I Heard It in a Love Song

How many of you can't name the most popular songs from last year, but let one from your high school days tunes surf the radio waves and see what happens.

Not only can you name that tune in three seconds, but you can remember year, season, and what boy/girl you were desperately or secretly in love with.

I believe love songs in particular have the same effect on us, regardless of where they reside on our timeline of life.

Feels So Right by the country group Alabama serenaded the departure of my innocence. More than a few decades later, I will on occasion pop in the CD by the same name (originally on an album. If you don't know the term, check Wikipedia.) and remember every detail.

When my husband and I decided to marry, we couldn't finalize a date for our wedding until I knew a local singer and friend of my sister was available to sing during our nuptials. His booking ranked higher on my wedding list than flowers, attendants, or dress. Luckily, my future husband took the number one spot.

I walked down the aisle to Dan Fogelberg's Longer. Perhaps Love by John Denver set the scene for the lighting of the unity candle, and Annie's Song, also by John Denver escorted us out of the church and into the world as a couple. You can probably now guess my age and propensity to being an oddball.

Now that I have moderately worn tires on my life's car, I've found love songs in most all music genres that provoke emotion and intermittent happy tears.

In no particular order:

!. Come To Me by the Goo Goo Dolls. I love a love song I can relate to as an adult. This song isn't about crushes or fantasies. This song is one person telling another they both have baggage, but their bond will be strong until they die.

You and me, we've both got sins I don't care about where you've been Don't be sad and don't explain This is where we start again.

2. Johnny and June by Heidi Newfield. Very much a country song honoring the powerful love between country star Johnny Cash and his wife, fellow singer, June Carter Cash. The two were married for thirty-five years and died just four months apart. Carter passed in May of 2003, while Cash followed her in September.

I wanna love like Johnny and June, Rings of fire burnin' with you, I wanna walk the line, Walk the line, Till the end of time, I wanna love, Love ya that much, Cash it all in, Give it all up, When you're gone, I wanna go too, Like Johnny and June

3. All of Me by John Legend. So many of us have such unrealistic expectations of ourselves, but Legend uses the reality of life to express the most beautiful part of love--the day-to-day action of showing up and finding the grace in our weaknesses.

Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you You're my end and my beginning Even when I lose, I'm winning 'Cause I give you all of me And you give me all of you.

4. Remember When by Alan Jackson. Remember When is a journey of love from the moment of sweaty palms and belly butterflies to a separation and reunion, to the reminiscing of a long term relationship. One of the most resplendent components of love is the ever changing, deepening, and enduring E-ticket ride in life.

Remember when thirty seemed so old Now lookn' back it's just a steppin' stone To where we are, Where we've been Said we'd do it all again Remember when.

5. Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth featuring Emeli Sande. Tearing away the facade and exposing your vulnerabilities takes enormous amount of trust. Wearing a mask and armor keeps our emotions safe. One person can find the way into an apprehensive heart, and that is a genuine act of love.

Would you let me see beneath your beautiful Would you let me see beneath your perfect Take it off now girl, take it off now girl I wanna see inside Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight.

6. Reflections of Passion by Yanni. No words to this piano instrumental, but every time I hear

the song, I cry. Every note is the backdrop to a thousand love scenes in my mind.

In reality, I could list scores of love songs and describe how they affect my emotions. That's what songs do.

It's their job to make me cry happy tears, and they do it so well.

How about you? What love songs really talk to you.

Visit my Facebook or Twitter page and tell me. I'll pick one to show up in current work in progress.