# IMHO, "Your Song" is the greatest love song written to date. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760 "2007-07-14T15:13:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/1 "2007-07-14T15:13:36Z")
Maybe this should really be in MPSIMS, and I don’t want this to be a GD. This is more an appreciation of the song. I just listened to the song again and I can’t believe how awesomely romantic it is even after all these years. “How wonderful life is while you’re in the world.” Damn if that doesn’t sum up Love! Scuse me while I get all weepy and thank God for all those great people in my world, including all the great dopers on the board. Love you all too! Anyway, I hope this wasn’t that pointless to post. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/2 "2007-07-14T15:23:45Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/3 "2007-07-14T15:52:16Z")
I have to agree. It’s also Elton’s personal favorite even after all these years. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/4 "2007-07-14T15:58:20Z")
“Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen.” Pure poetry. Thank you Bernie Taupin. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/5 "2007-07-14T16:00:36Z")
It is unbelievably romantic. It simply HAD to launch John and Taupin into stardom. How could it not? ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/6 "2007-07-14T16:46:56Z")
I didn’t realize, until a couple of years ago, the following: [QUOTE=Elton John] I don’t have much money, but **boy** , if I did I’d buy a big house where we both could live [/QUOTE] Voila, a gay-friendly love song! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/7 "2007-07-14T17:55:46Z")
It’s a good one, no doubt. The greatest? No. That’s **They Can’t That Away From Me**. Better tune, better lyics. There’s also **I Get a Kick Out of You**. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/8 "2007-07-14T18:03:59Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] It’s a good one, no doubt. The greatest? No. That’s **They Can’t That Away From Me**. Better tune, better lyics. [/quote] Well, they certainly can’t _take_ that away from you! 🙂 And it’s really difficult for me, as a modern who loves the classics, to rank Gershwin against Elton. There’s a part of me that says the old masters (the Gershwins, Arlen and Koehler, Porter, etc.) are bigger than life, like the heroes of Greek myth, while I’ve actually seen that Elton John is a somewhat short, somewhat stout middle-aged man. Of course, I have to discount myself from this specific question, as “Your Song” isn’t even in my Top 10 Elton John list. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/9 "2007-07-14T18:21:46Z")
Actually, as the most _realistic_ love song to date, I have to nominate Charles Aznavour’s “You’ve Let Yourself Go”. > [@](#): > > So we’re alone again tonight. > I read a book, you watch the fight. > A stifled yawn, a can of beer, > what an enthralling atmosphere! > And yet the sight of us this way > helps me to say what I must say. > It helps me to think a thought or two, > to pass it right along to you. > And just for starters you should know > I think…you’ve let yourself go. > > … > > I couldn’t hate you if I tried, > and I still want you by my side. > We ought to lay things on the line! > Perhaps the fault is really mine. > And if it is please tell me so; > a seed replanted still can grow. > Maybe that’s all we need to know… > Come close to me and let yourself go. I can’t quote the full lyrics here, but the excised middle part is a laundry list of all the little annoyances and negligencies and such that any couple has with each other after a while. And yet, by the end, the song has come back to the point that they still love each other very much, despite all the commonplace detritus that builds up. ---
**Author:** ![Aioua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@Aioua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aioua)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/10 "2007-07-14T18:23:04Z")
No, no, no… The greatest love song of all time is **Always With Me, Always With You** by Joe Satriani ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/11 "2007-07-14T19:06:22Z")
One of my all-time favorite love songs is I Do Not Love You (written by Anthony Newley, but Sammy Davis Jr.'s performance knocks it out of the park). I cannot find the lyrics anywhere. The co-writer is Leslie Bricusse, and I can’t find it under that name, either. Anyone got better Google skills than I? ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/12 "2007-07-14T19:51:08Z")
One of my favorite love songs is “Annie’s Song” by John Denver…it’s so passionate. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/13 "2007-07-14T22:56:21Z")
You can’t really boing to “Your Song”. I prefer Weekend in New England. _With you, there’s a heaven, so earth aint so bad._ Now there’s a line, and you can boink to it. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/14 "2007-07-15T00:36:31Z")
I’m not much of one for love songs. I’ve got unrequited love songs and unrequited lust songs galore, not to mention breakup songs, “I screwed up and lost you” songs, and “we used to have something but it’s kinda fizzled out now” songs. My best favorite truly tender and moving love song is rare music indeed: Carole Etzler, “Close to You”: Lying here, next to you What a lovely way to spend a summer afternoon I feel you breathe quietly Lost in secret dreams that only you can see There isn’t room for me I watch your face, and I can tell There is nothing could make me break that magic spell And so i smile, I lie still awhile, Next to you ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/15 "2007-07-15T00:45:48Z")
Slightly off topic but I know Elton performed _Your Song_ for the concert tribute thingy for the late Princess Di. It was one of the first songs he did when I saw him on tour with Billy Joel at RFK some years back. Any estimate as to how many times he’s done the song in concert? I know he’s a performer and he probably views that his job is to give the people what they want but I would think that after a while it would get a bit tough getting up for another rendition of a song you’ve done a million times now. Billy Joel stopped performing _Just the Way You Are_ after a few tours because he just got sick of it and Steely Dan refused to do _Do It Again_ with Fagen claiming that he grew allergic to the song. Obviously not so with Elton. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/16 "2007-07-15T00:45:58Z")
Your Song is certainly a great song. \*Greatest \*is a tough row to hoe. There are so \*very \*many love songs that I enjoy that I can only say this is a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/17 "2007-07-15T01:09:43Z")
I´ve always loved _Your Song_, and it just goes to show what a genius Elton John is, that he can write a song about a guy who´s having a hard time writing a song and it turns out to be the most beautiful song ever. I´ve always loved it, but one day I took that song global. I realized at its crux, the song is about wanting to show someone love but feeling totally inadequate and awkward in doing it. I relate that strongly to my own career path… I love the world, baby, but sometimes I feel like an incompetent fool trying to make a difference here. Still, like Elton´s protagonist, we gotta just do our best and hope it turns out so beautifully. Right on. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/18 "2007-07-15T01:09:46Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] \*Greatest \*is a tough row to hoe. There are so \*very \*many love songs that I enjoy that I can only say this is a good one. [/QUOTE] I agree. “Your Song” is something special, no doubt. But reading though the thread, I have to agree with the posters who suggested “Annie’s Song” and “Weekend in New England.” I’d suggest that “Someone To Watch Over Me” (especially as done by Ella Fitzgerald) and “You Belong to Me” are up there as great love songs as well. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/19 "2007-07-15T02:04:46Z")
I loved _your song_ as a teenager. But when I think of romantic, sweet songs, here are my slightly more recent favorites…all from the 80’s _Crazy For You_ by Madonna _I Get Weak_ by Belinda Carlisle _Head Over Heels_ by Tears For Fears ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/20 "2007-07-15T02:07:26Z")
My vote for the greatest love song (greatest song really) goes to “Stardust.” Especially as performed by Nat Cole. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760.md?page=2)