A comment on one of Dr. Crater’s blogs is the impetus for this blog. The comment mentioned that “Warm Leatherette” was a sexy song. I agree. But I have been left wondering what it is about Grace Jones’ spooky appearance, the techno punk rhythms and downright ghastly words that hold a place in my mind that is associated with anything vaguely sensual. And more generally, what it is about music that seems to be so inextricably linked to romance. After all what couple doesn’t quickly identify “their song?” Who doesn’t know a few songs that when heard fan some sensual feeling, from the animalistic to the purely sentimental?

So why does music play such a big part in romance? Well if you really want to sap any semblance of emotions from this question try reading the psychology of music. Less cynically, some of the reasons psychologists give for our attraction to music may actually inform us on why we find music romantic.

For example, some psychologists argue that music is an arbitrary set of conventions, such as a mathematical system or a means of cataloging information. People who relate to music in this way are those who listen to Chopin and find the structure of the rhythms part of the emotional power. They hear a song and tell you the producer, the back-up flutist and the number of times the singer has been in rehab. Tell me you haven’t met the type?

Psychologists also talk about the psychoacoustics of music. Our brains are hardwired to be able to perceive certain sequences of pitch intervals and not others. Certain rhythms seem to be nearly universal as does a tendency to dislike discordant sounds. And if we don’t come with our musical preferences hardwired, it seems that they become so fairly early in life. A number of studies have found that the music of our youth will always remain at the top of our musical palette.

The final interpretation of music that psychologists provide is that music is an emergent property of mind, very similar to language. Based on our experiences and abilities we experience and use music in a completely unique manner. So even if part of music is the mathematical structures that comprise its rhythms the way we respond to those structures is in a completely unique way. Leaving us to find ourselves screaming like a banshee while we drive down the freeway one day feeling like we are the King only to find ourselves in an absolute funk the next day, all because of the particular music some DJ decided to play.

My point here is that there is no standard for what comprises a sexy song. We each have our own unique skills in perceiving music and while it may not involve hearing each minor third nor sixth diminished, just as we each have our own experience in growing up and falling in love for the first time, the soundtrack for our experiences is every bit as unique. And when we fall in love and find “our song” we are sharing something intensely personal and making a connection that is entirely unique to that relationship.

So while each person will define their own sound of romance, as will each relationship, there are some songs that I think are just sheer romance. Naming such a list is probably a whole new type of Rorschach test but here are five I would pick, most days.

1) Marvin Gaye: “Let’s Get it On” Who could argue with this? Listen to the intro and I bet you are convinced. “I’ve been really trying baby, trying to hold back this feeling for so long.”
2) Bruce Springsteen: “Tunnel of Love” Hey I’m still an east coast boy at heart.
3) Roxy Music: “Ladytron” This is a bit idiosyncratic, I’ll admit, but Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry are part of my history. From this pick it would also seem that animatronic romance must be as well.
4) The White Stripes: I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself. Just to show the youngsters that I didn’t stop listening to music in the ’70’s.
5) Emiliana Torrini: Fisherman’s Woman. I put this one on the list because I listened to this album for several times the past few days and can’t listen to anything else right now. I still fall in love with music.

Here’s hoping you enjoy a walk down the memory lane of your romance songs.