Love #47: Silly Love Songs

They sat after the dance, and she prepared another shot for him. 

Neone said, "Believe me: I love you." Then she smiled with her eyes and drew close. She spoke fast and hard, "I love you, I love you. I love you." And then she gave a silent laugh.

Anyna's eyes turned in their sockets. The drug filled his veins, and he became lost in her eyes for a moment. He murmured, "I crave you. I like the words you feed me. Tell me more."

Neone's smile faded a little, "What if I wake one day and do not love you."

Anyna frowned, wondering if that was a statement or a question, "No, my heart is yours. I could not live if you woke thinking that."

Neone murmured, "Don't get me wrong. I do not want this to end. I want you to feel just as you are feeling right now. But what if the drug starts to fade. What if our love turns squishy? Lots of love turns squishy these days."

Doubt crept unasked into Anyna's mind, "Don't overthink love. I know you woke up in love with me. Love is the best drug. It is the best music - and you are the best song I have ever heard."

Neone frowned again, "You used to play those songs from Arcane all the time. That song you like, you know, 'What Could Have Been".

"It is my favorite song. I should play it now."

"Nonono. When you first found it, you played it every day. Like you wanted to kiss me every time we came close. You played it so often that even I learned the words. The words are so sad, I cried."

"Sting did that song. It is the best."

"For the first two weeks, you had it on repeat."

"Come, baby, let us not be so serious. Dance with me."

"After the second week, you didn't play it so often. Like us, we don't kiss every opportunity anymore."

"That is not true. It is quality that is important, not quantity. Why are you so picky? Is it your time?"

Neone's eyes flash dangerously, "I know it is your favorite song but you don't spin it anymore. Tell me truthfully, before I mentioned it when was the last time you thought of it."

"I think of you every passing moment. I love you. I love you. I love you."

"You started this; you said I was your favorite song." She smiled and pressed his hand, "A Silly Love Song."

Notes:

Once, we all pricked our ears up and listened to "Silly Love Songs" whenever it came onto the radio. It was designed to meet a craving, and we all craved it. Part of music folklore is that Lennon accused McCartney of writing soppy love songs. Paul and Linda McCartney's responded with the masterpiece "Silly Love Songs," a sentimental song that gave people "what they seem to crave." One critic called it lightweight but defiant. We bought it in huge numbers intending to play it forever, but now it sits with the rest unplayed.

Robert Pirsig gave a salient explanation for this 'fall-off' in interest, in his books on the Metaphysics of Quality, using music as an example. This short piece asks, if music, why not love?

"What Could Have Been" is a song by Sting featuring Ray Chen in the series Arcane.

Neone and Anyna are palindromes used by convention for No-one and Any-one.

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