What love songs are not sexist?

[DeviTheGaelet]

Discuss....

What about She - Elvis Costello. Love that.

Second only to The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, is Misty Blue, sung by Dorothy Moore, also written by a man, and not sexist. (Usual caveat re being told otherwise apply...).

Lucille2 when i read the thread title , I straight away thought of Five Bottles Of Shampoo by the King Blues. Then I thought, that's not a love song... but it's kind of a love song to all womankind, isn't it?

I'm not sure if deciding a love song has worth only if it can be sung to a man or woman is hugely relevant.

The Clapton song is plodding and monotous with a dull and predictable melody and lyrically is the equivalent of Hallmark Valentine card. Whether it's sexist or not hardly matters in its catalogue of crimes against music.

On the other hand Rod Stewart's You Wear It Well, Burns' My Love is Like a Red,Red Rose and Ae Fond Kiss or Clifford T Ward's Home Thoughts From Abroad or Gaye^ can really only be addressed to women and I'm not going to write any of them off just because you can't role reverse them.

What about She - Elvis Costello

She was written by Charles Aznavour - Costello only covered it.

Northernlurker Total eclipse of the heart was originally wrote for meatloaf. Everytime I hear it I can imagine him singing it. pointless bit of trivia

And She was a huge worldwide hit for Aznavour long before Costello covered it. I much prefer the Aznavour version; Costello sounds very insincere.

If we are criticising songs for being sexist Costello's My Aim is True should be in there and Costello's unnecessarily rude attack on Linda Ronstad for covering it.

Two more Kris Kristofferson songs which are non-sexist 'For the good times' and 'Help me make it through the night'.

One day like this by Elbow

"She" is one of my favourite songs - can't believe I didn't think of that one.

Actually, thinking about songs I've realised a lot of the songs I like aren't really love songs. I'm not sure if that's because I don't like love songs, or I like songs that happen not to be love songs, or I don't like sexist songs. I'll have to think on that one some more (with the aid of Spotify)

Poor Aznavour. Never heard of him!

The Divine Comedy have some good ones: I Like, and Perfect Lovesong.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was written by Ewan Macoll about Peggy Seeger. It is so powerful it always makes me desperately sad I've never been in love like that.

I think The message of That's What Makes You Beautiful is that boys love a girl with low esteem so counts as sexist in my book.

Made Up Love Song #43 by Guillemots is strangely touching despite being incomprehensible, and a lovely song. Can't believe I forgot it.

Can I nominate a 'Creepiest Song'? I find Strange and Beautiful by Aqualung very disturbing. Another song about obsession masquerading as love.

I had never got past Aqualung's whiny voice to listen to the words but you are right.

I don't know if 'Up the Junction' by Squeeze counts as a love song. More of a song about a failed relationship and despondency.

But it is not sexist

Booklooker, that's one of my favourite songs ever. It's perfect. Thanks for reminding me of it

Anything by stevie wonder. None of his songs objectify women, it is one of the things that make them so beautiful.

'I was made to love her' is one of my favourite love songs - it always makes my heart flutter to think how much you must love someone to write a song like that about them.

I hate nearly all modern song lyrics because of the casual sexism in them.

Beautiful South's '36D' is vile. So misogynistic.

Agree. But Prettiest Eyes is not.

I hate nearly all modern song lyrics because of the casual sexism in them

I think you should try broadening your musical horizons beyond mainstream chart fodder.


The funny think about What Makes You Beautiful (which I agree is gross) - if not knowing she's beautiful is the attractive thing about her, once it's been proved to her (e.g. by writing a song about it...) will she not be beautiful any more?

Men hating ? Yeah, whatever.

Maybe Tony Joe White's best version of this love song. Mmmm..