I love you, you and you and you are the only one for me.

April 27, 2010 9:13 PM

Please recommend polyamourous or other non-traditional mono boy/girl love songs.

I'm bored of always listening to love songs dedicated to an opposite sex singular, please help me find music that breaks the status quo rules of love.

posted by Knigel to media & arts (47 answers total)

What about the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs? I don't think there are any specifically about polyamory, but there's one about a girl who loves all these different men because of what they offer her--for example, the singer of the song has a car he can take her for long drives in. Plus most of the songs are non-gender-specific, regardless of whether the vocalist is male or female.
posted by Fui Non Sum at 9:18 PM on April 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

I guess it's not really about polyamory, but it is about bringing in a third person... "No I In Threesome" by Interpol.
posted by edlundart at 9:21 PM on April 27, 2010

Girls & Boys (YouTube link) by Blur breaks the status quo rules of love, certainly: "Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they're girls who do girls like they're boys. Always should be someone you really love." Plus, it's catchy.
posted by k8lin at 9:23 PM on April 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

"My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" by Type O Negative
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 9:27 PM on April 27, 2010 [3 favorites]

for example, the singer of the song has a car he can take her for long drives in.

Pretty sure that one's not about a 'her.'

;-)
posted by schmod at 9:29 PM on April 27, 2010

Chef - Simultaneous

Joan Armatrading - The Weakness in Me
posted by cali59 at 9:34 PM on April 27, 2010

Oh, and in the song "Surf City" by Jan and Dean, one of the appeals of Surf City was that there were "two girls for every boy."
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 9:36 PM on April 27, 2010

Janes Addiction - Three Days. Explanation here. (n.b. the album cover)
Jefferson Airplane - Triad
posted by hydrophonic at 9:44 PM on April 27, 2010

Seconding Janes Addiction's "Three Days".
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:55 PM on April 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

Morrissey's My Love Life is more like a plea for (an ambiguously-gendered person) to become polyamorous: "I know you love one person, so why can't you love two?"
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 9:59 PM on April 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

Famous Blue Raincoat is more or less about cuckolding.
posted by domographer at 10:02 PM on April 27, 2010

"I Crush Everything" by Jonathan Coulton is about a giant squid's unhappy social and romantic life; given your tags, you may find it of interest.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 10:18 PM on April 27, 2010

The song that Starlee Kine writes for her ex in the This American Life episode Break-Up can easily be interpreted as a request from one woman (Starlee) to her ex-boyfriend to still love her while he loves someone else.
posted by knile at 10:19 PM on April 27, 2010

88 Lines About 44 Women
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:19 PM on April 27, 2010

Xiu Xiu's Hello From Eau Claire is the best trans love song I've ever heard.
posted by voronoi at 10:21 PM on April 27, 2010

It's not a love song, but it's neat and notable to me because it's from 1958: Frances Faye's Frances and her Friends
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:04 PM on April 27, 2010

Also Ricky Nelson's Travelin' Man, but I'm pretty sure that's not consensual, negotiated polyamory.
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:08 PM on April 27, 2010

I Do Both Jay and Jane - La Rissa
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
I Can Have Both - Morrissey
I Kissed A Girl - Jill Sobule
posted by SisterHavana at 11:11 PM on April 27, 2010

"Two Ladies" from Cabaret.
posted by brujita at 11:13 PM on April 27, 2010

You're the Two, by the Roches.
posted by the Real Dan at 11:14 PM on April 27, 2010

There's always Eazy-E's soliloquy in Gangsta Gangsta.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:11 AM on April 28, 2010

Rilo Kiley's "Does He Love You?" is a song from the perspective of the other woman to the wife of the man that the first woman is in love with.

Belle and Sebastian's "Dress Up in You" isn't exactly a love song, but a song about two female friends who used to be very close, but then one who became famous and the other didn't. It's sung by Stuart Murdoch from the perspective of the non-famous friend.
posted by so much modern time at 2:01 AM on April 28, 2010

Man of Two Minds - by The Trews
posted by Brodiggitty at 2:02 AM on April 28, 2010

Androgynous: The Replacements, Crash Test Dummies, Joan Jett.

Joan Jett's version of A.C.D.C., Fetish, Crimson and Clover (bear in mind that Joan Jett has had relationships with women, so I doubt her decision to sing to "her" in songs is accidental). See also I Hate Myself for Loving You.

Pulp: Help the Aged, Do You Remember The First Time?, Underwear, Pencil Skirt, Babies, . Pulp are a little into singing about things that are a little fucked up, rather than love songs per se.

Blur: Stereotypes.

Pet Shop Boys: Rent.

Carter USM: Only Living Boy in New Cross.

The Killers: Somebody Told Me.
posted by rodgerd at 3:30 AM on April 28, 2010

The Nails: "88 lines about 44 women."

OK, it's serial monogamy, but he loves all of them, sort of.
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:35 AM on April 28, 2010

"You're the Two" by the Roches

Some girls'll settle for just one
They don't know what they're missin' they ain't havin' any fun
You're the two that I want
posted by megatherium at 4:01 AM on April 28, 2010

I did preview. I just missed it.
posted by megatherium at 4:02 AM on April 28, 2010

The MTV spoof band had a song U + U + Me. Not sure it's in the vein that you're looking for, but it's the first thing that came to mind!
posted by motsque at 5:08 AM on April 28, 2010

PJ Harvey's 'Oh My Lover' comes to mind...

Oh my lover, don't you know it's alright
You can love her
And you can love me at the same time.
posted by kaibutsu at 5:22 AM on April 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

Snake River Conspiracy -- You and Your Friend

Also, maybe not exactly what you were going for, but Garbage's "Androgyny" has some of this.
posted by darksong at 5:22 AM on April 28, 2010

Paranoid Social Club - Two Girls

Not entirely on point (chorus is "I need two girls if I can't have you"), and the fan-made video isn't very compelling, but there it is.
posted by speeb at 5:55 AM on April 28, 2010

The Long Blondes - Once and Never Again
posted by Gorgik at 6:11 AM on April 28, 2010

David Crosby's "Triad" is from, I think, 1968.

I sometimes wonder if Haircut 100's "Love Plus One" is about threesomes.

Finally, and this could ruin The Young Rascals' "Groovin'" for you, but there's that line, "You and me and Leslie, groovin'." ;-)
posted by kimota at 6:32 AM on April 28, 2010

Bowie has some great ones:
John, I'm only dancing
Lady Stardust
posted by kimdog at 6:50 AM on April 28, 2010

Halfway to a Threeway by Jim O'Rourke
posted by rabbitsnake at 8:20 AM on April 28, 2010

Three (lyrics, mp3) by Gaia Consort

Actually, Gaia Consort has lots of appropriate and gorgeous songs.
posted by Eshkol at 9:02 AM on April 28, 2010

My girlfriend's boyfriend- Her Space Holiday
posted by rmless at 9:08 AM on April 28, 2010

3 by Britney Spears. I'm so so sorry

Debussy's last work, Jeux, is a ballet about a threesome - sometimes three men, sometimes two men and a woman.

I'm surprised there aren't more songs about orgies, honestly.
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:19 AM on April 28, 2010

The White Stripes' "Fell In Love With A Girl" - although I prefer Joss Stone's version.
posted by restless_nomad at 10:20 AM on April 28, 2010

Thought of some more (sorry, no links since I am at work)...
"This Charming Man" - The Smiths
"Billy Budd" - Morrissey
Anything by Pansy Division
"I'll Cover You" from Rent
Would "Lola" by the Kinks count? ; )
posted by SisterHavana at 10:22 AM on April 28, 2010

"Lover I Don't Have to Love," by Bright Eyes.

Not that it's a very HAPPY song...
posted by Windigo at 11:14 AM on April 28, 2010

Seconding Gaia Consort, they are great!
posted by meepmeow at 12:00 PM on April 28, 2010

Your Woman by White Town
Sexuality by Billy Bragg
posted by mippy at 3:26 PM on April 28, 2010

Mika, Billy Brown
posted by meeshell at 8:21 PM on April 28, 2010

Beck - Debra (can't find a quick youtube but it's awesome)
posted by Large Marge at 7:00 PM on April 29, 2010

This is kind of old school, but how about Triad by Jefferson Airplane?
posted by CarsonDyle at 11:23 PM on April 29, 2010

I U She

I, you, he together, come on, baby let's go
I, you, she together, come on, baby let's go

by Peaches, who is not traditional! A lot of her stuff is rather delightfully vulgar and untraditional so explore all of it if you like that one.
posted by internet fraud detective squad, station number 9 at 10:32 AM on May 12, 2010