Cover Image By David Goehring from San Francisco, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

By The Communitarian

From the first sparks of a new romance to the quiet ache of a relationship ending, music often provides the soundtrack to our most personal moments. Students at Delaware County Community College share the songs that have shaped their understanding of love and heartbreak.

Brigid Amoroso: “the 1” by Taylor Swift

The summer before my first year of high school, Taylor Swift surprise-dropped a new album called “folklore.” At that time, I wasn’t a big fan of her music, but I decided to give the album a listen because there wasn’t much else to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first track was “the 1.” As soon as I finished it, I realized I was going to really love the album. I remember it was the first time I used my own money to buy a CD. Now that I’m older, I can relate to the music, specifically “the 1.” In high school, I had my first relationship that lasted a little over a year. Like most high school relationships, it wasn’t perfect and I knew we would probably break up. In retrospect, I still think we were good together and maybe it could have worked in the long run. Maybe that is naive, but when I listen to “the 1,” that is what I think about. The song is about how, under different circumstances, a relationship might have worked out—but it didn’t, and that is OK, too. Swift sings, “But it would’ve been fun / If you would’ve been the one.”

Amarisa Clayton: “Some Strange Angel” by Car Seat Headrest

I had just finished listening to a long-form fiction podcast when I first heard the song “Some Strange Angel” by Car Seat Headrest. I had been a fan of the band for a long time, but I had never heard their entire extensive discography. Something about the song spoke to me instantly.

The band’s music tends toward the pessimistic, with songs detailing heartbreak and complex, messy, codependent relationships—a key theme in the podcast I was in the process of mourning. In fact, a significant portion of the band’s discography covers one specific relationship. Part of what makes “Some Strange Angel” so striking is that it seems to be the only song that looks upon this relationship positively. It is not lamenting the person or the negative aspects of the bond; it is simply a deeply heartfelt love song framing a peaceful life the singer could have had with this other person.

“I am asking for the moon / Let the world have their sun / Let it all fall to ruin / You were my favorite one,” the lyrics state. The singer understands that the relationship is over, and the strongest thing he feels is simply love for that person. It’s all gone, he is done, and he loves them—and these things are, quite beautifully, not framed as a contradiction.

Alysse Cooper: “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez

“I love you,” my boyfriend at the time said to me. “I love you, too,” I whispered, trying to be as quiet as I could while walking into my mother’s house. It was a little after midnight, and I felt like I was floating. We spent a wonderful evening together and just had our first kiss. I went right to my mom’s room and started telling her the story of our evening. A couple of minutes later, I got a text message from him. It was the song “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez. I played it and felt a rush of happiness; I felt like I was living a dream I hoped would never end.

Music has always been an important part of my life, and my now ex-boyfriend and I shared that bond. I connected with the lyrics “You fell, I caught ya” and “I would never fall in love again until I found her… I found you.” When we were dating, I felt like these were words we would say to each other. We were so happy to have found one another.

Annie Fuimano: “Valentine” by Laufey

This song was written by my favorite artist, Laufey. About a year ago, I was going through one of her albums when I found this song and instantly fell in love with it. Her voice sounds so delicate yet so strong; to me, she sounds like a Disney princess.

Laufey writes a lot about heartbreak, which is why I especially love this song—it is just pure love and is so sweet and sappy, which is a departure for her. The lyrics even say, “I’m writing a love song, who’ve I become? There must be something wrong.” Every time this song is played, all I can picture is when my boyfriend and I first started to fall in love with each other. I especially connect with the lyric: “I trace it all back, 3:30 a.m. that night something turned in my heart. While you were sleeping, I fell in love.”

Annie Gable: “Let Alone the One You Love” by Olivia Dean

I found this song where I find most of my music nowadays: through a daily “doomscroll.” While scrolling, I heard an angel-like voice sing, “if you knew me at all / you wouldn’t try to keep me small,” and my heartstrings were instantly drawn to it. I looked at the bottom of the screen to see the title: “Let Alone the One You Love” by Olivia Dean. I immediately went to Apple Music and added it to my playlist.

The song dives into the heartbreak of realizing the person you love is not the person meant for you. Dean sings, “really thought you could be him,” which is a feeling I know all too well—falling in love with the potential of what something could be. Her angelic voice carries the weight of the lyrics so beautifully.

Viviana Pruett-Saratan: “I Never Want to Leave This World” by Flatland Cavalry

I was driving down the winding Pennsylvania interstate on a cold November day. I had recently watched the movie “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and had fallen in love with the soundtrack, so I was playing a similar radio station on Spotify.

I was driving to see my best friend for her birthday, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her with every passing song. Then this song began: “I never want to leave this world.” It was as if I was driving in slow motion. The singer’s raspy but smooth voice, mixed with the slow rock of the guitar and drums, matched the sway of my car as it curved past farms and hills.

“Without saying I love you,” the lyrics continued. I realized in that moment how much I really miss my best friend. I hadn’t seen her in months. “Without saying what you mean to me.” Memories started flooding my brain, from the time we met in kindergarten to going to prom together. “You know it makes me happy / When we share this space and time.” Tears dripped down my face as I realized how short the time we have really is.

Daren Robles: “Hear Me Calling” by Juice WRLD

So many people were into Juice WRLD, but when “Hear Me Calling” came out, I was stunned by how real the message was. Continually asking, “Do you hear me calling?”, he shows what it’s like to be in a relationship that could be considered toxic with constant arguments, yet there is still love.

Juice WRLD doesn’t just grab my attention with the message; the soft tone of the beat gives your mind a break, making you feel the truth of what he’s saying. I was in a bad relationship when I first heard this song. My ex thought I was crazy when I said, “I don’t want no drama, no fire or lava,” because the arguments continued despite my exhaustion from ignored calls. Once we broke up, I listened to the song again, heartbroken, realizing I still loved her and that I’m “her fan, her poster on my walls inside my head.”

Zye Scheer: “Annie’s Song” by John Denver

Denver’s piece embodies the emotions of love. I originally discovered it when I was no older than thirteen, sitting in the car riding back home from school. When it began serenading me from the radio, I cried. Being a cheesy teenager, I showed it to my first girlfriend ever, because of exactly how it made me feel.

The vivid descriptions of nature Denver used to describe the experience of loving his wife are beautiful, and his enchanting voice over the harmonious instrumentals elicit such a powerful, sentimental response in my heart. Ironically, Denver cheated on his wife within weeks of marriage, but I don’t think it necessarily takes away from the melody by itself. Being with somebody and enjoying them to their fullest, having them “fill up your senses” is one of the clearest signs to me that I have fallen head over heels for them— something I have absolutely experienced with the love of my life and girlfriend of almost 5 years, Jules. This song simply captures that bliss in your mind and warmth in your cheeks that really tells you, “I love this person.”

Emer Walsh: “Relax/Divide” by Hail the Sun

It’s the first song I heard by Hail the Sun. It is much less aggressive than the rest of their discography, yet their signature angst-ridden lyrics carry the song. It starts strongly with the line: “Every time that you leave my house, I fear that your truck flips or crashes.” This is a morbid vision to have of a lover, but many people with anxiety like me can relate to these scenes playing unprompted in our heads.

The lyrics often center on the negative aspects of relationships. Donovan Melero laments, “I’m always assuming the worst / It’s not healthy to be so f—ing anxious and desperate,” which describes loving someone so much that the thought of losing them becomes a hindrance to both lives. This anxiety is such a stressor that both parties seem to consider breaking up: “(I’m not sure you’re the one) / If you think that it’s time, then let our lives divide.” I relate to this song because I know an obsession with someone else can hurt both people. I love the self-reflection; the narrator knows he is at fault for the relationship ending.