Though I loathe the forced gift-giving of “Hallmark” holidays, Valentine’s Day always reminds me of my favorite love songs and ballads. The origins of the holiday are vague at best, though some attribute it to the Roman festival of Lupercalia. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing of women with men by lottery. Not woke at all, so Pope Gelasius banned it in the 5th century.
As we clicked through the decades, the first “formal messages,” or valentines, appeared sometime in the 1500s. By the late 1700s, printed cards started circulating. The first commercial valentines began circulating in the US in the mid-1800s.
Perhaps given the early Roman “origins,” valentines often used the Roman god of love, Cupid, and hearts and roses to signify one’s love and devotion to another. Regardless, it’s given us some real boss music. Here, then, are ten of my favorite ballads of love and dedication:
My Funny Valentine - Elvis Costello
Love The One You’re With - Aretha Franklin (written by Stephen Stills)
John Hiatt - Have A Little Faith In Me
Joe Cocker - It’s A Sin When You Love Somebody (Written by Jimmy Webb)
Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me
Luther Vandross - A House Is Not A Home
Melanie De Biasio - The Flow
Harry Nilsson - Perfect Day
The Who - Love, Reign O’er Me
Frank Sinatra - The Nearness of You
Have a lovely day, my friends. And do share your love and your favorite love songs.
This is a great list, Dusty. Some additional love songs that are personal favorites are Chris Cornell's version of Thank You by Led Zeppelin, For You by John Denver, and At Last by Etta James.
Wonderful essay. I suggest everyone listen to Mel Torme's version of A House is Not A Home. One of his greatest. And that's saying a lot.