1960s songs, love songs

#413 River Deep, Mountain High- Tina Turner

Do I love you my oh my, oh baby/
River deep, mountain high.

The instrumentation, vocals and melody on “River Deep Mountain High” are fantastic. This is Tina Turner at her best by far. She sounds like a mad woman (in a good way). Her voice explodes out of the speakers.

The song gathers momentum frantically, along with her voice, and we can almost imagine her dancing along as she sings and tries to keep the microphone in front of her face. The orchestration is a good match for this tune as well.

River Deep, Mountain High Meaning — Tina Turner

The lyrics are so-so. Yes, she loves her man like a river is deep and a mountain is high, that is a good start for a song. If someone said to me “I love for you is deeper than a river and higher than a mountain”, I would be all for it. I would be a little confused if someone told me that she loved me like she loved her ragdoll. What does that mean? Don’t you play with dolls because you are too young to interact with others and so you don’t have many options except this inanimate object? Thanks, I love you too, I guess.

River Deep, Mountain High Lyrics
When I was a little girl, I had a rag doll
Only doll I’ve ever owned
Now I love you just the way I loved that rag doll
But only now my love has grown

And it gets stronger in every way
And it gets deeper, let me say
And it gets higher day by day

Do I love you, my oh my? Oh baby
River deep, mountain high
If I lost you would I cry
Oh, how I love you, baby, baby, baby, baby

When you were a young boy
Did you have a puppy?
That always followed you around
Well, I’m gonna be as faithful as that puppy
No, I’ll never let you down

‘Cause it grows stronger like a river flows
And it gets sweeter, baby and Heaven knows
And it gets sweeter, baby, as it grows

Do I love you, my oh my? Oh baby
River deep, mountain high
If I lost you would I cry
Oh, how I love you, baby, baby, baby, baby

And it gets stronger in every way
And it gets deeper, let me say
And it gets higher day by day

Do I love you, my oh my? Oh baby
River deep, mountain high
If I lost you would I cry
Oh, how I love you, baby, baby, baby, baby

I love you, baby, just like Robin loves to sing
I love you, baby, like a flower loves the spring
And I love you, baby, like a school boy loves his pet

Songwriters: Jeff Barry / Ellie Greenwich / Phil Spector

2000s songs, young love

#412 There Is- Box Car Racer

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That there’s someone out there who feels just like me
There is…

Box Car Racer is comprised of two-thirds of Blink-182, and not surprisingly, “There Is” sound’s similar to Blink. Blink-182’s best songs are their serious songs, and Boxcar Racer, similarly, is at their best here discussing young love. The narrator is away on vacation and can’t stop thinking about his girlfriend. The song is written like a letter he is writing to her about all of his thoughts he is having on this lame vacation. He’d rather be spending time with his girl.

He reminisces about their time together and it makes him feel special. He wonders if she is thinking about him right now. Is she sleeping well at night? How lucky is he to have found someone who feels just like him? They sing about love earnestly.

The sound is that light punk sound from the late nineties: The melody sounds great but there is not much vocal variation beyond about a half an octave. That is their sound. The steady drum performance by Barker is also worth noting. The snare drums are mixed high and he has a couple mini-solos. There is an acoustic and electric guitar that almost provide background sound for the rhythm of the drums.

There Is Lyrics
this vacation’s useless
these white pills aren’t kind
i’ve given a lot of thought on this 13-hour drive
i missed the grinding concrete where we sat past 8 or 9
and slowly finished laughing in the glow of our headlights
i’ve given a lot of thought to the nights we use to have
the days have come and gone
our lives went by so fast
i faintly remember breathing on your bedroom floor
where i laid and told you but you swear you loved me more

do you care if i don’t know what to say?
will you sleep tonight, will you think of me
will i shake this off pretend it’s all okay
that there’s someone out there who feels just like me
there is

those notes you wrote me
i’ve kept them all
i’ve given a lot of thought of how to write you back this fall
with every single letter in every single word there
will be a hidden message about a boy that loves a girl
do you care if i don’t know what to say?
will you sleep tonight, will you think of me
will i shake this off
pretend it’s all okay that there’s someone out there who feels just like me
there is

do you care if i don’t know what to say?
will you sleep tonight, will you think of me
will i shake this off
pretend it’s all okay that there’s someone out there who feels just like me

do you care if i don’t know what to say?
will you sleep tonight, will you think of me
will i shake this off
pretend it’s all okay that there’s someone out there who feels just like me
there is

written: Tom Delonge, Travis Barker

2010s songs, songs about exes

#411 Jar of Hearts- Christina Perri

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Who do you think you are?
Runnin’ ’round leaving scars…

In “Jar of Hearts” Perry writes about an ex-boyfriend who seems to be trying to get back into her life. Her opinion on him has changed quite a bit. She used to love him (it appears), but she has seen how has treated other women lately and it is a big turn-off to her. How has he treated them? Kind of like notches on a bedpost.

Perri uses the term “collecting a jar of hearts” in a similar way to “notches on a bedpost”. It is kind of the same. There are guys (and girls) who love it when people fall in love with them. And they let others do it—and they encourage it—knowing that they don’t feel the same way. Well, if you act like that, don’t come back around here hitting me up.

The song works best in the beginning, as her vocal is more restrained. This part always sounds moving, whenever I hear it. The vocal sections that are louder evoked a lot more emotion the first time I heard them, but now they don’t. I would like to see a slightly longer buildup before we blow into full diva mode. Admittedly, Perri’s “full-diva mode” is much less offensive than some of her peers.

Jar of Hearts Lyrics

I know I can’t take one more step towards you
‘Cause all that’s waiting is regret
Don’t you know I’m not your ghost anymore
You lost the love I loved the most

I learned to live, half alive
And now you want me one more time

Who do you think you are?
Runnin’ ’round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don’t come back for me
Who do you think you are?

I hear you’re asking all around
If I am anywhere to be found
But I have grown too strong
To ever fall back in your arms

I’ve learned to live, half alive
And now you want me one more time

It took so long just to feel alright
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed
‘Cause you broke all your promises
And now you’re back
You don’t get to get me back

Who do you think you are?
Runnin’ ’round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don’t come back for me
Don’t come back at all

Who do you think you are?
Runnin’ ’round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
Tearing love apart
You’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don’t come back for me
Don’t come back at all
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?

Songwriters: Barrett Noubar Yeretsian / Christina Judith Perri / Drew Lawrence

Top 500 Greatest Rock Songs of All-time

#413 River Deep, Mountain High- Tina Turner

#412 There Is- Box Car Racer

#411 Jar of Hearts- Christina Perri

Jar of Hearts Lyrics

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