gets sung to a lamp in a live setting, according to David Byrne. But anyway, we wanted to bring you five songs that fit Valentine’s Day by actually having the word “valentine” in the title, but you may find out that most of them aren’t very happy.
David Bowie – “Valentine’s Day”
It’s hard to believe that its been ten years since David Bowie passed away. His legacy obviously lives on beyond him as a mythic figure whose songwriting, presence, and influence is still felt to this day. His second to last album, “The Next Day” came out in 2013 after a protracted absence from the releasing of new material. It’s a banger of a record that goes through a range of emotional material. “Valentine’s Day” was released as a single from the record and features Bowie giving a compelling vocal performance amidst a quieter arrangement. It’s also not about something very happy. The Valentine’s Day he’s singing about is not the lovely holiday, it’s about someone dubbed “Valentine” who’s seemingly on his way to murdering his fellow students. The contrast between love and violence is held within Bowie’s voice for the entire length of the song, making for a gripping performance. Maybe not one to serenade your date with though.
Nils Lofgren – “Valentine”
Okay, here’s an actual song about love. Nils Lofgren made his name as a member of Bruce Springsteen‘s E-Street band, but he was a solo artist before that and continued to drop albums after joining with Bruce during the “Tunnel of Love” recordings. “Valentine” comes off of his 1991 record, “Silver Lining.” It’s a star-studded album that has Nils bringing in a bunch of musical friends from his time touring with Ringo’s All-Starr Band and Springsteen himself. Bruce provides the backing vocals over a haunting love song that’s completely genuine in how Nils is just singing about the woman he loves. The lyrics are a little trite but it’s his guitar work that truly sings and gives this piece a beautifully arresting tone.
The Twylight Zones – “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre”
We’re going to ride the Springsteen connection for a little bit longer here with a song written by his sideman, Steve Van Zandt. In 2012, creator of “The Sopranos,” David Chase released a movie called “Not Fade Away“ about a kid and his band, The Twylight Zones. The movie underperformed but the soundtrack went harder than it needed to since Chase drew on his connections with Little Steven to get him and the E-Street Band to perform on it. One of the original songs from the soundtrack is “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” and it’s an absolute masterpiece. It’s a mid-tempo rocker that chronicles the deterioration of a relationship across the end of year holidays leading into Valentine’s Day. Not a happy song but a lyrically brilliant one.
Delays – “Valentine”
Delays are a UK band who had success in their native land in the mid 2000s but never really broke big in other countries. It’s a bit of a shame really as their brand of indie rock with pop elements holds up incredibly well. Proof in point with 2006‘s “Valentine.” The track is basically one hook after another with a tight bass groove, mild electronica elements, and a propulsive chorus. The lyrics are a bit esoteric, but they were inspired by Hurricane Katrina, so not the happiest topic. While up for interpretation, they seem to depict someone separated from the one they live while possibly facing an impending death. Could be wrong though, maybe it’s all a metaphor and it’s actually quite happy. Either way, the song benefits from additional production work from legendary music producer, Trevor Horn.
Wilford Brimley – “My Funny Valentine”
Finally we return to the joy of love as sung by the late, great, Wilford Brimley. Yes, Mr. “Die-a-beetus” himself and star of the movie “Cocoon” put out a record. “I’m Old Fashioned” has Wilford belting out songs from the great American songbook. And you know what, he’s actually surprisingly good. Like, you can try to guess what he sounds like and even if you thought he would be a decent singer, he’s still better than what you were expecting. In the album he sings “My Funny Valentine.” This classic tune has him belting out some powerful notes over the top of a very strong piano accompaniment. Wilford could’ve made it as a crooner if those Liberty Medical commercials hadn’t worked out so well for him.
