Thursday, May 7, 2009

Romance

Why does it seem to me today that romance is GONE from popular culture? Songs and films are all about sex, sex, sex. It's starting to become boring and ugly...yet another song about getting it on, yet another movie with the compulsory sex scene....whatever.

When I was around 8/9 years old I had a teenaged babysitter who would put me to bed and then listen to records in the living room. I would lie with my ear to the wall and listen to the music, and she always played two particular songs, each and every time. I couldn't hear the lyrics, and I hadn't even hit puberty yet, and yet I would lie there in the dark and cry and cry and cry. You know, that really good crying, not because you're sad, but because you're filled with powerful emotion that's connected to something called love.

Now, please don't laugh at me...well...at least, don't laugh in my commentbox, but I watched "Twilight" last week, and I think there's something about Edward and Bella that almost captures that old-fashioned notion of romance. But they don't have a tear-jerking theme song, and that's just wrong.

In any case, here are the two songs my babysitter loved, and which still make me cry.




6 comments:

RW said...

Oh. Yes. Music on Repeat.
My daughter is 14 and the Repeat Button is well used.

You brought up a couple of ideas - lack of romance in popular culture and crying out of love/ beauty.

I shall be distracted by this post for the remainder of the day.

trash said...

Having read the first two books in the Twilight series let me agree that there is an element of old-fashioned romance about their relationship. Don't you think this has something to do with them not touching? That and restrained passion/aggression. If I were a teenage girl again (gods forbid) I think this book would resonate deeply.

BabelBabe said...

Bella's Lullaby doesn't count? RPatz is playing it himself, too!

I also have a thing for Flightless Bird (the prom scene song) but it's not terribly romantic...

Anonymous said...

I guess it's a very cynical age. A lot of people might even say romance is dead. That is a great point about Twilight being an old-fashioned romance, and I would completely agree, and if I was a teenager reading Twilight right now I would totally fall for it. There's certainly something about adolescence and its turbulent emotions that makes it easier to believe in passion and great love.

Duyvken said...

So much to think about, dear Eleanor. I will be thinking about this all day too and will comment again later.
Thanks!

Mary said...

I' ve read all four books.

I've seen the movie.

I would never laugh!