DISASTER POP: Crappy Love Songs And Their Terrible Advice!

We are back from our two-week break!  We had a very nice time!  And we took a 100% complete break from all things podcast!  But we missed you. Thanks for sticking around!

IN THIS EPISODE, we are digging into the crates, we are revisiting some popular love songs in the history of pop music.  It’s a playlist of dysfunction, codependency, and even mortal danger.

We get critical with the lyrics to determine exactly what love lesson they’re trying to teach you.

We had been thinking of what to do after our break to ease us back in a fun way, and we came up with the idea to break down some love songs

You know how, you’re listening to a love song, and it sounds all pretty and then you REALLY listen and it’s kinda… wrong?  Like the Stalker Song aka Every Breath You Take by Sting

So we decided to hunt through the decades of Pop and find songs that had that quality in common; Bad Love Lessons.

There were a lot of examples, it was hard to choose from so many!

but we decided to bring out just 2 examples from each decade, starting in the 1960s and ending in the 2010s, and to address them chronologically, and ring the shame bell as we parade their messages naked in front of you

It’s a little sad that these songs, beautiful as they are, are promoting what should generally be considered unhealthy relationship habits.  But we can appreciate the art of songwriting even if we don’t agree with the lyrics right?  

They’re still good songs, just not songs you should consider healthy life lessons.  Sing them in the shower all you want, just don’t try to emulate their relationship strategies because they’re nothing but trouble

Here are, subject to all our snarky criticism, some Great But Shitty Love Songs!

 

(ALRIGHT BMI OR WHATEVER MASSIVE CORPORATION OWNS THE RIGHTS TO THESE SONGS:  Our inclusion of snippets of each song in this podcast, and our narration of the lyrical content therein, constitute quoting or excerpting a work in a review or criticism for purposes of illustration or comment, and are protected as Fair Use under U.S. Copyright Law, Article 17, Code 106,https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/106 SO DON'T SUE US BRAH)

60s Runaround Sue- Dion https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2128/Runaround+Sue She took my love then ran around, With every single guy in town Now people let me put you wise Sue goes out with other guys

* His problem:  Emophilia - tendency to fall in love too easily, fast, and often * https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/slightly-blighty/202102/do-you-fall-in-love-too-easily  * His response:  Slut-Shaming * https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/slut-shaming/ Slut-shaming is the practice of disparaging women, and occasionally men, for acting in a manner that violates “norms” regarding sexually appropriate behavior. These denigrations, which are often double standards, range from criticizing women for wearing sexy clothing or having multiple sexual partners to blaming sexual assault and rape survivors for their attacks.  This can be very traumatizing to a woman, just ask Amber Rose.

When a Man Loves a Woman- Percy Sledge https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/percysledge/whenamanlovesawoman.html * Classic case of PEDESTALLING: Needing someone who is unattainable so you can blame your unhappiness on not having that person, instead of confronting the actual source of it. https://www.dmarge.com/2021/08/pedestalling-dating-trend.html * Also a pretty good dose of codependency: “I gave you everything I have, Tryin' to hold on to your heartless love, baby, please don't treat me bad.”

70s Just the way you are- Billy Joel  https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/3214162/Billy+Joel * the story: this man is telling his longtime partner that they don’t need to change anything… * It’s a tricky song where the sentiment begins in a positive but then it turns subtly sour & controlling * anxiety over personal evolution : “don’t change for me, *or