Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Love's Lyrics Lost.

I have an old audio tape that has a collection of Fred Astaire classics on one side and Fleetwood Mac’s album Rumours on the other. I played them both today while I was third-coating the corner cupboard, and the contrast was interesting.

I think it reasonable to assume that the best of popular romantic songs accurately reflect contemporary attitudes to the business of romantic love, so compare and contrast the confident and comfortable…

Oh, but you’re lovely
Never, never change
Keep that breathless charm
Won’t you please arrange it
’Cos I love you
Just the way you look tonight

…with the cynical, ascerbic…

Thunder only happens when it’s raining
Players only love you when they’re playing

They’re both typical of their time, and how times changed in a mere thirty years.

No comments: