Homicide Fidelity

There's a hierarchy of sentiment in pop songs that seems a little misplaced. 'I need you', is considered superior to 'I want you'. 'I would die for you / can't live without you', is believed more potent when serenading your potential mate than 'I'd like to live for you / with you'. To claim that you are 'nothing without him/her', suggests somehow that the person in question is more important to you than if you claimed that you 'felt more complete when they're around' or even, if we're pandering to the dramatic, are 'everything' with them. 

Are we stalkers because we listen to pop music, or do we listen to pop music because we are stalkers?

The singers spurt out these sentiments with vim and vigour, eyes closed, fists clutched hard against hearts, we join in while we do the washing up, only with a little less exuberance, for fear of getting soap suds on our tops. Our George's thought police would have a field day with all this flying around. A lover or a fighter? Same thing you're honour, throw 'em in the cells and don't let 'em out 'til St Swithun's Day.

I admit, it's possible that a love song which read 'I find you attractive physically, mentally and spiritually and your particular personality makes me feel a little better about myself and the world. The fact that you seem to have some connection to me is definitely a positive thing in my life, and whilst I'm sure I could quite easily live without you and, had I not met you, I can't imagine I'd have spent all my days trying to fill a you shaped hole, but as you are around, I'd prefer you to stay around.' might not fly off the shelves quite as fast as 'I Can't Live (If Living is Without You)', but I'd feel a whole lot better about my kids listening to it.