Sunday, June 11, 2006
*Love in its essence is spiritual fire. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca*
Leave it to a classical source to get it RIGHT - and FIRST!
In modern times, a plethora of oftentimes extremely odd songs have tried to pin down what "love is" - redefine that most endearing and humanizing emotion that homo sapiens can apparently feel (though, at times throughout history, it seems not to have been part of the equation at all... most probably overriden as it was by pride, greed, vanity, envy and a dozen more heinous dominant traits humankind also has regulating its actions... but that is another story, aye...)
Let's see now just how many songs a quick web search on "Love Is" lyrics can unearth... Call this a "Love Age Edition Of Statistics Sunday" - even though the current age we live in is far from being that of Love
Thus, "love is"... a battlefield. So complicated. A marathon. A Beautiful Thing.
Kristian Leontiou (who?) proclaimed "Love Is All I Need" - Amanda Perez was more realistic about it and simply stated that "Love Is Pain". (Either way, Aaron Lines had a point when he said that "Love Changes Everything"...)
Others still tried to define it: "Love Is Real" - it is Ashley Ballard's deep conviction! And mine too - after all, Christ proved it.
Other song titles: Love Is A Matter Of Distance! Love Is A Rose (?!?) - must be why it has thorns. Love Is - pure and simple, as far as Stevie Nicks was concerned! Agreed! :)
"Love Is Looking For You", sang Miranda Lambert once... With such stunning predictions and a name like that, she must be affiliated with the Psychic Network now - just like La Toya Jackson!
More predictions, anyone? "Love Is Gonna Get You", says Macy Gray!
Others take it more in stride, it appears; "Love's A Game" (blame Marques Houston for that one - not me!)
Love Is also... What you want it to be!
Evidently, since "Trick Pony" released songs such as "Love Is A Ball" (and the logical follow-up, "Love Be Still")
More seriously, Paula Abdul -surprise, surprise- is of the opinion that "Love Don't Come Easy" - so much for the "love at first sight on the A.I. stage" theory, eh? That must have been a cover of the Moody Blues song of the same name though, so...
The Raveonettes were most probably trying to "get a reaction" when they pretended that "Love Can Destroy Everything" (it only really did ONCE in recorded history - Paris' love for Helen certainly put the kibosh on Troy! Aside from that... JESUS' Love for us led Him to the Cross, but that was how it was meant to be... For our salvation, to us all!)
Along the same lines at the raucous Raveonettes' take on it, Whitney Houston herself -further surprise, surprise- contended that "Love Is A Contact Sport" (I guess that sheds some light indeed on the going-ons in her tumultuous union to one Bobby Brown...! But that's another story - again!)
Chantal Kreviazuk must have a better thing going with her own SINGING MAN, as she proclaims high and mighty that "Love Is All".
Sarah Connor -not the Terminator's target- clearly has a multi-ethnic agenda with her release titled "Love Is Color-Blind"... (As a kid, my favorite cake was always marbled - you'd get a two-for-one treat that way; vanilla AND chocolate! I remember that my very first display of sardonic wit was to wonder out loud: "are the babies of a couple made up of a black man and white woman going to turn out... marbled too?" *lol* Yeah, I know... that's another story!)
Sticking to color, Paisley was indeed a curvy colored lady briefly seen on WCW - BRAD PAISLEY on the other hand, sang the hopeful song "Love Is Never-Ending". The link between the two Paisleys? Hmm... maybe none - however WCW proved not to last forever at all, so... YOU draw your own conclusions about that "luminous parallel"!
Tina Arena seems to have incongruous thoughts on the much-favored subject as she sings that "Love Is The Answer" - but then goes on to sing that "Love's Funny That Way"?!?
Always impartial I am - hence, I will also quote from the drastically opposite point of view; and that is... The Darkness! This collective's take on "love" is that it is "only a feeling" first and foremost (what a subtle way to dismiss it, eh?) and then they want it served "On The Rocks With No Ice" (and shaken, not stirred I'm sure... If stirred, it must be anti-clockwise... right? Sheesh...)
Then there are the almost perplexing paradoxes: Ryan Adams singing "Love Is Hell" - when he has tons of groupies wanting to bear his child, I'm sure... And Sheryl Crow singing "Love Is A Good Thing" when her wedding plans got dashed very nearly at the altar! That'll teach her to be too finnicky and too picky, eh?
The Indigo Girls claim that "Love Is Recovery" - from what?
A little-known musical outfit called "Human Nature" must have inspired themselves from Lucius some for their song "Love Is Fire" - but that seems to be hell again, so... close but no cigar! (And I don't smoke either - so no matches required at all here!)
Most probably in sync with an elite avant-garde or just ahead of their times, the Moody Blues had it absolutely right when they sang that "Love Is On The Run"... It is especially true nowadays - I mean, to quote another popular expression here, "where's the love" - eh?
"Love Don't Come Easy" is their best song on the subject though - if for no other reason other than that the melody is unforgettable! The lyrics are touching too.
Enough lyrics analysis though; after all, the quick search numbered the tracks found with the word "love" in them as totaling over 20,000! YOU browse through THAT! Me, I'm through!
There is much more than lyrics out there trying to analyze what "love is" anyway - poetry does a bang up job of that too! Such as this classic bit of poetry right here that sums it all up succinctly...
Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
It does not boast,
It is not proud.
It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.
The great works of fiction all have LOVE as the main gauge line - at the movies, one has but to explore that aspect more to turn any tragic tale put to film into an epic with grandiose scope (e.g. James Cameron's Titanic). After all, Love is the experience of Life - from birth until death, we all experience it platonically or carnally; Love is everywhere! The problem is - so is Hate.
However, having said all that... No, really, the one modern take on love that comes closest to Lucius' great definition of it, as far as I am concerned, is actually a personal favorite of mine - and you'll immediately see why...
Vertical Horizon's "Love Is Light" :)
Look for it wherever quality CDs are sold! *lol*
Link
In modern times, a plethora of oftentimes extremely odd songs have tried to pin down what "love is" - redefine that most endearing and humanizing emotion that homo sapiens can apparently feel (though, at times throughout history, it seems not to have been part of the equation at all... most probably overriden as it was by pride, greed, vanity, envy and a dozen more heinous dominant traits humankind also has regulating its actions... but that is another story, aye...)
Let's see now just how many songs a quick web search on "Love Is" lyrics can unearth... Call this a "Love Age Edition Of Statistics Sunday" - even though the current age we live in is far from being that of Love
Thus, "love is"... a battlefield. So complicated. A marathon. A Beautiful Thing.
Kristian Leontiou (who?) proclaimed "Love Is All I Need" - Amanda Perez was more realistic about it and simply stated that "Love Is Pain". (Either way, Aaron Lines had a point when he said that "Love Changes Everything"...)
Others still tried to define it: "Love Is Real" - it is Ashley Ballard's deep conviction! And mine too - after all, Christ proved it.
Other song titles: Love Is A Matter Of Distance! Love Is A Rose (?!?) - must be why it has thorns. Love Is - pure and simple, as far as Stevie Nicks was concerned! Agreed! :)
"Love Is Looking For You", sang Miranda Lambert once... With such stunning predictions and a name like that, she must be affiliated with the Psychic Network now - just like La Toya Jackson!
More predictions, anyone? "Love Is Gonna Get You", says Macy Gray!
Others take it more in stride, it appears; "Love's A Game" (blame Marques Houston for that one - not me!)
Love Is also... What you want it to be!
Evidently, since "Trick Pony" released songs such as "Love Is A Ball" (and the logical follow-up, "Love Be Still")
More seriously, Paula Abdul -surprise, surprise- is of the opinion that "Love Don't Come Easy" - so much for the "love at first sight on the A.I. stage" theory, eh? That must have been a cover of the Moody Blues song of the same name though, so...
The Raveonettes were most probably trying to "get a reaction" when they pretended that "Love Can Destroy Everything" (it only really did ONCE in recorded history - Paris' love for Helen certainly put the kibosh on Troy! Aside from that... JESUS' Love for us led Him to the Cross, but that was how it was meant to be... For our salvation, to us all!)
Along the same lines at the raucous Raveonettes' take on it, Whitney Houston herself -further surprise, surprise- contended that "Love Is A Contact Sport" (I guess that sheds some light indeed on the going-ons in her tumultuous union to one Bobby Brown...! But that's another story - again!)
Chantal Kreviazuk must have a better thing going with her own SINGING MAN, as she proclaims high and mighty that "Love Is All".
Sarah Connor -not the Terminator's target- clearly has a multi-ethnic agenda with her release titled "Love Is Color-Blind"... (As a kid, my favorite cake was always marbled - you'd get a two-for-one treat that way; vanilla AND chocolate! I remember that my very first display of sardonic wit was to wonder out loud: "are the babies of a couple made up of a black man and white woman going to turn out... marbled too?" *lol* Yeah, I know... that's another story!)
Sticking to color, Paisley was indeed a curvy colored lady briefly seen on WCW - BRAD PAISLEY on the other hand, sang the hopeful song "Love Is Never-Ending". The link between the two Paisleys? Hmm... maybe none - however WCW proved not to last forever at all, so... YOU draw your own conclusions about that "luminous parallel"!
Tina Arena seems to have incongruous thoughts on the much-favored subject as she sings that "Love Is The Answer" - but then goes on to sing that "Love's Funny That Way"?!?
Always impartial I am - hence, I will also quote from the drastically opposite point of view; and that is... The Darkness! This collective's take on "love" is that it is "only a feeling" first and foremost (what a subtle way to dismiss it, eh?) and then they want it served "On The Rocks With No Ice" (and shaken, not stirred I'm sure... If stirred, it must be anti-clockwise... right? Sheesh...)
Then there are the almost perplexing paradoxes: Ryan Adams singing "Love Is Hell" - when he has tons of groupies wanting to bear his child, I'm sure... And Sheryl Crow singing "Love Is A Good Thing" when her wedding plans got dashed very nearly at the altar! That'll teach her to be too finnicky and too picky, eh?
The Indigo Girls claim that "Love Is Recovery" - from what?
A little-known musical outfit called "Human Nature" must have inspired themselves from Lucius some for their song "Love Is Fire" - but that seems to be hell again, so... close but no cigar! (And I don't smoke either - so no matches required at all here!)
Most probably in sync with an elite avant-garde or just ahead of their times, the Moody Blues had it absolutely right when they sang that "Love Is On The Run"... It is especially true nowadays - I mean, to quote another popular expression here, "where's the love" - eh?
"Love Don't Come Easy" is their best song on the subject though - if for no other reason other than that the melody is unforgettable! The lyrics are touching too.
Enough lyrics analysis though; after all, the quick search numbered the tracks found with the word "love" in them as totaling over 20,000! YOU browse through THAT! Me, I'm through!
There is much more than lyrics out there trying to analyze what "love is" anyway - poetry does a bang up job of that too! Such as this classic bit of poetry right here that sums it all up succinctly...
love is kind.
It does not envy,
It does not boast,
It is not proud.
It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.
The great works of fiction all have LOVE as the main gauge line - at the movies, one has but to explore that aspect more to turn any tragic tale put to film into an epic with grandiose scope (e.g. James Cameron's Titanic). After all, Love is the experience of Life - from birth until death, we all experience it platonically or carnally; Love is everywhere! The problem is - so is Hate.
However, having said all that... No, really, the one modern take on love that comes closest to Lucius' great definition of it, as far as I am concerned, is actually a personal favorite of mine - and you'll immediately see why...
Vertical Horizon's "Love Is Light" :)
Look for it wherever quality CDs are sold! *lol*
Link
Comments:
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Thanks for posting a comment on my site. It's true what you say about love, why is it so elusive? Why are peole struggling to find happiness today?
Folks are their own worst enemy; such is my experience as a fine observer of human ways!
I thought that you (or any dozen of my "million and million U.K. readers... those numbers might be off a bit, admittedly) would be blasting me to smithereens for having DARED omit the most obvious title and most renowned one to boot; the Beatles' "Love Is All You Need"!
Maybe I chose to go with the underdog again (Kristian Leontiou' "Love Is All I Need" in this instance)
or...
I'm an absent-minded blogger type who misses the obvious!
I am going with the former theory - not the latter - for the record here... That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
*lol*
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I thought that you (or any dozen of my "million and million U.K. readers... those numbers might be off a bit, admittedly) would be blasting me to smithereens for having DARED omit the most obvious title and most renowned one to boot; the Beatles' "Love Is All You Need"!
Maybe I chose to go with the underdog again (Kristian Leontiou' "Love Is All I Need" in this instance)
or...
I'm an absent-minded blogger type who misses the obvious!
I am going with the former theory - not the latter - for the record here... That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
*lol*
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