# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/41 "2007-07-16T03:50:39Z")
cause i love you by Lenny Williams the end ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/42 "2007-07-16T04:16:57Z")
My vote is for “The Search is Over” by Survivor. I just can’t get into “Your Song.” It bugs me to hear, “These things I do - you see, I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue.” It was this message board that clued me in to the fact that the singer has forgotten the color of his loved one’s eyes, and not the color of the things he did. I also hate the awkward phrasing of “If I were a sculptor, but then again, no, or a man who sold potions at a traveling show…” and that line of thought pretty much goes nowhere, anyway…I can tell he’s saying that his means of expression is songwriting rather than scupture or potion-making (Snape loves Lily!!!) but he just leaves the “if” to dangle rather than saying what he’d DO if he were these things. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/43 "2007-07-16T04:57:03Z")
[QUOTE=cmkeller] I just can’t get into “Your Song.” It bugs me to hear, “These things I do - you see, I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue.” It was this message board that clued me in to the fact that the singer has forgotten the color of his loved one’s eyes, and not the color of the things he did. I also hate the awkward phrasing of “If I were a sculptor, but then again, no, or a man who sold potions at a traveling show…” and that line of thought pretty much goes nowhere, anyway…I can tell he’s saying that his means of expression is songwriting rather than scupture or potion-making (Snape loves Lily!!!) but he just leaves the “if” to dangle rather than saying what he’d DO if he were these things. [/QUOTE] You can either take all these as problems and clumsiness in the writing, as you apparently do, or as the genius of Taupin’s lyrics, expressing the awkwardness of the character singing the song. This, I think, is how the OP and the song’s other fans see it. I’ll have to second the Beatles’ _In My Life_, and Randy Newman’s _Marie_, which was the motivation for [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=306776) a couple of years ago. In the past few months I’ve learned to sing and play it on the piano, and I don’t cry over it any more. But it’s still a great song. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/44 "2007-07-16T05:17:48Z")
(I thought of the following after the edit window closed.) The character singing _Marie_ has some of the same awkwardness that the singer of _Your Song_ has, although in a much darker vein. In the second verse he praises Marie with some rather unpoetical metaphors: _You’re the song that the trees sing When the wind blows You’re a flower, you’re a river You’re a rainbow._ No serious poet or lyricist would put these words down in a love song. I think of them as “dumb-guy poetry.” But in their unadorned simplicity and plainness they have a honest beauty that’s rather startling. He then goes on to confess a whole string of sins that no one else has ever admitted in a love song: _Sometimes I’m crazy, but I guess you know, And I’m weak and I’m lazy, and I hurt you so And I don’t listen to a word you say. When you’re in trouble, I turn away._ But he redeems himself (or tries) the only way he knows how: _But I loved you the first time I saw you, And I always will love you, Marie._ ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/45 "2007-07-16T05:19:21Z")
While “Your Song” is up there for me, I think my all time fave has to be “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney/Wings, tied with “Goodbye” from Def Leppard. It’s not what you think, the chorus goes: “You won’t ever have to say goodbye, You won’t ever have to say ‘I’ve wasted all my time’ If the dream you dream ain’t what it seems Just look into my eyes, You won’t ever have to say goodbye.” ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/46 "2007-07-16T06:30:38Z")
How about _The Way You Look Tonight_ by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/47 "2007-07-16T06:36:18Z")
[QUOTE=cmkeller] My vote is for “The Search is Over” by Survivor. I just can’t get into “Your Song.” It bugs me to hear, “These things I do - you see, I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue.” It was this message board that clued me in to the fact that the singer has forgotten the color of his loved one’s eyes, and not the color of the things he did. I also hate the awkward phrasing of “If I were a sculptor, but then again, no, or a man who sold potions at a traveling show…” and that line of thought pretty much goes nowhere, anyway…I can tell he’s saying that his means of expression is songwriting rather than scupture or potion-making (Snape loves Lily!!!) but he just leaves the “if” to dangle rather than saying what he’d DO if he were these things. [/QUOTE] It’s the way boys are when they have crushes on girls. They stammer. They stutter. Their hearts beat so loudly they can hear the thumping in their own chests. They open their mouths to say things they’ve practiced all day, and all that comes out is silly and embarrassing tongue-tied nonsense. But love finds a way to jump from their chests and into the air. How wonderful life is while you’re in the world! ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/48 "2007-07-16T13:20:00Z")
Liberal, commasense, et al, I can certainly understand that you might see the awkward phrasing as a good thing. Me, I like my songs to express thoughts clearly. I guess I’m just weird that way. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/49 "2007-07-16T13:35:04Z")
Maybe clarity is subjective. It’s very clear to me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/50 "2007-07-16T13:55:11Z")
Fortunately Bernie Taupin edited out the final stanza: _And now that I’ve finished, at last you can claim This song that I wrote for-- what the hell is your name? I can’t seem to recall if you’re pudgy or svelte Maybe I’m thinking of somebody else_ ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/51 "2007-07-16T14:02:55Z")
That’s hillarious! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/52 "2007-07-16T14:12:10Z")
For the pragmatic, there’s “Fat and Forty, but Lordy, Lordy, You’re My Meat”, covered by [Joe Jackson](http://www.amazon.com/Jumpin-Jive-Joe-Jackson/dp/B000002GCL/ref=sr_1_2/002-9791019-3736866?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1184595027&sr=1-2) on _Jumpin Jive_. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/53 "2007-07-16T14:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] “Lovesong” by The Cure gets high marks from me. [/QUOTE] As opposed to **Friday I’m In Love**? 🙂 While _Your Song_ is terrific, one of my standards to measure how romantic a song is, is to imagine how heartbreaking it would be for someone to sing the song for a dying or recently passed away lover. In which case Cole Porter standards get my votes, like _After You, Who?_ and _So In Love_, or the aforementioned _The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face_. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/54 "2007-07-16T15:44:25Z")
I love _Your Song_, but it is hard to decide on the single best love song. Two more worthy of consideration: Mama Cass singing _Dream a Little Dream of Me_ and many renditions of _Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?_ I like the one by Carly Simon. I’m glad someone mentioned The Beatles’ _Till There Was You_. IMO, a great song, and their most underappreciated. I also think The Ink Spots’ _I don’t Want to Set The World on Fire_ deserves mention. As does\* Leaving on a Jet Plane\* by Peter, Paul & Mary/John Denver, Ravel’s _Bolero_, and\* To Love Somebody \*performed by James Carr in the movie _The Wrong Man_. I keep searching iTunes for this song, but to no avail. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/55 "2007-07-16T16:10:55Z")
As an aside, I will note that _The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face_ and _Dream A Little Dream_ also make great lullabies. As far as love songs, I love a lot of them mentioned. But my fave hasn’t had a mention yet: the Pretenders’ I’ll Stand By You. I like it because it’s a love song that acknowledges that the beloved has, y’know, flaws, and stuff. > [@minlokwat](#): > > It was one of the first songs he did when I saw him on tour with Billy Joel at RFK some years back. Hey! I was at that concert, too! (We actually lived in Glen Burnie at the time, but for Elton John and Billy Joel, I think we’d have made the drive down from Cumberland). ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/56 "2007-07-16T16:38:43Z")
[QUOTE=PerditaX] I have to go with the Beach Boys’ **God Only Knows** as the greatest. [/QUOTE] I think you just might be right. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/57 "2007-07-16T17:20:20Z")
“Your Song” is, at best, annoying. [QUOTE=RealityChuck] The greatest? No. That’s **They Can’t That Away From Me**. Better tune, better lyics. [/QUOTE] Much better song. Only problem is, it’s to someone you’re leaving or has just left you. “The Way You Look Tonight.” Jerome Kern ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/58 "2007-07-16T18:01:17Z")
No love song has ever topped “TV Set” by The Cramps. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/59 "2007-07-16T18:06:00Z")
[QUOTE=amarinth] “The Way You Look Tonight.” Jerome Kern [/QUOTE] Yes, with the lyricist Dorothy Fields. In a previous post I assumed she had written it with Jimmy McHugh, but you’re right, she wrote it with Jerome Kern. ---
**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 16, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760/60 "2007-07-16T18:14:10Z")
[QUOTE=Jeff Lichtman] How about _The Way You Look Tonight_ by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh? [/QUOTE] To bring this full cycle, what about “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” by Elton & Bernie [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imho-your-song-is-the-greatest-love-song-written-to-date/411760.md?page=4)