Best Anti-Love Songs (Appropriate for Today's "Holiday")

[Jester]

Well, of course in the U.S. Remember, while Arizona is a border state, it is not exactly bordering Canada. And other than a few trips to Mexico, I have spent my entire life in the U.S. By "relatively unknown" I guess I meant "relatively unknown to me, my friends, my coworkers, the majority of people in my country, and most musical fans and radio stations within U.S. borders." Better?

[Eireann]

Lame, yes. But anti-love or anti-romance? The narrator is trying to get back the woman he wronged. I love ya, Eireann, but I don't think this song quite fits the bill. I will admit, though, that I never really listened to the song enough to realize what a shitbag the singer was being to his chick. Just thought he lost her and was trying to get her back. Never thought about it much. Thanks for that!

Think about it, Jester. The guy isn't thinking about HER feelings. He doesn't GIVE a shit how much she may still be hurting after the way he cheated on her ("When you were so in love with me/I ran around like I was free/Thought I could have my cake and eat it too..."). He just cares about the fact that HE is now single and doesn't like it. He couldn't care less that the best thing for her, is to be away from the kind of guy who would cheat on her. He only cares about his feelings, just like he did when they were together. If he really felt anything like respect for her, he would stay the hell away and vow to be a better person, NOT to try to screw up her life even further by trying to force his way back into it. That's not romantic; it's selfish and obsessive.

[Jester]

Absolutely it's selfish and obsessive. There are a lot of "love" songs that are just that. And as much as a smack in love's face such songs are, they are not directly anti-love songs, such as some of the other ones we mentioned. I see your argument, but the song is really only anti-love in an esoteric way, by being a bad love song.

There are tons of bad love songs out there. It's the blatantly "fuck love" or "fuck you who I used to love" songs that I was (and still am) after here. Make sense?

[Eireann]

Absolutely it's selfish and obsessive. There are a lot of "love" songs that are just that. And as much as a smack in love's face such songs are, they are not directly anti-love songs, such as some of the other ones we mentioned. I see your argument, but the song is really only anti-love in an esoteric way, by being a bad love song.

There are tons of bad love songs out there. It's the blatantly "fuck love" or "fuck you who I used to love" songs that I was (and still am) after here. Make sense?

The "protagonist" in the song also doesn't mention actually being in love with his former girlfriend. He just says how lonely he is, and how he can't go on without her. He knows she was in love with him, and he screwed it up, but not that he was ever in love with her, or is now.

I've also heard of a song - and it's truly horrifying; I hope I never actually hear this song - called:

"He Hit Me And It Felt Like A Kiss", by a group called The Crystals.

Dave Barry wrote about this in Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs. It's listed under a chapter titled, "Songs Women Really Hate".

[Jester]

The "protagonist" in the song also doesn't mention actually being in love with his former girlfriend. He just says how lonely he is, and how he can't go on without her. He knows she was in love with him, and he screwed it up, but not that he was ever in love with her, or is now.

More evidence that this is a bad love song, not an anti-love song. Thank you for illustrating my point.

[Eireann]

More evidence that this is a bad love song, not an anti-love song. Thank you for illustrating my point.

No need to thank me; I haven't illustrated anyone's point but my own.

[Eric the Grey]

Chipping in a bit late, but my favorite anti-love song has always been:

Concrete Blonde - The Beast (although that entire album is the ultimate album of break-up songs.

Although Voltaire has a fine album called Boo Hoo, which he depicts as songs you send to someone you have broken up with. Songs such as See You In Hell



Eric the Grey

[BrenDAnn]

Here are a few, off the top of my head (and my iTunes list lol):

"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia
"Bye Bye Boyfriend" by Fefe Dobson
"Dear Lie" by TLC
"Don't Speak" by No Doubt
"Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry
"A Loaded Smile" by Adam Lambert
"Lover I Don't Have To Love" by Bright Eyes
"Take A Bow" by Leona Lewis (or Beyonce, both songs are good)
"Stronger" by Britney Spears
"Shut Up" by kelly Osbourne--not exactly anti-love but lemme tell you, that song is GREAT for getting some aggression out!
"Decode" by Paramore
and, one of my personal favorites that always gets played at top volume, and sang along with: "Gives You Hell" by The All-American Rejects

My list got longish, and no links, sorry, but these are just a few I came up with!

[Jester]

"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia

Oh, good one!

A couple more I thought of:

"Voices Carry" by 'til tuesday.

And a classic: "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar.

[jedimaster91]

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I heard this song the other day and had to post it. It's a country song that even if you don't like country, you'll love this song.

I'll Pray for You
Jaron and the Long Road to Love

[telecom_goddess]

I didn't look thru all the posts but did anyone mention You Can Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac?

[Jester]

I hate country.

But that song is awesome!

"I pray your tire blows at a hundred and ten." Classic!

(For the record, I can tell you that it is not any fun to have your tire blow out at eighty....I can tell you this from experience. Nope, no fun at all.)

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Woman To Woman by Concrete Blonde

[Jack T. Chance]

If this has already been mentioned, I apologize. I just don't remember seeing it...

one of the greatest and SADDEST songs ever written about a broken heart that never mended...

"He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones

[Jester]

I don't believe it was mentioned, but this thread was more along the lines of "FUCK YOU!" anti-love songs, not "oh that is so SAD" songs about how love went sour.

Just saying.