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Recess' 2019 Valentine's Day Mix

Does Valentine’s Day have you down in the dumps? It’s okay — we’re here to help. (Or maybe make it worse, depending on how you feel about love songs.) Listen away!
Does Valentine’s Day have you down in the dumps? It’s okay — we’re here to help. (Or maybe make it worse, depending on how you feel about love songs.) Listen away!

Love got you down? Finally found your one true love? Trying to avoid any and all couples on February 14th? Whatever your feelings are toward Valentine's Day, Recess has got you covered with our songs describing love, loss and everything in between:

Margo Guryan, "Sunday Morning"

Margo Guryan may be the most under appreciated songwriter of the late 1960s, an era where female auteurs like her were exceedingly rare in pop music. Her most famous composition, “Sunday Morning” — not to be confused with the comparatively dour Velvet Underground single of the same name — is a brief  but sweet picture of a lazy morning spent with the one you love, coffee brewing on the stove, “the sound of feet walking by” outside. —Will Atkinson, culture editor

Etta James, "I'd Rather Go Blind"

Because I, too, feel an Oedipal impulse when I think about someone that I love stepping out on me. Plus, you can’t top perfection, honey! —Nina Wilder, design editor

Strawberry Switchblade, "Go Away"

'80s Scottish goth-pop duo Strawberry Switchblade are no strangers to lamenting lost love. Their dreamy and ethereal track "Go Away" is a heartbreaking account of betrayal and abandonment. The song seems to bring on a melancholy that is only fitting for such a godforsaken day. If polka dots and heavy eyeliner don’t already speak to you, this track certainly will. —Sarah Derris, managing editor

The Cure, "Lovesong"

The Cure’s “Lovesong” is a fun and irresistibly groovy track that's perfect for Valentine's Day. The song was meant to express lead singer Robert Smith’s devotion to his wife, even as they were miles apart while the band was on tour. —Jack Rubenstein, staff writer

jonatan leandoer127, "Farawaywithyou"

Sometimes, the best way to describe how you feel about your significant other is to liken yourself to an insect on their skin or to a vampire that slowly consumes them. “Farawaywithyou,” from jonatan leandoer127’s album "Psychopath Ballads," is a haunting love song whose ghostly sound and chilling lyrics make it the perfect blend of sweet and scary. A Valentine’s Day that’s not a little scary just isn’t a Valentine’s Day worth celebrating. —Alexandra Bateman, design editor

Britta Phillips, "Closeface"

A sweet, breezy song for any girl crushing on a girl this Valentine's Day. —Sydny Long, student life editor

Heartless Bastards, "New Resolution"

For those who relish in their own bad-assery more than the love from another human. For those whose resolution is to glare indignantly at happy couples on February 14th while flooding their eardrums with an iconic bassline and drum sequence. –Miranda Gershoni, staff writer

Ariana Grande, "thank u, next"

First, I'm anti-Valentine's Day, anti-#CoupleGoals and pro-self-care. Second, sophomore year has kept me so busy that I don't have time for any of that. Third, BFFs are always the most reliable, the most supportive and the best people around me. Fourth — and most importantly — if you're married to two midterms on Valentine's Day, you've got to say "thank u, next!" –Eva Hong, features editor

Simon & Garfunkel, "Song for the Asking"

This is one of my favorite love songs, mostly because it's not overly romantic. It's sweet, short and honest. It's a reminder that, in love, it's okay to be vulnerable sometimes. –Jessica Williams, media production editor

Sylvan Esso, "Coffee"

It's a little about coffee, a little about dancing and a little about love. A perfect, understated track for wherever the holiday takes you. –Christy Kuesel, Recess editor


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