A Year Of Songs that Aren't About Love

Posting one song every day about friendship, pride, struggles with mental illness, nostalgia for home, politics, protest, unionizing, outlaws, ghosts, outer space, outlaw ghosts in outer space - anything but romance or sex.  There are so many human experiences out there! 

[nonlovesongoftheday]

A New Project for 2022

This is an idea I’ve had for a while, but I thought about again the other day when I drove to visit a friend.  I drove for half an hour listening to the radio, and of the 12 songs I heard on the way, all of them were about love, romance, or breakups.  Only one could only conceivably be interpreted non-romantically.

And I thought, I like music; I especially like music that tells heroic stories of dramatic acts in outer space, or about being angry at politicians.  Possibly I like those genres (filk and political protest music) best because... they’re overall not about love.

People have felt that, right?  Looking to listen to music that isn’t a love song?

So I decided that the new year was an excellent time to start a new project: Non-Love Song Of The Day.  365 days of diverse songs that are about friendship, nostalgia, home, loss, politics, pride, feminism, ghosts, spaceships, outlaws, outlaw ghosts on spaceships, being attacked by snakes, or any of the myriad facets of human existence that aren’t romance.

[nonlovesongoftheday]

We're Goin' Back - Duane Elms

A song about going to the moon.

[zeroaddzero]

[nonlovesongoftheday]

Hannukkah in Santa Monica - Tom Lehrer

Here's to Judas Maccabeus Boy, if he could only see us Spending Hanukkah In Santa Monica By the sea

[milkinawineglass]

[thesnicketfile]

Visit Original Link

Daniel Handler – The Carioca (Dec 10, 2012, on NPR Fresh Air)

Mr. Snicket’s official representative performs for Terry Gross, from NPR Fresh Air, a song that was composed for Lemony Snicket’s first book in the All The Wrong Questions-series, titled Who Could That Be At This Hour?.

LYRICS:

When things explode we hit the road well it’s been a lovely visit. But if we can decode our secret code it isn’t a secret, is it? Dressed à la mode and furbelowed we’re working to change this planet. But if we can decode our secret code it can’t be a secret, can it? I will not do the Carioca which is a dance that goes like this. But if I did the Carioca it would be heaven, it would be bliss. I’ll never do the Carioca which is a dance that goes like this But if I did the Carioca it would be heaven, it would be bliss. Strange seeds we’ve sowed Hard rows we’ve… hoed So please don’t say easy does it. We don’t agree ‘cause if we can decode our secret code it wasn’t a secret, was it? Into town we rode Our bows are stowed And we rarely wear our hair long. But if we can decode their secret code it won’t be a secret erelong. Then we can do the Carioca indefinitely if we like And those who poo poo Carioca they can all go take a hike We go do the Carioca which is a dance that goes like this. And when we do the Carioca it will be heaven, it will be bliss. Tralalalalalalala Trala trala trala trala Tralalalalalalala Latra latra latra Tralalalalalatata Tralalalalalalala Tralalalalalalala Tralalalalalalala

[nonlovesongoftheday]

Disenchanted - My Chemical Romance

It was the roar of the crowd That gave me heartache to sing It was a lie when they smiled And said, you won't feel a thing And as we ran from the cops We laughed so hard it would sting

[nonlovesongoftheday]

Welcome to My Life - Simple Plan

Do you ever feel like breaking down? Do you ever feel out of place Like somehow you just don't belong And no one understands you?

[nonlovesongoftheday]

The Anthem - Good Charlotte

Do you really wanna be like them? Do you really wanna be another trend? Do you wanna be part of that crowd? 'Cause I don't ever wanna I don't ever wanna be you Don't wanna be just like you Oh, what I'm saying is This is the anthem Throw all your hands up You Don't wanna be you

[nonlovesongoftheday]

We Will All Go Together When We Go - Tom Lehrer

No more ashes, no more sackcloth And an armband made of black cloth Will some day nevermore adorn a sleeve For if the bomb that drops on you Gets your friends and neighbors too There'll be nobody left behind to grieve

[nonlovesongoftheday]

Tom Lehrer - Selling Out

Selling out Is easy to do It's not so hard To find a buyer for you

[nonlovesongoftheday]

Bright College Days - Tom Lehrer

Hearts full of youth! Hearts full of truth! Six parts gin to one part vermouth!

[nonlovesongoftheday]

Lobachevsky - Tom Lehrer

Plagiarize! Let no one else's work evade your eyes Remember why the good Lord made your eyes So don't shade your eyes But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize Only be sure always to call it please "research"

According to Lehrer, the song is "not intended as a slur on [Lobachevsky's] character" and the name was chosen "solely for prosodic reasons".

[nonlovesongoftheday]

The Elements - Tom Lehrer

There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium, And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium...

These were all of the elements known as of 1959.

[nonlovesongoftheday]

The Vatican Rag - Tom Lehrer

First you get down on your knees, Fiddle with your rosaries, Bow your head with great respect, And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect! Do whatever steps you want, if You have cleared them with the Pontiff. Everybody say his own Kyrie eleison, Doin' the Vatican Rag.

[nonlovesongoftheday]

National Brotherhood Week - Tom Lehrer

Oh, the poor folks hate the rich folks, And the rich folks hate the poor folks. All of my folks hate all of your folks, It's American as apple pie.

[preserving-tiktok]

[distinguished-shipper]

Just looked up the whole song and it's freaking good:

[thesuncantreachyouhere]

what "politics" does the guy with the iron cross necklace want to leave out of punk i wonder