Bitter love...

Part One:
Hi there. I'm a little hesitant to approach this week's topic in Earth Glue, but I feel that it's necessary. I recently met up with an old friend I hadn't seen in several years. A good man, Will Daines. He's in medical school at Columbia. Smart as a whip, that Will. Anyway, he was talking about how he had just ended a relationship and was feeling down about it. The first question I asked him was what, I thought, would have been the first question anyone would have asked in that situation, "Have you been drowning your sorrows in bitter love songs?" He looked at me very strangely and I began my lecture on the healing process and music's pivotal role in it. There we sat, my wife Jamie, Will, and I in a quaint Greenwich Village cafe (actually it was a McDonald's on Times Square, but doesn't the former sound more appropriate for the occasion?).

I put my arm delicately around my dear wife, whom I love deeply (and I am not speaking facetiously here), and I said, "Listen, Will, I love being married. The only thing I do not like about being happily married is that bitter songs of heartbreak no longer carry the same weight." It is true. When you're on your way home and Dashboard Confessional comes on the radio, it's hard to get too into it when your wife is going to greet you with a kiss in five minutes, and you, in turn, are really excited to see her. But, alas, I love bitter songs of heartbreak. I don't know why. I think it's because you can really feel the despair in the music. You really feel like the band is putting their all into it. I love that.

I offer the question: is it okay for me to still love this type of music in my situation, or should I grow up and move on? I don't know. For now, I will revel in the heartfelt tones of heartbreak music.

Part Two:

I just got an email from my dad. I hate forwards. No, I loath forwards. But he forwarded me some "put-downs with class" email. He doesn't generally forward things to me, so I actually read this particular forward. It was pretty good. A lot of Winston Churchill quotes. He was quite witty. Anyway, the point of the email was that put-downs used to have class rather than just telling someone to f-off or whatever. I liked it. It got me thinking about music. You know, in the good old days there were some great bitter songs, but classy ones. I like the new ones, too, but man could Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson put together a good bitter tune.

So I focus tonight on the greatest bitter/pathetically sad heartbreak songs out there. I'll offer my favorites in no particular order. Some are classics like I previously mentioned, some are really sappy emo songs, but they all share the same passion in their delivery.

Wanting Her Again--Ben Kweller
The Best Deceptions--Dashboard Confessional
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright--Bob Dylan
She'll Come Back to Me--Cake
I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You--Colin Hay
The First Day of My Life--Bright Eyes
Pictures of You--The Cure
Waltz--Elliott Smith
Out To Get You--James
The Thanks I Get--Wilco
Mr. Brightside--The Killers
Bullet--Mason Jennings
Knives Out--Radiohead
Why Aren't You Here--Rhett Miller
Time To Move On--Tom Petty
Writing to Reach You--Travis
Red Red Wine--UB40
Fat--Violent Femmes
Why Bother--Weezer
Sad Songs and Waltzes--Willie Nelson

Ok, I was able to cut it to 21, but I can't go any further. If you're ever feeling down, check these songs out. You will want to cut yourself for awhile, but your overall recovery time will be much faster. I guarantee it. So, that said, I feature tonight's Earth Glue Song. It is the grandfather of all bitter heartbreak songs written by the master songwriter of all time.

When I spoke earlier of sophistication I thought of this song. Song for the Dumped by Ben Folds Five is good when it says, "Give me my money back, you bitch." You feel his pain, but where's the sophistication, the poetry? I hear 7th graders say stuff like that to each other in the hallway every day when I'm at work.

But Bob Dylan. Ah yes, the man can weave words. So sit back and enjoy a masterfully ironic, bitter, and hateful song of heartbreak. This song is called Don't Think Twice, It's Alright. You've probably heard it, but pay attention this time. It's pretty subtle at times, but this song has serious bite.