Love in Lyrics: Ballads through the Lens of Time
The vagueness of love has allowed artists of all fields to abstractly express emotions and thoughts, through various mediums that captivate audiences of differing demographic and psychographic groups. An important, yet complex emotion to decipher, love has transcended mere words and influenced music, visual art and performance arts. Today, we look at how love songs have evolved through time, implicitly reflecting the perception of love and relationships through decades.
The Early Years: Origins of Classical Love Ballads
As early as the 15th century, music was printed and sold to the general public. ‘Greensleeves,’ a critically acclaimed lyrical piece, allegedly written by England’s King Henry VIII, was said to be inspired by his love letters to Anne Boleyn. While some refer to it as the oldest and most enduring of all love songs (Hatchett, 2008), an equally popular label to the piece is a romantic myth that Henry wrote for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn (Pittaway, 2015). Delving further into the artistry of the Renaissance period, gives us a peek into Thomas Morley’s ‘Now is the Month of Maying,’ where he openly describes outdoor lovemaking as ‘rolling in the hay’ and other crude pleasures.
Breaking into the 16th century gave way to the rise of English and Irish ballads, with popular themes of unrequited and lost love, namely ‘Scarborough Fair’ and ‘Black Is The Color of My True Love’s Hair.’
Several centuries later, love songs were given a new look. Not much changed up until what some believe to be the 1930s, marking the beginning of an era of great love songs from the great musicals.
“We can still hear them, any time at all. They won’t go away, and this is a good thing. We’d be a much worse world without such lovely songs,” (Hatchett, 2008). – about love songs of the 1930s.
Notable pieces from this period of time include ‘Tea for Two’ by Doris Day and ‘Why Do I Love You’ by Johnny Tillotson. Although several renditions have been made, one song that remains timeless is ‘Night and Day’ by the legendary Frank Sinatra, famously nicknamed the Chairman of the Board.
“Night and day, you are the one
Only you ‘neath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me or far
It’s no matter, darling, where you are
I think of you day and night”
An excerpt from the song ‘Night and Day’ by Frank Sinatra
In these few lines, the perception of ‘old school love’ can be evidently noticed, in my opinion. This is mainly due to the string of simple words that form a beautiful harmony that screams ‘meant to be.’ No vulgarities or obscene descriptions, and yet an impactful impression is made through songwriting.
The Golden Era: Iconic Love Songs of the 20th Century
“As the nineteenth century gave way to the twentieth, love underwent many changes: young people wanted relationships without much involvement from parents and elders, women’s self-image changed as they sought expanded opportunities and the vote, and the innovations of the age transformed American culture. New immigrants came to the United States, and the country expanded,” wrote Stephanie Halls, a writer at the Library of Congress in the United States.
The significance of such revolutionary events in world history was very much present in the context of the 1900s, where an important aspect was the emergence of women’s perspectives and viewpoints being embraced. As women sought the vote, their egalitarianism was often seen as interfering with the socially conservative agenda of marriage, as depicted in the comic complaint song, ‘Since My Margaret Became a Suffragette.’ Beyond this, female singers were also beginning to involve themselves in mainstream music, which was when ‘Please Keep Out of My Dreams,’ by Elsa Maxwell and Nora Bayes gained popularity for its bold expression of a woman’s love.
Love Ballads in Contemporary Music
The 21st century has become an album of so many ‘mini-eras’ where the global commercial music industry has experienced different styles of art that have clung till now and some, gone with the wind for good.
In the early 2000s, Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy In Love,’ took the world by storm with its alluring vocals and catchy lyrics. Another sweet song that gave a completely opposite vibe was ‘Love Story,’ by Taylor Swift, which became the teenage anthem of the time. Other notable poetic pieces include Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and John Legend’s ‘All of Me.’
The recent hit that garnered millions of views in the span of hours, is Ariana Grande’s ‘We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)’ from her latest album, Eternal Sunshine. Personally, I believe it’s the year’s best love song, as its lyrics evoke deep emotions in listeners, as they tune in deeper. The music video visualises an abstract story of Peaches (the female main character played by Grande herself) who chooses to undergo a procedure that would ultimately erase unwanted memories of her ex, portrayed by Evan Peters. As for the lyrics itself, it reflects Peaches’ realisation that she could never return to being ‘friends again’ or her true self with her past lover, as shown below:
“We can’t be friends,
But I’d like to just pretend.
You cling to your papers and pens,
Wait until you like me again.
Wait for your love.
Love, I’ll wait for your love.”
The chorus of ‘We Can’t Be Friends,’ by Ariana Grande (Album: Eternal Sunshine, 2024)
Conclusion
To end this on a sweet note, love songs have never been bad for they have always been adored by audiences of different periods of time and social settings. What matters is the art of storytelling through songwriting that perseveres and constantly evolves, finding ways to become a step better than before. Ultimately, a rough formula of a good love song could be defined by the equation:
The Perfect Love Song = Relatability + Elements of Hardship in Love + Sweet Words + A Beautiful Melody + An Artist’s Authenticity.
A handpicked list by the author of some love songs from the olden days:
‘Begin the Beguine’ by Cole Porter
‘I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling’ by Ella Fitzgerald
‘Stella by Starlight’ by Frank Sinatra
‘Put Your Head on my Shoulders’ by Paul Anka
‘Cheek to Cheek’ by Fred Astaire
[Written By: Shree Pavana Kurunsikumaran, Edited By: Bryan Lue]
