We began our research investigating the great love songs since 1955, looking at the lyrics and listening to melodies to find The Top 140 Love Songs of the Rock Era*. Our first draft ranked the songs based on quality, for if it isn't a great song, it cannot be a great love song. From there, we probed the lyrics, judging their words for meaning, emotion, and above all, passion. We listened carefully for the sincerity in the singer's voice. No matter what the lyrics are, and no matter how great the accompaniment, a love song is only as great as it comes across. We also judged the songs by how couples were attracted to them on the dance floor, and how it feels lying next to a special someone listening to that song.
So we suggest you do just that, and enjoy The Top Love Songs of the Rock Era*!
#140:
"Cherish"
Madonna
In this song, the protagonist has fallen head over heels in love with someone, but the relationship has just started. She is convinced that this one is "the one".
Cherish, cherish...
So tired of broken hearts and losing at this game...
Before I start this dance,
I take a chance in telling you
I want more than just romance.
You are my destiny,
I can't let go,
Baby can't you see?
Cupid, please take your aim at me!
Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side.
(Oh baby I) cherish the joy;
You keep bringing it into my life.
(I'm always singing it)
Cherish the strength;
You got the power to make me feel good .
(And baby I) perish the thought
Of ever leaving,
I never would.
I was never satisfied with casual encounters.
I can't hide my need for two hearts that bleed
With burning love
That's the way it's got to be.
Romeo and Juliet, they never felt this way I bet,
So don't underestimate my point of view.
Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side.
(Oh baby I) cherish the joy;
You keep bringing it into my life.
(I'm always singing it)
Cherish the strength;
You got the power to make me feel good.
(And baby I) perish the thought
Of ever leaving;
I never would.
Who? You!
Can't get away, I won't let you.
Who? You!
I could never forget to
Cherish is the word I use to remind me of
Your love.
(You're givin' it
You're givin' it to me boy,
Keep giving me all-all-all your joy
Give me faith;
I will always cherish you).
Romeo and Juliet, they never felt this way I bet.
So don't underestimate my point of view.
Who? You!
Can't get away, I won't let you
Who? You!
I could never forget to
Cherish is the word I use to remind me of
Your love
Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side.
(Oh baby I) cherish the joy;
You keep bringing it into my life.
(I'm always singing it)
Cherish your strength;
You got the power to make me feel good
(And baby I) perish the thought
Of ever leaving,
I never would .
Cherish
Give me faith,
Give me joy, my boy!
I will always cherish you.
Give me faith ,
Give me joy, my boy!
I will always cherish you.
Cherish your strength.
(You're givin' it, you're givin' it to me boy)
(Can't get away, I won't let you)
(Keep giving me all your joy)
Perish the thought .
(You're givin' it, you're givin' it to me boy) .
(I could never forget to)
(Keep giving me all your joy).
Cherish the thought .
(Give me faith, give me joy, my boy I will always cherish you)
(Can't get away, can't get away)
Cherish the joy .
(Give me faith, give me joy, my boy I will always cherish you)
(Can't get away, can't get away)
Cherish your strength.
(You're givin' it to me boy,,
keep giving me all your joy).
(Can't get away, can't get away)
Perish the thought.
(You're givin' it to me boy,
keep giving me all your joy).
(Can't get away, can't get away)
Cherish the thought .
(Give me faith, give me joy, my boy I will always cherish you)
(Can't get away, can't get away)
Cherish the joy.
(Give me faith, give me joy, my boy I will always cherish you)
(Can't get away, can't get away)
#139:
"Fields of Gold"
Sting
According to Sting, he wrote this song when he moved into a house and saw barley fields next door. He saw the wind moving the barley, making it look like a couple could have been making love in there, or “the wind was making love to the barley”. Sting thought it would be a great idea for a song, and as a metaphor for love. He ingeniously uses the barley fields to tell a chronological tale of a couple that courts, gets married, and eventually dies.
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley.
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky,
As we walk in fields of gold.
So she took her love
For to gaze awhile...
Upon the fields of barley.
In his arms she fell, as her hair came down,
Among the fields of gold.
Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley?
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky,
As we lie in fields of gold.
See the west wind move like a lover so,
Upon the fields of barley.
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth,
Among the fields of gold.
I never made promises lightly,
And there have been some that I've broken.
But I swear in the days still left,
We'll walk in fields of gold,
We'll walk in fields of gold.
Many years have passed since those summer days,
Among the fields of barley.
See the children run as the sun goes down,
Among the fields of gold.
You'll remember me when the west wind moves,
Upon the fields of barley.
Upon the fields of barley.
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky,
As we walk in fields of gold.
So she took her love
For to gaze awhile...
Upon the fields of barley.
In his arms she fell, as her hair came down,
Among the fields of gold.
Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley?
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky,
As we lie in fields of gold.
See the west wind move like a lover so,
Upon the fields of barley.
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth,
Among the fields of gold.
I never made promises lightly,
And there have been some that I've broken.
But I swear in the days still left,
We'll walk in fields of gold,
We'll walk in fields of gold.
Many years have passed since those summer days,
Among the fields of barley.
See the children run as the sun goes down,
Among the fields of gold.
You'll remember me when the west wind moves,
Upon the fields of barley.
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky,
When we walked in fields of gold,
When we walked in fields of gold,
When we walked in fields of gold.
#138:
"(I've Had) The Time Of My Life"
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
This #1 duet contains the realization of both lovers that they have experienced something special with each other. They had waited a long time for this, and they have taken the relationship to the next level, one filled with passion and excitement!
Now I've had the time of my life,
No, I never felt like this before.
If I swear it's the truth,
And I owe it all to you.
'Cause I've had the time of my life,
And I owe it all to you.
I've been waiting for so long;
Now I've finally found someone
To stand by me.
We saw the writing on the wall,
As we felt this magical
Fantasy.
Now with passion in our eyes,
There's no way we could disguise it
Secretly.
So we take each other's hand,
'Cause we seem to understand,
The urgency just remember...
You're the one thing
I can't get enough of.
So I'll tell you something.
This could be love because...
[Chorus:]
I've had the time of my life,
No I never felt this way before.
Yes I swear it's the truth,
And I owe it all to you.
With my body and soul,
I want you more than you'll ever know.
So we'll just let it go,
Don't be afraid to lose control, no!
Yes I know what's on your mind
When you say "Stay with me tonight!"
Just remember...
You're the one thing,
I can't get enough of.
So I'll tell you something.
This could be love because...
[Chorus]
'Cause I had the time of my life,
And I've searched through every open door.
Till I've found the truth,
And I owe it all to you.
[Chorus]
I need you in my arms, need you to hold,
You're my world, my heart, my soul.
If you ever leave,
Baby you would take away everything good in my life.
How do I live without you?
I want to know,
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go,
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?
Without you,
There'd be no sun in my sky.
There would be no love in my life;
There'd be no world left for me.
And I,
Baby I don't know what I would do,
I'd be lost if I lost you.
If you ever leave,
Baby, you would take away everything real in my life.
And tell me now...
How do I live without you?
I want to know,
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go,
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?
Please tell me baby,
How do I go on?
If you ever leave,
Baby you would take away everything,
I need you with me.
Baby don't you know that you're everything
Good in my life?
And tell me now,
How do I live without you?
I want to know,
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go,
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?
How do I live without you?
How do I live without you baby?
"This I Promise You"
No, I never felt like this before.
If I swear it's the truth,
And I owe it all to you.
'Cause I've had the time of my life,
And I owe it all to you.
I've been waiting for so long;
Now I've finally found someone
To stand by me.
We saw the writing on the wall,
As we felt this magical
Fantasy.
Now with passion in our eyes,
There's no way we could disguise it
Secretly.
So we take each other's hand,
'Cause we seem to understand,
The urgency just remember...
You're the one thing
I can't get enough of.
So I'll tell you something.
This could be love because...
[Chorus:]
I've had the time of my life,
No I never felt this way before.
Yes I swear it's the truth,
And I owe it all to you.
With my body and soul,
I want you more than you'll ever know.
So we'll just let it go,
Don't be afraid to lose control, no!
Yes I know what's on your mind
When you say "Stay with me tonight!"
Just remember...
You're the one thing,
I can't get enough of.
So I'll tell you something.
This could be love because...
[Chorus]
'Cause I had the time of my life,
And I've searched through every open door.
Till I've found the truth,
And I owe it all to you.
[Chorus]
#137:
"How Do I Live"
LeAnn Rimes
In this song, the lover's man is everything to her; he is her world. She doesn't really say in the song why she loves her man, just that she would be lost without him. She has to make sure her own life develops, however, for not knowing how she would go on without him or breathe without him is unhealthy.
How do I
Get through one night without you?
If I had to live without you,
What kind of life would that be?
Oh, I...
Get through one night without you?
If I had to live without you,
What kind of life would that be?
Oh, I...
I need you in my arms, need you to hold,
You're my world, my heart, my soul.
If you ever leave,
Baby you would take away everything good in my life.
And tell me now...
How do I live without you?
I want to know,
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go,
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?
Without you,
There'd be no sun in my sky.
There would be no love in my life;
There'd be no world left for me.
And I,
Baby I don't know what I would do,
I'd be lost if I lost you.
If you ever leave,
Baby, you would take away everything real in my life.
And tell me now...
How do I live without you?
I want to know,
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go,
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?
Please tell me baby,
How do I go on?
If you ever leave,
Baby you would take away everything,
I need you with me.
Baby don't you know that you're everything
Good in my life?
And tell me now,
How do I live without you?
I want to know,
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go,
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?
How do I live without you?
How do I live without you baby?
136:
"This I Promise You"
*N Sync
This is a song of one lover expressing a pledge to another that they will be there for them 'til the end.
Ohh ohh...
When the visions around you,
Bring tears to your eyes.
And all that surround you,
Are secrets and lies.
I'll be your strength;
I'll give you hope,
Keeping your faith when it's gone.
The one you should call,
Was standing here all along.
And I will take
You in my arms,
And hold you right where you belong.
Till the day my life is through,
This I promise you...
This I promise you.
I've loved you forever,
In lifetimes before.
And I promise you never...
Will you hurt anymore.
I give you my word;
I give you my heart (give you my heart).
This is a battle we've won.
And with this vow,
Forever has now begun.
Just close your eyes (close your eyes),
Each loving day (each loving day),
I know this feeling won't go away (no..).
Till the day my life is through,
This I promise you...
This I promise you.
Over and over, I fall (over and over I fall)
When I hear you call,
Without you in my life, baby,
I just wouldn't be living at all.
And I will take (I will take you in my arms)
You in my arms,
And hold you right where you belong (right where you belong).
Till the day my life is through,
This I promise you, baby.
Just close your eyes,
Each loving day (each loving day),
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)
Every word I say is true,
This I promise you.
Every word I say is true,
This I promise you...
Ooh, I promise you.
The entry at #135 is about a guy who has fallen deeply for a woman, and is ready to take the relationship further. He knows that the woman "thinks he's fine", but he is a little unsure beyond that.
How can I show you
My hands are shakin'...
Tell me now, is it so,
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
When the visions around you,
Bring tears to your eyes.
And all that surround you,
Are secrets and lies.
I'll be your strength;
I'll give you hope,
Keeping your faith when it's gone.
The one you should call,
Was standing here all along.
And I will take
You in my arms,
And hold you right where you belong.
Till the day my life is through,
This I promise you...
This I promise you.
I've loved you forever,
In lifetimes before.
And I promise you never...
Will you hurt anymore.
I give you my word;
I give you my heart (give you my heart).
This is a battle we've won.
And with this vow,
Forever has now begun.
Just close your eyes (close your eyes),
Each loving day (each loving day),
I know this feeling won't go away (no..).
Till the day my life is through,
This I promise you...
This I promise you.
Over and over, I fall (over and over I fall)
When I hear you call,
Without you in my life, baby,
I just wouldn't be living at all.
And I will take (I will take you in my arms)
You in my arms,
And hold you right where you belong (right where you belong).
Till the day my life is through,
This I promise you, baby.
Just close your eyes,
Each loving day (each loving day),
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)
Every word I say is true,
This I promise you.
Every word I say is true,
This I promise you...
Ooh, I promise you.
#135:
"This Guy's In Love With You"
Herb Alpert
The entry at #135 is about a guy who has fallen deeply for a woman, and is ready to take the relationship further. He knows that the woman "thinks he's fine", but he is a little unsure beyond that.
You see this guy,
this guy's in love with you ,
Yes, I'm in love who looks at you the way I do .
When you smile I can tell it know each other very well.
How can I show you
I'm glad I got to know you 'cause ...
I've heard some talk--they say you think I'm fine .
This guy's in love, and what I'd do to make you mine .
Tell me now is it so don't let me be the last to know.
My hands are shakin'...
don't let my heart keep breaking 'cause ..
I need your love!
I want your love!
Say you're in love, in love with this guy,
if not I'll just die.
Tell me now, is it so,
don't let me be the last to know.
My hands are shakin'...
don't let my heart keep breaking 'cause...
I need your love!
I want your love!
Say you're in love, in love with this guy,
if not I'll just die.
#134:
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
Police
This great song by the Police is a story of love and infatuation, where the protagonist is struck by nerves every time he starts to tell her how she feels. Maybe he should just sing it to her!
Though I've tried before to tell her
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart.
Every time that I come near her,
I just lose my nerve,
As I've done from the start.
Every little thing she does is magic!
Every little thing she does is magic!
Everything she do just turns me on!
Even though my life before was tragic,
Now I know my love for her goes on.
Do I have to tell the story
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met?
It's a big enough umbrella,
but it's always me that ends up getting wet.
Every little thing she does is magic!
Even though my life before was tragic,
Now I know my love for her goes on.
Do I have to tell the story
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met?
It's a big enough umbrella,
but it's always me that ends up getting wet.
Every little thing she does is magic!
Everything she do just turns me on!
Even though my life before was tragic,
Now I know my love for her goes on.
I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day,
And ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way.
But my silent fears have gripped me
long before I reach the phone,
Long before my tongue has tripped me,
Must I always be alone?
Every little thing she does is magic!
Everything she do just turns me on!
Even though my life before was tragic,
Now I know my love for her goes on.
"Strangers In The Night"
Frank Sinatra
Strangers in the night, exchanging glances,
Wond'ring in the night what were the chances
We'd be sharing love before the night was through.
Something in your eyes was so inviting,
Something in you smile was so exciting,
Something in my heart told me I must have you!
Strangers in the night,
Two lonely people, we were strangers in the night.
Up to the moment when we said our first hello, little did we know,
Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away...
and
Ever since that night, we've been together.
Lovers at first sight, in love forever,
It turned out so right for strangers in the night.
[instrumental-first three lines of chorus]
Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away...
Ever since that night, we've been together.
Lovers at first sight, in love forever,
It turned out so right for strangers in the night.
[Dooby-doooby-doo and other scat to end]
#133:
"Strangers In The Night"
Frank Sinatra
Up next, another #1 song that tells the chronological tale of a relationship, from the wonder and passion of their first encounter to a long and happy long-term relationship.
Strangers in the night, exchanging glances,
Wond'ring in the night what were the chances
We'd be sharing love before the night was through.
Something in your eyes was so inviting,
Something in you smile was so exciting,
Something in my heart told me I must have you!
Strangers in the night,
Two lonely people, we were strangers in the night.
Up to the moment when we said our first hello, little did we know,
Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away...
and
Ever since that night, we've been together.
Lovers at first sight, in love forever,
It turned out so right for strangers in the night.
[instrumental-first three lines of chorus]
Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away...
Ever since that night, we've been together.
Lovers at first sight, in love forever,
It turned out so right for strangers in the night.
[Dooby-doooby-doo and other scat to end]
#132:
"I Knew I Loved You"
Savage Garden
In some relationships, it takes quite a while to know if you are right for each other. In many, the feeling is almost instantaneous, and in the best ones, both parties feel that way. The protagonist here seems to have fallen instantly, and he is convinced that he has found the right one.
Maybe it's intuition,
But some things you just don't question,
Like in your eyes,
I see my future in an instant ,
and there it goes,
I think I've found my best friend.
I know that it might sound more than a little crazy,
but I believe...
[chorus:] I knew I loved you before I met you;
I think I dreamed you into life.
I knew I loved you before I met you;
I have been waiting all my life.
There's just no rhyme or reason,
only this sense of completion,
and in your eyes,
I see the missing pieces I'm searching for.
I think I found my way home.
I know that it might sound more than a little crazy,
but I believe...
[repeat chorus] A thousand angels dance around you;
I am complete now that I found you.
[repeat chorus to fade]
#131:
"Michelle"
Beatles
Michelle, ma belle,
These are words that go together well,
My Michelle.
Michelle, ma belle,
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble,
Tres bien ensemble.
I love you, I love you, I love you!~
That's all I want to say.
Until I find a way,
I will say the only words I know that
You'll understand.
Michelle, ma belle,
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble.
Tres bien ensemble.
I need to, I need to, I need to,
I need to make you see.
Oh, what you mean to me.
Until I do I'm hoping you will
Know what I mean.
I love you!
I want you, I want you, I want you!
I think you know by now.
I'll get to you somehow.
Until I do I'm telling you so
You'll understand.
Michelle, ma belle,
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble,
Tres bien ensemble.
I will say the only words I know
That you'll understand, my Michelle.
"Michelle"
Beatles
In this song, the writer hasn't quite figured out a strategy to make his lover understand what she means to him. It is obvious to the listener that he loves her and needs her, and he is hoping that soon she will see that.
Michelle, ma belle,
These are words that go together well,
My Michelle.
Michelle, ma belle,
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble,
Tres bien ensemble.
I love you, I love you, I love you!~
That's all I want to say.
Until I find a way,
I will say the only words I know that
You'll understand.
Michelle, ma belle,
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble.
Tres bien ensemble.
I need to, I need to, I need to,
I need to make you see.
Oh, what you mean to me.
Until I do I'm hoping you will
Know what I mean.
I love you!
I want you, I want you, I want you!
I think you know by now.
I'll get to you somehow.
Until I do I'm telling you so
You'll understand.
Michelle, ma belle,
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble,
Tres bien ensemble.
I will say the only words I know
That you'll understand, my Michelle.
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