I believe that Valentine’s Day should be about celebrating all kinds of love, not just romantic love. So this year I decided to pull together one of my bizarre, genre-blending playlists for this blog in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Yes, there are some romantic songs on the list, including, I hope, some that will be new to you, but there are also songs about friendship and about spiritual love, as well as a couple of songs that don’t fit into any of those categories.

Lean On Me: Love That Supports

These songs are all about being there for friends, family members, and, yes, romantic partners. If you search for friendship songs, there are a few that show up again and again, including “You’ve Got a Friend” (Carole King), “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Randy Newman), and “Lean On Me” (Bill Withers), as well as “You’re My Best Friend” (Queen). That last song may emphasize friendship, but I categorize it under romantic love since the song is about friendship between spouses.

Here are some songs that might not immediately spring to mind when you think about your love for friends and family. All of them focus on the kind of love that says, “I’m here for you.”

Don’t Give Up – Peter Gabriel with Kate Bush

“When times get rough,
You can fall back on us.
Don’t give up.
Please don’t give up.”

I like Peter Gabriel, but the two things that I love about this song are Kate Bush and the gospel-inspired bridge in the middle of the song.

I’ll Stand By You – The Pretenders

“When the night falls on you, you don’t know what to do,
Nothing you confess could make me love you less,
I’ll stand by you.”

There’s nothing sweeter that you can say to a friend.

Isn’t That What Friends Are For? – Bruce Cockburn

“I’ve been scraping little shavings off my ration of light,
And I’ve formed it into a ball, and each time I pack a bit more onto it.
I make a bowl of my hands, and I scoop it from its secret cache
Under a loose board in the floor,
And I blow across it, and I send it to you
Against those moments when
The darkness blows under your door.”

I don’t think this is one of Bruce Cockburn‘s better songs, but I do love the imagery of sending a ball of light to your friend for them to hold against the darkness.

This Is It – Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald

“… But keep me near in your heart.
Know whatever you do, I’m here by your side.”

This song was Kenny Loggins’ way of telling his dad to fight for his life as he went through a series of surgeries. Although the focus is really on the need to take a stand against what’s challenging you, there is a sense of both tough and tender love as the singer urges the subject to “stand up and fight.”

Wow, the fog machine was working overtime in this performance.

Trouble Me – 10,000 Maniacs

“Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back is sturdy and strong?
Trouble me.”

The spirit of this song is much like “I’ll Stand By You.” Love between friends is a love that wants to share burdens.

You’re What I’ve Been Seeking: Spiritual Love

I’m going to get spiritual for a few minutes. While I am a person of a particular faith, I write this blog for people of any faith and no faith. If you’d rather not listen to spiritual songs at all, please just skip to the next section. Otherwise, here are two love songs that are generally spiritual and one with specific Christian references.

Bargain – The Who

“I’d gladly lose me to find you.
I’d gladly give up all I had.
To find you I’d suffer anything and be glad.”

When I was younger I thought this song from Who’s Next was about a romantic relationship, but at some point I learned that the song is spiritual. The lyrics are powerful.

Incidentally, “Love Ain’t for Keeping,” also on Who’s Next, is a lovely romantic song.

Hole Hearted – Extreme

“There’s a hole in my heart
That can only be filled by you.”

I don’t know a lot about the members of Extreme, but I do know that at least some of them, in particular Gary Cherone, have some sort of Christian background. That’s one of the reasons I read “Hole Hearted” as a spiritual, rather than a romantic, song. More importantly, I think this song is a lot healthier if viewed from a spiritual perspective; it’s a heavy burden to expect one person to fill a hole in your heart.

I Really Love – Norman Hutchins

“You are the air I breathe.
You are the song I sing.
No one can compare
To all the joy You bring…”

This is an overtly Christian song. I love singing along with the gospel choir when I’m alone in my car.

Am I the only one who hears a similarity between the beginning of this song and the beginning of Al Jarreau’s “Mornin'”?

Spread It All Around: Love for Everyone

I’m only including one song in this category, but it’s my ideal Valentine’s Day song.

Spread Love – Take 6

“What the world needs now…
… is love, more love is what we need.”

Oceans of Love for You: Romantic Love

The next group of songs have a romantic focus. Not in the mood for that? There’s one more song you might enjoy in its own category at the end of this list.

As – Stevie Wonder

“Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky (always)
Until the ocean covers every mountain high (always)
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea (always)
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream…”

I’ve heard part of this used as a gospel song at the end of the film Black Nativity, but I think I can safely categorize it as romantic. Stevie Wonder has written some beautiful love songs. I’d say this is his best.

Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra

“Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away.”

I confess I love this song simply because I love travel. It’s not very romantic if you’re a homebody.

I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash

“Because you’re mine, I walk the line.”

This is one of the best songs I know about committed love. I also like the way the key changes with each verse.

If I Had $1,000,000 – Barenaked Ladies

“If I had a million dollars we wouldn’t have to eat Kraft dinner.
But we would eat Kraft dinner.
Of course we would, we’d just eat more.”

If you can’t be silly with the one you love, who can you be silly with?

Isn’t It Time – The Babys

“Isn’t it time? You don’t have to wait…
Losing this love could be your mistake.”

In this song the singer debates “whether to go on alone or stay by your side.” It’s a love song, not a song about having a broken heart, so you know what the protagonist is going to decide. The best part of this song? The backup singers.

Night and Day – Ella Fitzgerald

“Night and day,
Under the hide of me
There’s an oh such a hungry yearning burning inside of me.”

Let’s turn up the steam a little, shall we?

Sea of Love – The Honeydrippers

“I want to tell you how much I love you.”

This is really schmaltzy. I apologize for nothing. Okay, if you actually watch the video, I apologize for exposing you to Frank Zappa(?) in a Speedo.

Thank You – Dido

“I missed the bus and there’ll be hell today;
I’m late for work again.
And even if I’m there, they’ll all imply
That I might not last the day,
And then you call me
And it’s not so bad…”

This is a sweet song about love that lifts your spirits, changing a bad day to “the best day.”

Waltz Across Texas – Sleepy Labeef

“… when you look at me with those stars in your eyes,
I could waltz across Texas with you.”

This is a very simple love song. I’m particularly fond of Sleepy Labeef’s version, because I love his voice.

Love Is Crazy: Not a Love Song

You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance – Bruce Cockburn

“Confused and solo in the spawning ground,
I watch the confusion of friends all numb with love
Moving like stray dogs to the anthem of night-long conversations,
Of pulsing rhythms and random voltage voices.
In spite of themselves, graceful as these raindrops creeping sperm-like across the car window.
Stay or leave, give or withhold,
Hesitate or leap.
Each step splashing sparks of red pain in every direction,
And through it all, somehow, this willingness that asks no questions.”

Sometimes romantic love seems crazy. Why do certain people end up together? Why do they make the decisions that begin or end a relationship? Why do we willingly risk so much heartache? This is the most poetic exploration of the insanity of love that I know.

I do wonder if Cockburn has ever considered rewriting the first verse just a little.