When Springsteen misses Bobby Jean, he simply writes her a song to wish her luck and tell her he misses her, and she hears him on the radio. The rest of us mortals resort to lying awake in bed during the ungodly hours of the night, as we grapple with loose ends and the weight of our decisions. Should we have ended our past relationships? Did we make the right decisions? Well, since we don’t have the luxury to reach out to our Bobby Jeans in their respective motel rooms, here are ten consolatory songs to fill the air.
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“Bobby Jean” – Bruce Springsteen
I rebelled against my parent’s affinity towards Springsteen in my younger days and picked up Steely Dan records instead. Bruce doesn’t want much from his childhood sweetheart Bobby Jean other than to wish her good luck and goodbye, and sometimes, that’s all you need to do. Also, if you’re one of those people who likes sax solos, this song has that, too.
“What A Shame About Me” – Steely Dan
Here’s another dry narrative from Two Against Nature, one that shatters the illusion of imperishable love. On the track, Fagen sings about playing catch up with a long lost ex, whom he bumps into while working his day gig at the Strand. They talk about the old times, and when she insists on getting a cab to her hotel, he denies her saying, “babe you look delicious and you’re standing very close, but this is lower Broadway and you’re talking to a ghost”. The “connection goes dead” when the past, once idealistic relationship doesn’t translate to the present.
“A Song For You” – Amy Winehouse
Winehouse injects an Ann Peebles sense of nostalgia into this almost sacramental Leon Russell cover. She soulfully confesses to bad rhymes she made and pleads for the boy next door to remember her when her life is over.
“No Action” – Elvis Costello
When I first heard this song, I was too young to grasp what a “bakelite” was, but as I grew older, this track, along with the rest of the songs on This Year’s Model, grew on me and took upon an autobiographical light. “Sometimes I phone you when I know you’re not lonely, but I always disconnect it in time,” sings Costello ruthlessly as he vacillates between jealousy and nonchalance.
“Anything Else But the Truth” – The Honorary Title
The Honorary Title is a teen angst staple, and this song in particular plays out a kind of mock-adult sobriety (they were best known for being on the soundtrack of CW’s One Tree Hill, if this explains anything). Jarrod Gorbel sings, “the seamstress who weaved shut the stitches reopens the same memory”. Curiously, this line about burning yourself in an attempt to rekindle a flame holds true a little while after the flannel wearing teen days.
“Am I Safe” – Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams sings from a place of palpable anguish, asking himself, “am I safe if I don’t want to be with you?”. He’s in limbo, engulfed in nostalgia induced from taunting memories.
“Later On” – Kate Nash
“I didn’t like his face, didn’t think he was cute, but I kissed him just to get some information, I used my body and his desperation.” A song that goes to show that pity sex isn’t just sleeping with the sad, single person but instead the sad, single culture as a whole.
“I Don’t Love Anyone” – Belle and Sebastian
“If there’s one thing I learned when I was still a child, it’s to take to hiding” sings Murdoch on their debut album Tigermilk. “I Don’t Love Anyone” is an endearing song that explores humanity through the story of somebody who closes themselves to love, harboring the belief that they are too sensitive for the world.
“Tired of Being Alone” -Al Green
Al Green – Does anybody explore life better than Al Green?
“Temptation” – New Order
This song has one of the best (and most sparingly used) hooks ever written and hits right at home for those times you’ve been unhinged enough and finally ready to fall in love again.
