Best little known or obscure love songs?

February 8, 2011 5:30 AM

Kiss Kiss Kiss Fun Fun Fun: What are your favorite little known or obscure love songs? The stuff that makes you go "Oh you have to hear this it is great?" Funny is nice, catchy is better, catchy and lively is bestest.

I have a deep fondness for the kind of deep-cut 50s novelty songs Jon Waters like to use, so I'm biased toward that.

posted by The Whelk to media & arts (49 answers total)

Pete Townshend's I Didn't Know How Much I loved You 'til I Tasted Your Cookin'
posted by Majorita at 5:39 AM on February 8, 2011

Emulsified by Yo La Tengo might fit the bill (google search to Pandora link). Apparently a cover of a song by Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers (just looked that up). Probably easier to find than the original.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:49 AM on February 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

The Blenders - Don't Fuck Around With Love

The Shaggs - I'm So Happy When You're Near
posted by jtron at 5:49 AM on February 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Wondr'ing Aloud by Jethro Tull is mellow, but a very sweet little tune.
posted by davey_darling at 5:52 AM on February 8, 2011

Claude Françoise's 1962 - Belles Belles Belles Maybe not so obscure, but French cover of an Everly Brothers' tune with some freakin' wild dancing and fabulous outfits can never go astray.
posted by honey-barbara at 5:52 AM on February 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Probably too up tempo for your mixtape, but how about Gorecki by Lamb? Or The House at the Top of the World by Bob Geldof.
posted by arcticseal at 6:05 AM on February 8, 2011

I Love My Baby 'Cause She Does Good Sculptures", by the Rezillos. With video! Or really, as video because that's all I could find.

In some demographics, Belle and Sebastian's early My Wandering Days Are Over is little-known. I like it because it manages not only to end a line with "the louvre-d doors" but to repeat it.
posted by Frowner at 6:05 AM on February 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Stupid by the Long Winters
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:11 AM on February 8, 2011

Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric
posted by shornco at 6:33 AM on February 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Fly Me to the Moon. We sing it to our babies. :) Sometimes when you tell my toddler "I love you" he announces "MARS!" because it's a word to his "I love you" song! It's catchy, it's lively, and the lyrics are a little silly.

The linked version is Sinatra, there are more up-tempo versions and more ballad-y versions.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:40 AM on February 8, 2011

Code Monkey by Jonathan Coulton
posted by dawkins_7 at 6:49 AM on February 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Inez Lullabye, Mario Matteoli
posted by dpx.mfx at 6:55 AM on February 8, 2011

In Spite of Ourselves -- John Prine with Iris Dement (song starts at about 1:26)
posted by amarynth at 7:07 AM on February 8, 2011 [4 favorites]

(Dance) Exponents: House of Love; Whatever Happened to Tracey

Donnie Iris: Ah! Leah!; Agnes

White Witch: Sleepwalk
posted by jet_silver at 7:10 AM on February 8, 2011

I love Adolescent Song of Mindless Devotion by The Lucksmiths. It's super cute.
posted by wsquared at 7:24 AM on February 8, 2011

Huey Lewis and the News - Buzz Buzz Buzz
posted by acorncup at 7:39 AM on February 8, 2011

Harry Nilsson - He Needs Me (demo version en espanol) prev

Google around for it, shouldn't be hard to find :)
posted by jtron at 7:41 AM on February 8, 2011

Shonen Knife doing "Top of the World"!
posted by jbickers at 7:42 AM on February 8, 2011

Fortunate Valentine (and Powder Keg) from the EP Bittersweet Valentines by Pete Krebs

Also, Girls by Nizlopi.
posted by HopStopDon'tShop at 7:50 AM on February 8, 2011

Gogol Bordello, Start Wearing Purple. I think it might be construed as a love song.. The lyrics.
posted by Ahab at 7:50 AM on February 8, 2011

We've Got A World That Swings - TMBG | Jerry Lewis

(Psst - April March & the other Pussywillows sing backup on that Yo La Tengo song. You will love it.)
posted by mintcake! at 7:51 AM on February 8, 2011

Kiss me- Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy!
posted by cestmoi15 at 8:17 AM on February 8, 2011

Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:33 AM on February 8, 2011

And Nouvelle Vague's covers. Love will Tear us Apart. I Melt with You. Ever Fallen in Love with Someone.
posted by Ahab at 8:35 AM on February 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Spasm
posted by spasm at 8:40 AM on February 8, 2011

My Favorite Chords by The Weakerthans.

Also Singular Girl by the Old 97's. And most of their catalog.

Also also Excuses by the Morning Benders.
posted by bibliogrrl at 8:56 AM on February 8, 2011

Not very obscure, but I think Cake - Love you madly might fit your description.
posted by devilsbrigade at 9:31 AM on February 8, 2011

Funny, catchy, lively, deep cut 1950s novelty love song? You want Jane Turzy's Who Baby Who!
posted by HotToddy at 9:37 AM on February 8, 2011

Simultaneously the most endearing and the most annoying sappy love song ever:

From Your Boy, by The Queers
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:47 AM on February 8, 2011

Stephen Speaks - Out Of My League
posted by namewithoutwords at 9:51 AM on February 8, 2011

From my better half:

- "Fat" - Violent Femmes
- "My Chinchilla" - Cub
- "She's My Best Friend" - the Wedding Present
- "Love und Romance" - The Slits (referenced in post set-up but not
actually mentioned)
- "Love Love Love" - Glass Candy
- "MGM" - The Triffids
- "Love So Pure" - Puffy Ami Yumi
- "BTO (Bathtub Orgasm)" - Bitesize
- "If There's Such a Thing As Love" - Magnetic Fields (SO many choices with the Magnetic Fields, especially on - but not limited to - 69 Love Songs)
- "Make Believe" - Pixies (drummer's ode to Debbie Gibson)
- "C is the Heavenly Option" - Heavenly with Calvin Johnson
- "Papa Gene's Blues" - the Monkees
- "Love Comes in Spurts" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids
- "Talkin' About My Baby" - the Coctails

posted by jtron at 10:02 AM on February 8, 2011

Oh yeah, almost forgot Johnny Get Angry by Joanie Sommers!
posted by tugena13 at 10:07 AM on February 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Wanda Jackson - Tongue Tied
posted by minifigs at 10:34 AM on February 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Starvin' by Lazy Susan.
posted by robotot at 12:01 PM on February 8, 2011

The Jazz Butcher — Hungarian Love Song
posted by Lexica at 12:47 PM on February 8, 2011

Not funny but insanely catchy: Love Is Like A Butterfly by Dolly Parton
posted by the young rope-rider at 1:33 PM on February 8, 2011

Sort of side-tangent from The Cure - Cult Hero's 'I Dig You'.
posted by FatherDagon at 2:58 PM on February 8, 2011

This song makes me happy.
Go Sailor - Together Forever in Love
posted by santaslittlehelper at 4:11 PM on February 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Lucille Bogan - "Shave 'Em Dry" (1935 but very NSFW)

(a) obscure
(b) funny
(c) lively
(d) all of the above
posted by Beardman at 5:19 PM on February 8, 2011

Oh yeah, and Hidden Cameras - Ban Marriage is great.
posted by Beardman at 5:24 PM on February 8, 2011

Salut les amoreux is a campy 1970s Joe Dassin song weirdly set to the tune of "City of New Orleans."
posted by oinopaponton at 5:30 PM on February 8, 2011

I only sleep with boys now, by Rob Clarkson. No, you haven't heard it.
posted by wilful at 9:37 PM on February 8, 2011

IOU One Galaxy - The Ataris
He Could Be The One - Josie Cotton
I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend - The Rubinoos
posted by SisterHavana at 9:50 PM on February 8, 2011

Murder or a Heart Attack - Old 97s
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 2:19 AM on February 9, 2011

Hello Saferide- Get Sick Soon
Velvet Underground- I'm Sticking with You
posted by rmless at 8:11 AM on February 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) by The Proclaimers

Catchy...lively...and oh what simple but beautiful lyrics.
posted by teg4rvn at 9:55 AM on February 9, 2011

69 Love Songs by The Magnetic Fields has tons, but my favourite is The Death Of Ferdinand De Saussure.
posted by mippy at 7:46 AM on February 10, 2011

I've been loving this alot lately - If you think you need some lovin' by Pomplamoose.
posted by in the methow at 9:43 AM on February 10, 2011

Probably not obscure enough, but I love "Love is Just Around the Corner", the part where Peggy Lee sings "Venus de Milo/was noted for her charms/strictly between us, you're cuter than Venus/and what's more, you've got arms!"

And "Beginning to See the Light" is another one that gets me. And Sam Cooke's "Win Your Love For Me".
posted by ifjuly at 10:17 AM on February 10, 2011