14. Head Over Heels Tears For Fears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsHiG-43Fzg Again, whilst for many people this is probably not the coolest song ever and the video is spectacularly naff - but as with Gabrielle Aplin, this works so well because great love songs don't have to be cool. What makes the genre of love songs such an interesting space is that while the protagonist of the song can vary hugely in their personality, whether they are the Lothario, the geek, the leader of the pack or the hitherto ignored wallflower, the hero of the story is ultimately the feeling that is being written about. 'Head Over Heels' depicts that feeling as something both alien, exciting and life changing. The piano intro sounds like wedding bells and the subsequent music and words work together beautifully to build the feeling of suspense, desire and most importantly there's an feeling here which we haven't mentioned yet, but it's key and that's nervousness. With an opening line that couples the heroic and the mundane "I wanted to be with you alone, and talk about the weather", I'm fairly sure that the last thing out hero wants to do is talk about the weather, but as a description of wanting to do anything to get the attention of the one you love it's tremendous. And after such small talk, the bombshell is delivered in the wonderful chorus "Something happens and I'm head over heels, I never find out till I'm head over heels". And the song leaves you hanging about what will happen next, which is why it's a great love song. The ending of the story is for you to decide after all.
Ed Nash
Contributor
What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about.
As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash
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Ed