Love-Pacific Northwest Style

I've long known I was jaded where love was concerned. I've never believed some other person could 'make me whole' at least not since I was about fifteen. It gave me a deep distaste for anything that was too sappy—too devoted. I don't like sappy love songs, and I don't care for romance novels.

But I had an epiphany on one of my weekend walks that pinpointed some of my quirks about love.

The song that came on the iPod was Slide by the Goo Goo Dolls. I thought maybe we should just analyze the lyrics.

Slide

Could you whisper in my ear
The things you wanna feel
I'd give you anythin'
To feel it comin'


Do you wake up on your own?
And wonder where you are
You live with all your faults

[See, here is the first hint... a very damaged person is on the receiving end of this love song.]

I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide
Yeah I'm gonna let it slide


Don't you love the life you killed
The priest is on the phone
Your father hit the wall
Your ma disowned you

[The girl has 'killed some life'--if I were guessing, I would say she had an abortion... and she hates herself for it]

Don't supposed I'll ever know
What it means to be a man
Somethin' I can't change
I'll live around it


I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide
Slide


And I'll do anythin'
You ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall

[Now this is love... what SHE needs to feel complete again is what he's offering.]

Oh May
Put your arms around me
What you feel is what you are
And what you are is beautiful
Oh May
Do you wanna get married
Or run away?

[that bolded stanza is I think my favorite]

And I'll do anythin'
You ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall


Oh May
Put your arms around me
What you feel is what you are
And what you are is beautiful
Oh May
Do you wanna get married
Or run away?


I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all


And I'll do anythin'
You ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall


And I'll do anythin'
You ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall


Yeah, slide between the sheet
Of all the beds you never knew
Why don't you slide into my room
Just slide into my room
Oh, we'll run away, run away, run away

I guess what struck me, is how I can really LOVE a love song (or love STORY) if the people involved are damaged enough—if the act of loving really is an act of heroism, because it has been so hurtful in the past.

And I realized why I like the Northwest grunge movement (heck, ALL those people seemed damaged—their love stories certainly were)

You get songs like Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box, or Alice in Chains' Love Song—Twisted songs about love hate relationships, unrequited love and obsession. THAT is the good stuff.

Oh, sure, it isn't what you want to build a life on (unless you're a misguided Tart with a masochistic streak) but it is infinitely more interesting—it pulls at the heartstrings because it engages us as we yell at the protagonist to think better, or have our heart torn out because it is so heart-wrenching what some people have to go through.

So there you have it. I'm jaded.

ACK!  And I forgot to remind you... Yesterday's Amazon gift certificate give away goes on all week, so just check out yesterday's blog to participate.