Love songs about established, long term relationships
So, I used to think I hated all love songs.
I disliked them because, in the ones that id heard were the type that found on the FM radio stations, and those tend to fall into a couple broad categories:
- I just met you, and I want to marry/stalk you
- You broke up with me, and I will do anything to get you back
- Your with someone else, and Im trying to win you over
My view on them changed when I found I'll Take Lonely Tonight, A song about the temptation of cheating in an established relationship.
While not a song I can exactly relate to, it still struck me, because its, well, respectful.
Its respectful towards the woman offering the one night stand, but still describes a deep, enduring love between Tim and his wife,
that he would rather spend the night on his own then break their trust.
(I guess it probably helps that I already like tim minchin, especially his newer, more subdued works.)
Since then, Ive only discovered one other song that scratches that same itch: Like my Father, a song about how the artist's parents relationship set the standard she strives for in her own relationship (My parents relationship was very much a role model for my marriage today, so this one hits me in the feels)
Im actively looking for other similar songs, and would appreciate any other suggestions.
"Still Into You" by Paramore fits the bill. My wife and I actually danced to that at our wedding after 10 years of dating.
You’re Still The One by Shania Twain
"Harvest Moon" by Neil Young is a pretty major example.
Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
Five Years by Bo Burnham is a hilarious take on it
I feel like Jack Johnson build an entire career on love songs. Some might fall into that first "chasing" theme you're not interested in, but a lot, imo, feel like steady/longtime love.
He knows his audience and went ahead and made a playlist of love songs (spotify link).
The Weight by Thrice is a pretty good example of this and even criticizes the kind of short term, shallow thinking that you're talking about.
dustin kensrue's solo cut "of crows and crowns" feels like the natural evolution of "the weight".
For me, it's gotta be Foggy by Leslie Odom Jr.. Maybe not romantic-romantic, but it's a love song for sure.
To me, it's a love song - two people, in a long-term relationship, failing to make time for each other. They forget what commitments they make to each other, they fail to make good on promises, they fail to make their relationship as important as their other responsibilities. The possibility of a lazy morning in bed and calling in sick offers them the ability to make space for each other.
Here are a few (sorry in advance if country music is not your thing, but that is where my musical experience lies)
P!nk has a lot of good songs along those lines-- many of them about the work it can take to maintain a long-term relationship.
Stuck With You - Huey Lewis and the News captures a lot of the conflicting feelings of being in a less than perfect long-term relationship.
The catchy tune and chorus belies some of sadder lyrics, which tell a story of a couple that may only be together because they have the same friends and share an address. Although they're happy to be stuck with each other, they're only in the relationship because of convenience and familiarity.
Throw in "a modicum of mutual respect" and I can think of worse tripods to support a marriage with.
"In Spite of Ourselves" by John Prine and Iris Dement. Link to the song. It's a funny and sappy love song that my partner and I always bust out into song when it comes on in the car.
Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash - 'Cause I Love You.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms.
Eric Clapton - How Deep is the Ocean.
The Beatles - We Can Work It Out.
I heard this very sappy 1957 song on the radio recently: Magic Moments by Perry Como
Dontchange - Musiq Soulchild
It's an R&B song where he reaffirms that his love is deeper than skin deep. As long as their love for each other doesn't change, then it doesn't matter that whether she looks older or what ever.
While the message is simple, it's a really good one. Not to mention the song itself is really good. The melody and his voice bring a classic R&B vibe to it. That's why I like this song at least
The Bones by Maren Morris fits pretty well for this I think.
D-i-v-o-r-c-e by Tammy Wynette (about not getting a divorce).
Escape by Rupert Holmes. The yacht rock take.
10 years by Daði Freyr
Faithfully by Journey
I really like Glasses by Jonathan Colton for this, which is about accepting the aging of yourself and your partner. The chorus gets to me. I like the affirmation:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ipa6gfNHCZE
Cold Fire by Rush is a strange love song about established relationships.
Bill & Annie by Chuck Brodsky.
It's about a guy getting married before realizing he might love someone else and he made a mistake. Even still, he decides he can be happy with this situation. Even after that wife passes away, they resist the urge to act on their feelings out of respect for the deceased. It's a bittersweet story about a forbidden lifetime love that only really got to be enjoyed in the lovers late years, but they're still happy they're experiencing it nevertheless.
More folky than a lot of the songs on here, but I enjoy it and I think it fits to what you're looking for!
Honey by Bobby Goldsboro is a love song that doesn’t fall into those categories. It’ll hit you in the feels with the last verse.
Billy Bragg’s Brickbat is a lovely instance of exactly this. It’s about a couple who really care about one another amidst the everyday bickering over mundane things, the errands, and the child rearing (Bragg’s son, Jack Valero, was a toddler when the album came out and is now a musician in his own right).
Peaches and Cream by John Butler Trio is about his daughter and partner, so more familial love than romantic, but I think fits what you're looking for.