1. Few bands so brilliantly mix the soul of a br@$$
section and the sounds of rock guitar as does Chicago.
“Alive Again,” a lively track from their 1978 album
Hot Streets, features the talents of guitarist Donnie
Dacus. With the lyrics, “All the empty yesterdays have
disappeared, now that you have filled my life with love,”
the feeling does come that when the right one comes
along, life is indeed better.
2. The spirited “More,” recorded in 1964 by the
legendary Bobby Darin for his
Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charliealbum is a masterful
blend of pop, jazz and big band swing. Talking about a
person so deeply in love that their only desire is to “…
love you more each day.”
3. Quite possibly one of the greatest singer/songwriters
of all time, Dan Foglebergisin a league all his own. The
gorgeous “Believe In Me,” from his brilliant 1984
Windows and Wallsrelease has one line that touches the
heart perfectly, “Those other loves that came before,
mean nothing to me any more…”
4. From my daughter Rachel came the idea to include
this song. After a listen, I learned why — there are
times a couple just needs to hold one another and let
the world around them do what it will. The mesmerizing
“Chasing Cars,” from Snow Patrol’s 2006 extraordinary
CD
Eyes Open,is a flawless song that drives the message
home: “If I just lay here, would you lay with me and just
forget the world…?” This track is beyond good.
5. “Grow Old With Me,” a tender song penned from a
Robert Browning poem, is one of the final songs
recorded by John Lennon and can be heard on his
posthumous 1984 CD,
Milk and Honey.”Grow old with me, the best is yet to
be….” Little more needs to be said.
6. “Still The One,” a full of life number from Orleans
1976
Waking and Dreamingrelease tells the story of a couple
pa$$ionately in love. From their first kiss to a spouse’s
final breath, there’s that look that tells you even after
everything a married couple go through, “that even after
all these years, you’re still the one I want whispering in
my ear…”
7. Marriage isn’t easy – there will be tough times, but if
there is love, and forgiveness, there are few things that
a couple can’t overcome. From Bruce “The Boss”
Springsteen’s 1992
Lucky Town release comes the gentle “If I Should Fall
Behind,” with the excellent lyrics “We’ll help each other,
stay in stride…”
8. In the world of music there is Stevie Wonder, and
then, it seems, there is everyone else. “You And I,”
from his 1972
Talking Book album, is so touching that while listening
to it, time seems to stop: “I have found strength in
you…you and I can conquer the world…” the lyrics go,
and it is a wish this song would go on forever.
9. The beautiful Vanessa Williams sings about a
marriage’s pure love on “The Sweetest Days,” a
sensational song from her 1994 CD of the same name.
“All the while, life is rushing past us. These are the
days, the sweetest days we’ll know…” Vanessa sings,
and she sings it perfectly.
10. In “And I Always Will,” Beach Boys’ Al Jardine sings,
“Without you, I just can’t go on… I dedicate my whole
life to loving you…” from his 2010 solo project
A Postcard From California. The most beautiful of love
songs, it tells how a man, when looking back over his
life with his wife, would do it all over again.
