Let’s not beat around the bush here. Valentine’s Day is wank. Call me heartless, but I see absolutely no romance at all in producing these loving gestures and gifts because capitalism tells us we should. If you really love someone, shouldn’t you let them know spontaneously, or better yet, all the time? Ugh.
Cynicism aside, I seriously advise that you watch this video. Right now.
Okay, watching several dozen yob-types shouting one of Savage Garden’s greatest hits may not exactly instil you with the biggest romantic yearning, or even sound pleasant to you, but this advert has entered my Top 5. Admittedly I have absolutely no desire to buy Puma products, but I really don’t think that’s the point.
Darren Hayes, lyricist and singer of Savage Garden, described that the men singing one of his finest tunes is “actually short hand for ‘I love you’“ . Sure, in the eyes of Puma, they’re confessing their love to the beautiful game, but surely I’m not the only one whose heart is melted by their passion?
Clearly they’ve been very smart bunnies and played on Valentine’s Day for their Love = Football campaign. And I know the cynic in me should loathe this, but I inexplicably have a great deal of affection for tacky love songs.
Why is it that the over-the-top ballad, or manufactured boyband hit can leave us with these lasting lyrics that remind us of those most important to us? It’s an unchanging musical fact that we go weak at the knees for the perfectly-penned pop anthems, be it the The Beach Boy’s mac daddy of love songs ‘God Only Knows’ or to the contemporary (yet just as heart-melting) McFly’s ‘All About You’.
Shakespeare may have queried as to whether he should compare the object of his desires to a summer’s day. E.E. Cummings carried his beloved’s heart in his heart. The lead singer of The Ronettes asked her ideal man to be her baby (be her little baby, nonetheless). I could quote more beautiful declarations, but this is basically a very long-winded way of saying that culture and art seem to carry romance on in a way that some may seem to be superficial, but I’m sure it’s something more than that. I’m pretty sure you’ve listened to a song before and thought “I wish someone would write that about me”. So here’s to you, musicians. You saviours of romance on Valentine’s Day.
And especially Darren Hayes, naturally. <3
