Some say love...

Each of my favorite love songs (or the first ones to show up on my iTunes shuffle) emphasizes a different characteristic of love that I find important. One of my favorite cheesy love songs, “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson, is about exactly what the title suggests. She sings about how she is so in love with her significant other because he loves her exactly the way she is. That’s probably the characteristic I find most important. I think that being able to be yourself around your significant other is the first step to a successful relationship, because if you don’t really know each other then you can’t be in love. In Taylor Swift’s song “Ours” she sings about being able to love the not so pretty things, such as his tattoos or the gaps between his teeth, because she loves the whole person. Being able to love and appreciate the other person despite their flaws is a key characteristic of love.

A newer love song, “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz, emphasizes the importance of commitment. He sings about the important of always being present and supportive of the other person, while still respecting their space. I think that this is probably the most challenging aspect of love, because as Maroon 5 sings in my favorite line of their song “She Will Be Loved,” “It’s not always rainbows and butterflies / it’s compromise that moves us along.” Both of these songs highlight the disagreements and problems that arise in relationships, and remind us of the commitment needed to conquer these problems.

In the article “Stop Looking for Your Soul Mate,” they warn against exactly what Taylor Swift sings about in her song “Love Story.” Swift tells about a Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending (opposed to the original), where all Juliet has to do is “say yes” and the love story will be hers. Busted Halo’s article says the opposite, emphasizing the problems that follow such naïve attitudes about love, and even says that perhaps we should stop looking for our own Romeos. I’m not sure how I feel about the quest for soul mates after reading this article and comparing it to music and our current culture, but all I know is that everyone should just look for the person that makes them happy.