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.