What love songs are not sexist?

[DeviTheGaelet]

Discuss....

Re whether a song is sexist, if uou reverse it so it's a woman singing it to a man and it sounds wrong and nonsensical then it's probably quite sexist.

Agree 'Nothing compares to you' is not sexist. As it works equally as well sung by a woman as by a man. Also 'Faithfully' and 'Open Arms' by Journey.

Wow, the singer on 10000 maniacs also has a gorgeous voice.
Might need to take some time to make a non sexist love songs play list

No One Can - Marillion

Also Endless Love

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu9RVPTpDyA

I think Wonderful Tonight is cringeworthy. The message is vile and the object (pun intended) of his affection is entirely two dimensional.

I don't think all love songs are sexist though I think lots are.

I like All of Me by John Legend and sing it to my daughter. I could imagine it working with a gender switch too. I'll prepare to be corrected.

The finest love song, eva? The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Think it was written by a man in the 1960s. Best known by Roberta Flack circa 1974.

Written by a man and not sexist, though some miserable sod will be along to tell me otherwise

Ha I was literally just coming on here to say the exact same thing!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Id_UYLPSn6U

Just a troo fakt innit?

Ok serious question: is love sexist?

Our House by Crosby Stills and Nash.

"The first time ever I saw your face" is lovely, and works well with both sexes.

Have I Told You Lately by Van Morrison.

Doesn't seem sexist to me, and its "our song" so I love it!

ASIP, that's a thread in its own right, surely.

Agree On beautiful south. Prettiest Eyes is lovely.

Sarah Bareilles, I'm not Going to write you a love song.
Lily Allen Who'd Have Known

Is love sexist? No.
Are the conventions of women being on a pedestal, as the angel of the house, and men both worshipping them and being their master sexist? Yep.

I'm not sure one utterly crap song by Clapton means anything other than Clapton wrote (at least) one utterly crap song unless you are determined to find sexism everywhere.

Clapton is redeemed by the lovely and gender (or sex if you prefer) non specific Please Be With Me

God Only Knows is also non specific as is David Gates' lovely Everything I Own
(which actually is relationship non-specific)

Me and Bobby McGee has been covered by loads of people- Bobbie was intended to be a woman in the original.

It's taken less than 30 seconds to come up with these examples- I'm sure there are gazillions more.

Wow, the singer on 10000 maniacs also has a gorgeous voice

Natalie Merchant- she has had a stellar solo career for the last 20 years.

Elton John's Your Song

lass it was just I couldn't think of any when I was on the spot! It's been a good thread for new artists anyway

I love 'Everything I Own' especially the Boy George version:

I don't think it is sexist - certainly not the Boy George version

Elbow - mirrorball

There are loads of love songs that aren't sexist.

Stand inside your love - smashing pumpkins. Running through the lyrics in my head and I can't find anything sexist in there (feel free to correct me if there is )

Everything I Own was I believe written with reference to David Gates' father. The song applies to any relationship where one person does not realise how much another person meant until it's too late.

Elbow is a good call One Day Like This as well.

Which reminds me of Perfect Day too.

Every breath you take - The Police (albeit slightly stalker-ish)

Chasing cars - Snow Patrol

Fix you - Coldplay

I used to love 'One day like this' but then it got overplayed on a sporting event and now it makes me think of the BBC!