The cheesy love songs playlist (aka the longest post I have ever written)

Some of you may have noticed there's been a picture of Lionel Ritchie on my blog for the last few weeks. This is not because I am a fan of Lionel, oh no, not at all, I have been quite frightened of him since the days when the only videos I saw were Friday afternoons when Video Hits was on CBC. My parents, you see, were to cheap to go past channel 13, so there was no Much Music in our house. Even today, my mother only has up to channel 31.

But I digress. The reason I have had Mr. Ritchie's picture gracing (cursing?) my blog is because I, perhaps rather foolishly, joined a cheesy love song CD exchange hosted by Frema. I say foolishly because I am a natural fuck up. The CDs were due to be mailed out to my group last Friday. I have the tendancy to leave everything to the very last minute and this was no different. Thursday night finds me downloading songs. And it's all going very well, until my computer shuts off. And shuts off again and again. I don't know what the hell I did but I can tell you I was extremely happy to see the return of my email today. Anyways, there was no chance of me making the CDs so I called my ex. He was willing to make them for me, so when my kids saw him on Saturday I sent along my playlist, along with a selection of other songs if he couldn't get all the ones I had on CD.

And, blah, he could not. Missing is my all time favourite loved-them-as-a-teenager band, The Jesus and Mary Chain. I was going to use "Sometimes Always", a ballad with Hope Sandoval who was with Mazzy Star at the time. It's not a cheesy song, but it is a love song and JAMC wasn't really known for them. Though Almost Gold was one of my wedding songs. (Along with Afghan Whigs 'True Love Travels on a Gravel Road' and Van Morrison's Moondance, for those who care about that sort of stuff.)

I tried to put in alot of Canadian content. Missing from the final playlist are Michael Buble's Home, Rocket Girl by Doc Walker, Thank You by McMaster and James and Freak Luck by Bob Kemmis "Freak Luck put a car in the way/ I wasn't looking for love but our eyes met/ As I bounced off your Chevrolet."

I ended up with a CD that has 8 Canadian songs out of a total of 18. I don't think most of the songs are cheesy, but cheese is up to each individual I suppose. Most of the songs certainly have a few cheesy lyrics. Almost all of them have some meaning to me and when I hear them I automatically think of a year or a particular person. So here is my list. Canadian artists are starred as such **.

1) Toad the Wet Sprocket- I Will Not Take These Things for Granted. No particular reason, just find it a bit on the sappy side and somewhat depressing.

2) **Jann Arden/ Sarah McLachlan- I Would Die For You. "I've never kissed a sweeter mouth/ I've never been swept away/ It's what dreams are made up of/ Don't you know I could not survive/ Without you in my life/ I would die for you." This is not a cheesy song, but any song that says one couldn't survive without a man/woman in their life deserves a mention. However, if you relate the lyrics to a child it is totally fitting. I would die for my kids and that is it.

3) **Sky- Love Song. One hit wonders. Probably only in Canada at that. And I don't think it was this song, I think it was Some Kinda Wonderful.

4) Modern English- I Melt With You. Entered the realm of cheesiness when used for a hamburger commercial. Was it Burger King? I think it was.

5) **City and Colour. Comin' Home. The first time I heard this song, I cried. It wasn't that long ago and it was these lyrics: "I never thought you could leave me, I figured I was the one." Foolish it is, to figure you are someone's the one. Anyway, I love this guy's voice and this CD is on my Christmas wish list.

6) Cutting Crew- (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight. This song totally makes me think of junior high. My friend Sandra was dating this guy Dave and this was their song. Why do I remebmer such things? I have no idea. Probably because I had no one to have a song with in junior high. That had to wait until high school.

7) **The Rankin Family- Fare Thee Well Love. It just is. And just so you know, Jimmy Rankin would totally go on my top 10 celebrities to sleep with.

8) Teenage Fanclub- Guiding Star. I don't think this one is cheesy, in fact, it's Taylor's song. The first verse is written in her baby book. "When everything you own is lost/ And every friendship has its cost/ Your rolling stone has gathered moss/ And all your clouds cover the sun/ And all your karma has undone/ Remember you're my number one/ hey, you're my guiding star/ I do know who you are/ You're my guiding star." For all the problems Taylor and I have, I hope she always knows that she can come to me. When I used to sing her this song as I baby, I used to picture her at around the age she is now. I hope she is a happier teenager than I was, but I doubt it.

9)**Corey Hart. I Am By Your Side. When I was 10 I fell madly in love with Corey Hart. He was my first crush and I wore out the cassette of First Offense. It's a classic album, in my opinion but then I sort of have odd tastes. Jenny Fey, Sunglasses at Night, It Ain't Enough...holy crap, why did I not use It Ain't Enough?? Or Everything in my Heart? I will tell you why. Because I Am By Your Side was on Much More Retro as i was choosing the songs and it is possibly the cheesiest Corey Hart video ever (with the exception of Boy in the Box, void because it is not a love song.) "Boy! Don't you walk away from me! Boy! " and then he drives off on his motorcycle. Cheesy videos at the best. I am sure it must have made Much Music's Fromage list for 1987. Or was it '86? The years blur.

10)**Glass Tiger- Someday. I was rather fond of Glass Tiger back in the day. Again, dates are fuzzy. Somewhere between 85- 87. My brother owned this album and I used to steal it off of him. Bryan Adams did backing vocals on one of the songs. Either this one or I Will Be There. Alan Frew, who was the lead singer, is now on CMT with some American Idol like show. He also did a play in Toronto that my friend's son was in and when she went she told him that I was a big fan (slight exaggeration) and he signed a CD for me. I have yet to listen to it because when you open it there is a picture of him in his bare feet and bare feet totally freak me out. So I have to shut it quickly, no time to take out the CD. I was a little suprised to discover he was a Rangers fan, I suppose I always assume everyone from Glasgow is Celtic fan. only because everyone that I know from Glasgow is actually a Celtic fan. It says it right on the side of the cover RANGERSELFISHANDCHIPSCOTLAND.

11)Spandu Ballet- True.
The German Bastard put this on a mixed tape he made me when we first started dating. It warrants inclusion based solely on that fact alone.

12) **Blue Rodeo- Try. I love this song, it was my first introduction to Blue Rodeo, a band I still love today and have seen live numerous times. Not a cheesy song, but certainly looks at when you look at the linked lyrics.

13) Billy Vera- At This Moment. This is the first -and last- slow song William and I ever danced to.

14) Daniel Bedingfield- If You're Not the One. The lyrics are definitely cheesy, but I do like this song.

15)The Lightning Seeds- Pure. I absolutely love this song and this is one of a very few albums wherre I actually like every single song.

16) Richard Marx- Right Here Waiting. Summer 1989. Everytime I hear this song it brings back memories of that summer. It was "our" song, the German bastard and I. I don't know why, since we were never oceans apart, but I assume it was the song for many couples back then. Looking at the lyrics it suits the first few years of my relationship with William much better, since we really were oceans apart. But it's not our song and neither is At This Moment (the only one we ever danced to if you recall), it is You're the One by Maire Brennan and Shane McGowan from the Circle fo Friends soundtrack.

17) Rick Astley- Together Forever. Another one from the late 80s. I am totally a child of the 80s and when I was in Grade 8 Rick Astley was hugely popular. I never owned a Rick Astley album though. My mother had some sense and never bought one for me.

18) Gordon Lightfoot- If You Could Read My Mind. A Canadian icon. Not really cheesy but included because of the lines "If I could read your mind love/ What a tale your thoughts could tell/ Just like a paperback novel/ The kind the drugstore sells." I was never a fan of him and it was actually a friend from Ireland that sent me a CD with some songs on it. He was a huge fan, he used to fly to Canada to see him. That's dedication. Oh, and wealth. Of which I have neither.

So that's my CD. It is missing a lot of songs that I would have liked to see on it, including these gems: Missing an Angel -Johnny Reid
You'll Never Walk Alone- Gerry and the Pacemakers (opposed for inclusion on my list by William because it is a love song to a daughter, not a love song as per se. Still, if Liverpool can use it as their song, surely I could include it on my CD.)
I Was made For Loving You- KILT
These Things I Believe- Sons of Maxwell
and the cheesiest of all cheesiest songs- Patrick Sawyze's 'She's Like the Wind.' Yes, I own the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack. Not only that one, but the More Dirty Dancing one as well. Taste? Not much.