Three Imaginary Girls

Seattle's Indie-Pop Press – Music Reviews, Film Reviews, and Big Fun

MySpace Music has taken to placing a Top 5 list on its music landing page. Today's entry comes from Tom Higgenson of the band Plain White T's. The list is amusing: My Top 5 Unrequited Love Songs.

(It's not actually the list that amuses me but the link below it that reads "Don't know what "unrequited" means? Click Here to Watch Tom explain his picks.").

As for his list, I don't like it!

  • "Yesterday" by The Beatles
  • "One" by U2
  • "I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
  • "Gone" by N'Sync
  • "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper

Other than "I'm on Fire" (which I agree is one of the best songs of unrequited love and yearning, ever), I don't agree with these picks one bit. First off, let's start with the definition. Unrequited love is "not returned or reciprocated," which to me implies a love that was always one-sided, never returned — versus a love that went away or turned sour. Right?

So that rules out "Yesterday" (as clearly only the day before, Paul was happy as a clam in love), and while I've never heard the N'Sync song (yes, I am really that much of an indie-geek), I'm guessing by the title that it's likewise about the girl who got away… being that she's "Gone." My powers of deductive reason astonish even me some days.

Next up, "One" by U2, song that I'm sure is about God and not a Girl (c'mon, it's U2). And anyhow, that song is played out and drives me completely insane. That leaves us with "Time After Time," a song I've grown to love even though I was never a huge fan of Lauper's shrieky little voice. I've always thought it was a super sweet love song about a couple that's having a hard time pacing their relationship, but one that will always be there for each other, despite their issues. "If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting! Time after time." Hell, I've known peeps who used this tune as their wedding song. Have we been wrong all these years…. or does that song not mean what Tom Higgenson seems to think it means??

Besides, everyone knows this is the best unrequited love song ever!