As the annual day of love approaches, we look at five of the most popular love songs you might be listening to around Valentine’s Day, and the unexpected stories behind them.
1st February 2019
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1st February 2019
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Although this song is best known for being sung by Whitney Houston on the soundtrack of the film, The Bodyguard, I Will Always Love You was actually written and recorded almost 20 years earlier by the country singer Dolly Parton. An incredibly romantic song in the movie, played when Whitney Houston dances with Kevin Costner, Dolly Parton’s version of the song has a slightly less romantic sentiment. She actually wrote it as a farewell song to her singing partner, Porter Wagoner, when she decided to pursue a solo career.
This song was penned by Grammy award-winning lyricist and record producer Jim Steinman, released in 1983 by the Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It’s a timeless power ballad still adored to this day and is about a desperate desire to love somebody. What few people realise is that it was actually written as a vampire love song, and that the original title of the song was Vampires in Love. With lyrics such as: ‘I’m always in the dark, we’re living in a powder keg and giving off sparks’ it suddenly makes sense…
This song was hugely popular in 2007, with millions of copies of the single sold and 90 million YouTube views. Despite its title, however, this isn’t a love song at all. It appears to be about someone asking for a love song to be written about them, but it’s actually a message from Sara Bareilles to her record label. The label was apparently keen on her writing certain types of songs on her album, so she wrote a song saying “I’m not going to write you a love song cause you asked for it!”
Another classic song from the 80s that couples still enjoy listening to today, Every Breath You Take written by Sting is a song with many impressive accolades under its belt. Even today, it’s a popular choice as the song to accompany a first dance at weddings. However, the lyrics are actually about a possessive lover who can’t let go, who is watching “every breath you take; every move you make.” Sting wrote the song after separating from his wife and starting a relationship with her best friend.
Many people know this song nowadays as being an Adele classic from her album, 19, which was released in 2008. What fewer people realise is that the song is actually by Bob Dylan and was launched on an album later in his career in 1997. At the time, the song didn’t go down particularly well, with Rolling Stone Magazine calling it “a spare ballad undermined by greeting card lyrics.” Adele has proved the critics wrong by selling more than a million copies of the single and achieving more than 155 million YouTube views. The song has also been covered with great success by Garth Brooks, Bryan Ferry, Kelly Clarkson and many others.
Join us at The Runnymede on Thames for your Valentine’s Day celebrations. Whether it’s for a special meal by the River Thames with pink bubbles and special gifts, or getaways with films and fizz or plenty of spa time, we’ve got a Valentine’s treat for couples who want to celebrate the annual day of love.
