love songs

on our way home Sunday, we caught a re-run episode of This American Life that explored the topic of 'break-ups'. I'd heard it before and I love this episode, mostly for the first segment in which Starlee Kine describes a horrible, painful breakup between she and her boyfriend, how this event culminated in a burning desire to write a torch song about it, and how this decision ultimately led her to seek the advice of Phil Collins himself (whose music had become a part of the fabric of she and her ex's courtship/relationship in that way music does). I love that Phil Collins actually talked to her and was gracious, I love the snippets of various love/break-up songs played... it's just a great segment.

**insert phil collins tangent** I may mis-remember parts of this story, so B2 - feel free to correct me. when M and I first started dating, the subject of mix tapes came up. do you make a mix tape of songs selected because the mix tape-maker loves them, or should the song list reflect songs you think the receiver will like? I talked with B2 about this dilemma as well, and I sort of forget how it all came about but we ended up discussing Phil Collins and Genesis (she likes both entities), which I later mentioned to M. when B2 and M met - which was a big deal, as dudes I dated rarely met the important people in my life. wrong and telling, I know. - B2 and I were hanging out at Agora on Westheimer. I'd asked her to help me know what normal, healthy dating looked like, because I really and truly didn't know. in walked mgb wearing a t-shirt that said 'I'm really into Phil Collins' on the front and 'and Genesis' on the back. he'd made it, and I'm pretty sure it endeared him to B2 instantly. when we parted company later, after getting Korean food, I think, she looked at me and said 'that's what it looks like'. that was a great day all around.

so love songs. amidst the awesome angsty slow ones, here's a peppy one I always love:



a new one that's great:



fun and endearing:



and if I were making a break-up mix, this would be in prime first position:




love!

-m.y.