10 Things I Love About You - A Valentine's Day Playlisticle
Graphic by Julia Norkus
By Payton Cavanaugh
Well, who doesn’t just LOVE love? Valentine’s Day: a day for cheesy romantic gestures, mushy-gushy feelings, and telling those you love that you love them, in the ways you best know how. Dearest reader, this listicle is by you, for you. It’s a mixtape, made with love (and the sweetest submissions I’ve ever read).
“Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan
“When the rain is blowing in your face / And the whole world is on your case / I could offer you a warm embrace / To make you feel my love”
Well, I thought it was only fitting to throw my track in first, and I want to dedicate this to everyone I love in my life. To my lovely best friends, my sweet boyfriend, my wonderful family, I love you. To conclude, I will of course devote this to my lovely mama who used to sing this song to rock me to sleep. I want you to know that I love you dearly, and I’d forever go to the ends of the earth for you.
“Gary’s Song” from Spongebob Squarepants
“You’re my best friend / Too cool to forget / Come back ‘cause we are family”
“This song is very random but ‘Gary’s Song’ (like from SpongeBob) reminds me of my little sister Sylvyn,” wrote Ivy Love, “After I left for college, her and I would send that song to each other as a way to say that we miss each other and it’s time for me to come home soon!”
Dearest Sylvyn, Ivy wants you to know that she misses and loves you dearly, call your sister! <3
“Dial Drunk” by Noah Kahan
“I ain’t proud of all the punches that I’ve thrown / In the name of someone I no longer know / For the shame of being young, drunk, and alone / Traffic lights and a transmitter radio”
Pickles Sanjay, your best friend wants you to know that she misses you dearly, and will forever hear this song and think of you.
“We don’t get to see each other a lot because they go to school in Scotland, so we’re on entirely different calendars,” said Aparna Prabhakar. “When we’re home together, though, we spend as much time together as possible, and that usually means driving around and blasting music.”
“Trade Places” by Matthew Sweet
“You’ve looked for something greater than this / I promise you it doesn’t exist / And I wouldn’t trade places for what I know”
“I don’t think anybody really likes to see their parents behave romantically. At least I don’t, and I can’t give you a good reason why, because it’s completely childish,” said Izzy Desmarais. “So, while I don’t necessarily want to admit this, I am immensely grateful for the love my parents have for one another. It not only created a safe and warm home for me to grow up in, but they provided (and continue to provide) a good example of what romantic love should look like. “Trade Places” by Matthew Sweet was their wedding song, so I’m dedicating it to them here in this article, as a way to tell them thank you and I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day!”
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” by Lauryn Hill
“There are no words left to speak / But if you feel like I feel / Please let me know that it’s real / You’re just too good to be true / Can’t take my eyes off of you”
There is something so beautiful about the nostalgia filled music we grow up listening to, and there is no greater love than the love shared between parents and their children. To Colette’s parents– she wants you to know how much this song, and you, mean to her.
“The song reminds me of my parents, since they used to sing that song to my brother and I as babies,” said Colette Lauture. “Whenever I hear it I get filled with nostalgia and it makes me feel happy, even though I don’t remember being sung to as a baby the love is still there.”
“Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey
“Just a small town girl / Livin’ in a lonely world / She took the midnight train going anywhere”
Dearest Mendes family, Sofia wants you to know that she’ll never stop believin’ and this song, and the memories you’ve shared because of it, are exactly the reason why.
“It will always be one of my favorite songs. My whole extended family used to scream it at the top of our lungs when everyone would gather at my aunt’s house,” said Sofia Mendes. “It was a song everyone knew and all the kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles would stop what they were doing to belt it out. A lot of those people have unfortunately passed away but that song always brings back the sweetest of childhood memories.”
“True Blue” by boygenius
“And it feels good to be known so well / I can’t hide from you like I hide from myself / I remember who I am when I’m with you / Your love is tough, your love is tried and true blue”
Happy Valentine’s Day, Char! Molly wants you to know just how much your friendship means to her. Even when you’re far apart, you’re always in her heart. Nearly 3,000 miles of distance may be hard, especially after living with each other for a year in Boston, but absence makes the heart grow stronger and your friendship forever means the world to her.
“In the song, Lucy Dacus sings about someone who wanted to like the winter, but has Summer in their blood, which always makes me think of her. She also sings about someone moving away and the mixed feelings that accompany that. Dacus is happy because her person is happier in their new place, but she’s sad because they’re gone. I miss my best friend everyday that I'm in our city without her, but I’m thrilled she’s found her happy place in California,” said Molly Dougherty. “I remember who I am when I’m with my best friend. She makes me feel easy to love, safe, and understood. She makes me feel alive. We met at 18, when neither of us knew who we were, but we truly did f*ck around and find out. It’s been the greatest honor getting to do that with my favorite person.”
“I Don’t Wanna Be Okay Without You” by Charlie Burg
“I’m thrown to the wayside / You’re planted in my mind / But I don’t wanna be okay without you”
Having love and respect for the people we have loved in our past is truly one of the most admirable qualities a person can possess. Often it’s hard to see past endings and appreciate them for what they are, and Merin, you’re so strong for this. Consider this my love letter to you.
“My ex played this song for me, we aren’t together anymore and we’ll never get back together which is okay, I still have a lot of love for him and I know he does for me,” said Merin Ells. “I wish the best for him everyday, I’m okay without him and he’s okay without me but at one point we didn’t see that we would love each other from afar and without being in contact.”
“Sweet” By Cigarettes After Sex
“It’s so sweet, knowing that you love me / Though we don’t need to say it to each other, sweet / Knowing that I love you, and running my fingers through your hair / It’s so sweet”
Erich, Bri wants you to know that this song will always bring the most beautiful memories.
“It’s me and my partner’s song,” said Bri Friedman. “It always comes on shuffle at the most lovely moments.”
“Moon River” by Audrey Hepburn
“Two drifters, off to see the world / There’s such a lot of world to see / We’re after the same rainbow’s end”
Evan, on this Valentine’s Day Jess wants you to know just how much this song, and your love, means to her.
“It’s me and Evan’s song and we hum and whistle it to each other when the other is feeling down,” said Jessika Landon. “We’re both convinced that the song itself was written as a prediction of me and Evan’s soul connection specifically.”
“All My Love” by Noah Kahan
“Now I know your name / But not who you are / It’s all okay / There ain’t a drop of bad blood, it’s all my love / You got all my love”
Dearest reader, I leave you with this track. It is so easy to get lost in the web of this holiday, and I want you to know that you’ve got all my love! Happy Valentine’s Day! <3
Yours truly,
Payton