Are you someone who has tried repeatedly to secure a romantic relationship, but just can’t seem to make it work? Or perhaps a hopeless romantic who tries just a bit too hard? If you identify with either of these, or if you just don’thave someone to spend Valentine’s Day with this year, these songs with strong themes of yearning might be relatable or comforting for you.
Jeff Buckley – “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over”
Perhaps the quintessential yearning song, Jeff Buckley’s “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” captures the full emotional spectrum of wanting a relationship while not being ready for one. With verse after verse of despondent imagery, heightened by the aching refrain: “Too young to hold on / And too old to just break free and run,” it’s a masterclass on the feeling of wanting something unobtainable. Buckley manages to heighten the intensity in the bridge with a series of earth-shattering lines that keep building on each other.
The version that appears on Buckley’s only studio album, “Grace,” is fiery and cinematic. But if you want a stripped back performance that exudes desperation for an exceptionally wistful Valentine’s Day, I’d recommend the version that appears on the live album, “Live at Sin-é.”
Black Country, New Road – “Concorde”
What does Concorde — a failed European supersonic passenger jet — and unrequited love have in common? Well, if you were to ask Isaac Wood, former frontman for the United Kingdom indie rock band Black Country, New Road, the answer would be a lot. On “Concorde,” Wood uses a series of clever similes and metaphors to create a rich profile of the speaker, who stumbles up hills just to barely get closer to their person of interest, characterized as Concorde itself.
The Concorde fallacy, referring to the immense resources put into the Concorde jet only for more problems to arise, is also at play here. In the verses, you see the speaker investing their all into this person but not getting any closer to a meaningful relationship. With a constantly changing chorus and explosive ending, where guitar and saxophone lash out in cathartic release, this is the perfect Valentine’s Day song for those actively pursuing romantic relationships but constantly and frustratingly falling short.
Joni Mitchell – “All I Want”
“All I Want,” the opening track to Joni Mitchell’s classic 1971 singer-songwriter album “Blue,” is a simple yet perfect depiction of desire. Mitchell’s longing is multifaceted — while mostly about a romantic connection, she extends this yearning towards the broader self-fulfillment and sense of purpose she hopes to gain from being happy with someone.
The words “want” and “wanna” together appear 23 times within the three-and-a-half-minute runtime, and Mitchell accentuates the lyrical passion with a voice that freely soars into piercing, airy falsettos. It’s an apt listen for anyone mildly rueful about not having a valentine on the 14th but confident about having better odds next year.
Sufjan Stevens – “Futile Devices”
Sufjan Stevens’ “Futile Devices” has appeared in a few places, primarily on his 2010 album “The Age of Adz,” though its most known for its use as a remix for the 2017 film “Call Me by Your Name.” It’s a quiet, reflective ode to a male figure the narrator seems to be attracted to. But despite the romantic admiration, the narrator never acts, instead thinking: “And I would say I love you, but saying it out loud is hard.” While barely over two minutes in length, “Futile Devices” is a powerful listen that shines light on internal and social limitations that can make queer love feel confusing and unattainable.
Slowdive – “Alison”
Rarely does a genre name describe a song’s sound as well as “dream pop” encapsulates “Alison,” the opener to U.K. shoegaze act Slowdive’s 1993 album, “Souvlaki.” The track describes a psychedelic journey while sounding just like one, with lead vocalist Neil Halstead’s echoing vocals working with reverb-soaked guitar to craft a transcendental experience. Halstead makes references to “floating,” “sinking” and feeling “lost,” but the narrator ultimately feelsstable thanks to the comforting presence of Alison.
But at the end of the song, Alison seems to disappear, with the final call “I guess she’s out there somewhere” producing no answer. The last minute of swelling and then fading instrumentals feels like a fruitless quest to find her, cementing this as yet another solid though abstract depiction of longing.
Cameron Winter – “Love Takes Miles”
Somehow, singer-songwriter Cameron Winter has found himself in some sort of niche cultural moment as an indie sensation, at least online. At the center of his success as a solo artist and as frontman for the New York indie rock band Geese is the song “Love Takes Miles,” released toward the end of 2024. On the track, Winter explores wanting to love, yet not being ready because “Love takes miles, love takes years.”
The song’s upbeat, jaunty cadence is almost enough to overshadow the craving lyrics and Winter’s warbly, unconventional vocals. Still, the sense of unavoidable pain materializes when Winter cries: “I need somebody sent down from the sun that talks to me how you used to.” But even with this sense of loss and constant pining, there’s the underlying belief that given time, love is possible. This one’s for all the optimistic yearners out there willing to bide their time.