The day job has been electric with the buzz of television extravaganza The Bachelor, made all the more exciting with an office sweep that awarded the winner a succulent prize. Excitement still abounds because we now have The Bachelorette to look forward to.
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I should point out that I don't watch TV so my response was more bemusement than unbridled enthusiasm. Nevertheless, I am sure many Canberrans were glued to their TV screens last Thursday which in turn might have inspired a romantic frolic through the flowers at this year's Floriade.
I wasn't paying enough attention to learn how the final episode of The Bachelor turned out but can only hope that no weepy strings were involved when the winner was announced. So let's consider some good quality songs for the grand finale of The Bachelorette
1. Sebadoh – Love is Stronger
Although Sebadoh's 1999 album The Sebadoh was patchy at best, this Lou Barlow composition delves into a state of emotional turmoil brought on by self-doubt and trust issues and ranks among his finest. The guitars get a good workout over heartfelt lyrics like "I have everything to lose if you leave me," but also convey fragile melody lines missing from the lo-fi punk and death metal-inspired earlier work.
2. The Delfonics – Didn't I Blow Your Mind this Time
The tasty harmonies on this "Philly" soul classic from 1970 melt the heart every time. This group enjoyed a brief renaissance after appearing on the soundtrack to the Quentin Tarantino movie Jackie Brown providing a conspicuous contrast to the street- savvy, machine gun dialogue in the film.
3. The Ronettes – Be My Baby
The song begins with the sultry voice of Ronnie Bennett sizzling the lines "the night we met I knew I needed you so" backed by Phil Spector's full blown wall-of-sound arrangements. You would be hard pressed to discover a more perfect pop song recorded in 1963 that also happened to inspire punk rockers The Ramones.
4. Neil Young – Winterlong
The grungy guitars and ragged harmonics accentuate the quivering ache in Young's voice as he lets slip that he waited for his lover during those long cold months.
5. Flying Burrito Brothers – To Love Somebody
This song was penned by Robin and Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees but this version hits the sweet spot every time. The low-key country twang in Gram Parsons' voice suggests a super-sensitive soul who informs his lover that "I live and breathe for you". Parsons could reduce an entire audience to tears with one heartfelt word.
If the producers of The Bachelor/Bachelorette didn't consider these choices to provide appropriate mood music they darn well should have.
