Thursday, January 04, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #1

A couple quick notes before we get to the real meat of the post (I’ll make them really quick, I promise!):

Note the first: This is my 100th post on Life: The Ongoing Education. Happy 100!

N
ote the second: Speaking of 100’s, I was Sassy’s 100th commenter. Now, I acknowledge that I sort of cheated to ensure that I would be, but really, doesn’t that just show the depth of my devotion? In return, she made me this beautiful trophy. You like?

O
kay, moving on. I’m joining the ranks of the awesome Thursday Thirteen bloggers. Today is my first TT post, and I’m excited to be starting! So, without any more yammering on, I present to you…




Lara's Top Thirteen Most Romantic Songs


1. "Feels Like Home" by Linda Ronstadt

The beauty of this song gets me every time. That's what love should be - a feeling of coming home.

If you knew how happy you are making me
I never thought I'd love anyone so much
...
It feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I'm all the way back where I belong.

2. "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

Come on, admit it - those first few twangy notes on the guitar get to you too. At a wedding once, this song came on and I cried out (much too loudly), "I LOVE this song!" Suddenly everyone stared at me, but I didn't care, 'cause I was already oozing around the floor in my date's arms.

I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes
And the wonder of it all is that you just don't realize
How much I love you.

3. "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney

I love the raw honesty of emotion in this song. It's a love that's so strong it catches him by surprise - it amazes him. I've experienced that kind of love, and I can tell you that it's powerful, each and every time you realize it's there.

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you
...
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song
Right me when I'm wrong
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you.

4. "Songbird" by Eva Cassidy

I always wanted to dance to this song. Just two people, enjoying the music and the feel of each other's arms, shuffling barefoot in the living room. To be honest, I still want it.

To you, I'd give the world
To you, I'd never be cold
'Cause I feel that when I'm with you
It's alright, I know it's right
And the songbirds keep singing like they know the score
And I love you, I love you, I love you like never before.

5. "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison

This is the kind of song that girls just want to have sung about them. I want to be that girl, the one he can feel from miles away, the one who can take away all his troubles and heartache. I want to be the one.

I can feel her heartbeat from a thousand miles
And the heavens open every time she smiles
And when I come to her, that's where I belong
Yeah I'm running to her like a river's song
She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love
She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love.

6. "Something" by the Beatles

What is it about him or her that drives you so crazy? What makes you need him or her so desperately? How can it be put into words? It can't - it's just something.

Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me
...
Something in the way she knows
And all I have to do is think of her
Something in the things she shows me...

7. "Build" by Nichole Nordeman

Love is not always easy. It's a fragile thing, and sometimes it breaks down. Sometimes we make mistakes - stupid, stupid mistakes - and everything we spent so long building is gone. And that's when we rebuild. That's what makes love strong.

We build
We clear away what was
And make room for what will be
If you hold the nails, I'll take the hammer
I'll hold it still if you'll climb the ladder
If you will, then I will build
What I'm trying to say
In some clumsy way
Is that it's you and only you
Not just for now
Not just today
But it's you and only you
For always.

8. "Faithfully" by Journey

Oh, the power ballads of the '80's - gotta love 'em. Whether he honestly believed the song or not, Steve Perry won me over by admitting to the difficulty of his relationships - relationships with people in the music business. He was saying, "Hey, it ain't easy, but it's worth it, right? The love is worth it." Oh, yes, it is.

And being apart ain't easy on this love affair
Two strangers learn to fall in love again
I get the joy of rediscovering you
Oh, girl, you stand by me
Faithfully.

9. "I Will" by the Beatles

This is just such a cute song. I imagine singing this to my husband (if I ever have one) someday when we're old and gray, 'cause it's just that kind of song.

Who knows how long I've loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime?
If you want me to, I will.

10. "Forever" by John Stamos (w/the Beach Boys)

I'll admit it - when he sang this song to Becky on Full House, I teared up a little. And when he sang it to his sons, I probably even cried. Yes, I'm horribly cheesy.

If every word I said could make you laugh, I'd talk forever
I ask the sky just what we had, it shone forever
If the song I sang to you could fill your heart with joy, I'd sing forever
Forever, forever
I've been so happy loving you.

11. "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel

Yet another song that any girl in her right mind would want a man to sing about her. This is similar to "Something" in that it attempts to describe the indescribable - there's something about her that just gets to him, but he's not quite sure what it is.

She comes to me when I'm feeling down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around
She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know why it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
And she's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her anyway.

12. "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman

This is an awesome wedding song. A touching sentiment for any and all loving relationships, a promise that it will survive the test of time. A promise that people are finding harder and harder to keep these days, but a beautiful promise just the same.

Tomorrow morning if you wake up and the future is unclear
I will be here
...
I will be here and you can cry on my shoulder
When the mirror tells us we're older, I will hold you
And I will be here to watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here
I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the One who gave you to me.

13. "Gravity" by Vienna Teng

I'm not sure why I find this song so remarkably romantic, given that it's actually a somewhat painful love that she's describing. But, well, sometimes love is painful. But almost always worth it.

Hey, love
That's the name we've long held back from the core of truth
So don't turn away now
I am turning in revolution
These are the scars that silence carved on me
...
Hey, love
I am a constant satellite of your blazing sun
My love
I obey your law of gravity
This is the fate you've carved on me.



Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. Samantha
2. Jennifer
3. Sassy Belle
4. Alyndabear
5. Amy
6. Raggedy
7. California Teacher Guy
8. MS-Teacher
9. Annie
10. teachergirl
11. Rachelle
12. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



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Day 4 of SaBloBoMo: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Oh, come on – I was Elizabeth Bennett for Halloween! You had to know this would be here. Since I was already talking about romance in my Thursday Thirteen, I decided to continue with one of the greatest love stories of all time.


Oh how I love this story, because the characters are all so flawed! But they love each other anyway, and it works. And that makes me happy. I’ve read all of Austen’s novels (duh – I was an English major, after all), but this remains far and away my favorite of the bunch.


Oh, and that Keira Knightley trash? Stay away. If you want to see this story captured on film, watch the BBC mini-series. It’s the only version worth watching.

17 comments:

Samantha said...

Welcome to Thursday Thirteen!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :) I love the song "Wonderful Tonight" it makes me all warm and fuzzzy LOL Hope you participate again next week!

Dallas Blue said...

Oooooh! You put the TROPHY up! That's AWESOME!

I take issue with "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Claptop. I'm sorry. I do. It's ALL my fiance's fault because he did a mocking version of it, where he sang... "Oh my darlin'... hurry up... we're gonna be late toniiight... I feel terrible because I see the clock ticking on... And the wonder of it all is that you just don't reaaaalize... how late we are." Because, his thesis was the whole song is basically "Hurry up, you look FINE!" then... "I'm drunk. Take me home."

Hee. What a goober. But it ruined the song for me!

There's a version of Crazy Love with Van Morrison and RAY CHARLES. Love.

Oh, Journey. Fantastic. LOVE Journey!

She's got a way = awesome. I also love Tiny Dancer.

Do you forgive me for laughing at "You Look Wonderful Tonight"?

Pride and Prejudice is AWESOME. My favorite Jane Austen (turned movie) is Sense and Sensibility. Mm HughGrantKateWinsletEmmaThompson! mmmmm AlanRickman! Hee.

Dallas Blue said...

Just to say I know Tiny Dance is by Elton John, not Billy Joel but has a similar place in my heart. Oh, and "Something in the Way She Moves" by James Taylor. Word.

Anonymous said...

OOOH great job on the special trophy. Am jealous.

I love most of those songs. Am a smooshy sook. :)

Hen Jen said...

Welcome to thursday thirteen! Great list topic! We had "I will be here" sung at our wedding.

There is a song called I think,
"There's no remedy for Love" by Susan Ashton-that would be my pick now for a wedding song. I think of my husband in a mushy way when I think of that song.
my TT is up, kind of late, come visit!
Jenny in Ca
www.homeiswhereyoustartfrom.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Greatpost! I had no idea Feels like home was linday rondstadt..Loved it in the movie Michael and an ER episode.ALso, Faithfully is truly classic

Raggedy said...

Welcome to Thursday Thirteen!
Great warm and fuzzy song list!
Thank you for sharing

Have a wonderful day!

My TT is posted

CaliforniaTeacherGuy said...

The Beatles do have a lot of lovely love songs, don't they? Thanks for including them. They're playing in my mind and heart right now.

ms-teacher said...

Thanks for visiting my TT. You've done a wonderful job on your first TT. I have to comment on "Faithfully" by Journey as this was my theme song for when I started dating my husband as we lived about an hour away from each other. I look forward to reading more from you!

Annie said...

Lara,
I love "songbird" by eva cassidy. Such a great song. Thanks for the comment!
Annie

teachergirl said...

Thanks for coming by; I love Paul McCartney. Happy TT.

LaLa said...

What about "No More Lonely Nights" by Paul McCartney? The first line gives me the chills.

Rachelle said...

i haven't heard some in your list..but i think you have quite a good list!

Rachelle
http://zyphe.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I need to hear Linda R's version of Feels Like Home. You "heard" Wonderful Tonight for the first time while you were in my belly. A former student of your father's was the singer for a band playing in a restaurent in Newport Beach. He substituted the words "long blonde hair" for "short brown hair" for me. Aside from the fact that it is beautiful, I'm sure this incident helped you form a bond with it. (Little smile here)

Lara said...

samantha - thanks! i certainly enjoyed it this first week, so i'm planning to keep it up next week, too! i hope you come back to visit again!

sassy - of course i put it up! 'cause i love it! i'm sorry your fiance ruined that song for you, 'cause it's an awesome song. but sure, i forgive you. "tiny dancer" is definitely also a great song, but i associate that with a friend of mine (lady m, actually). and "sense and sensibility" as a book i didn't like, but i agree that the movie is great. :)

aly - you should be jealous, 'cause sassy likes me soooo much better than she likes you! (okay, i'm kidding.) and i love you anyway, you smooshy sook.

jennifer - thanks for the rec; i'll have to check it out!

amy - "feels like home" has been sung by many different people, but my favorite version is by linda ronstadt. the chantal kreviazuk version was in the movie "how to lose a guy in ten days," and it's also a nice version.

raggedy - thanks for stopping by! your profile pic is hilarious, btw. :-P

california teacher guy - i'm glad to have reminded you of good songs. :) yes, the beatles have tons of great and beautiful songs. also high on my list of faves from them would be "in my life," "let it be," and "blackbird."

ms-teacher - thanks for coming by to visit! "faithfully" is a classic song for distanced relationships. i love that line: "i get the joy of rediscovering you." it's so beautiful.

annie - my sister loves it, too; she wants to walk down the aisle to it when she gets married.

teachergirl - and happy TT to you! go paul - i was sad when he got divorced, because his first marriage had been so strong and inspiring.

lala - i'm not sure i know that song, actually. will have to look it up.

rachelle - if you like sappy romantic songs, you should go look up all the ones you don't already know. seriously. trust me on this one. :-P

mom - ha! that must be why i love the song so much. 'cause i'm pretty sure i can't remember a time when i didn't absolutely adore it.

Caffeinated Librarian said...

Haven't seen the Kiera Knightly thing because I’ve heard such mixed reviews of it. Love, love, love the BBC version. Best deal I've ever found was when I stumbled on the 2 dvd set of the BBC Pride and Prejudice on a Walmart clearance rack for five bucks. I had to do a double take, but of course I bought it.

Hmmmm. I tend to love sad love songs. Don't know why, but it's been that was since I was a little, little girl. Maybe I need to follow your lead and try a love song list.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with you on the Pride and Prejudice thing. Who in their right mind ever thought Keira Knightley could play a compelling Elizabeth? Ick. I have only seen bits of the new version, and haven't watched it in its entirety only because I really don't know want to see Elizabeth's character played by Keira. Call me a purist. lol I could watch the BBC version over and over and over again. It never gets old.