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I love you... I've always loved you (the star-fated-lovers-meeting song)I love you... wherever you are (the one-day-I'll-find-you song)Lyrics thrive on trouble of some kind. Songwriters are more often inspired by turbulence and conflict than bliss,
peace, serenity and happiness. Imagine 'Satisfaction' with Mick Jagger singing "Ah've gat lats erf... sah-tiz-fak-
shern!' Not quite the same, is it? So here are existential positions for the love lyric where things are not going
smoothly:
I love you, you don't love me yet... but you will (the heroic determinationsong)
I love you, hey! your luck's in! (the how-can-you-resist me? song)I love you, you don't love me, and I'm going to die (the unrequited love
torture song)I love you but I'm not going to admit it (the exquisite self-denial song)
I don't love you, you love me (the isn't-life-ironic regret song)I love you, you don't love me anymore, and I give up (or I don't give up)
I love you, you don't love me anymore, but I'll always be here for you (theDiana Ross Big Orchestra Self-Immolation Special)
I don't love you, you don't love me... anymore (the shall-we-be-noble-about-this? song)
I don't love you, but I used to (the free-at-last, move-on-up, I will survivesong)
I love you, you say you love me, but maybe you love him (the jealous-guysong)
These situations are capable of an infinite variety of lyrical and musical treatments. As the clichè says, the whole of
human life is there.
Triangular Existential Positions in Love Songs
If you want to be mischievous, you can generate much more trouble by playing a three-card version – namely, the
introduction of The Other Person.
I love you, you love me, and he/she can only watch and regret
I love you, you love me... tonight (while he/she is away)I love you, you love me... forever (so let's get our divorces)
I love you, you love me... but he's/she's taking me away for a whileI love you, you love me... even though I'm with her/him right now
I love you... I've always loved you, but why couldn't you have appeared 10years ago?
I love you, you don't love me yet... but you will because I'll treat you rightI love you, so does he, but I'm the better bet
I love you, you don't love me because you love him... but he doesn't love youeither
I love you but I'm not going to admit it because you belong to my best friend
I don't love you, you love me, but we don't have a future