The Set List

By Brian Washburn

Money is tight. The economy has been in shambles for a couple years now. It looks like it might, possibly be on a bit of a rebound, but not any time soon. Let me clarify, not any time in the near future when we all need buckets of money to spend on that special someone when Sunday rolls around.

Roses are delivered across the nation and Hershey and Hallmark stock jumps just because it’s that time of the year for those suckers who dive head first into this nonholiday, Valentine’s Day.

So lacking the funds to show your true love how much you care for them, what is a lover to purchase their significant other? The answer is simple for some and quite difficult for others. With a bit of creativity, musical talent and love in your heart, a Valentine’s Day gift consisting of lyrics, music and emotion can turn into the best gift they have ever received. Just hit the record button.

If you take a look at some of the most influential romantic songs of the past few decades, they seem to be a love letter putting the musician’s heart on their sleeve to their true love.

Ironically, the greatest love song of all time is by one of the hardest, most attitude-laden bands of the past few music eras, Guns N’ Roses.

Axl Rose delved into deep feelings back in the late ’80s when Guns N’ Roses were writing their epic debut album “Appetite for Destruction.” However, these feelings were quite different from those he laid down on tracks dealing with drugs, L.A. and partying. His intense, poetic feelings came as a love letter he wrote over one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time when the band recorded “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” still lives up to the bar it set more than two decades ago, and it still resonates emotions men all over the world feel at one point or another. But it’s not the only prime example of a musical love letter that can make her weak at the knees on V-Day.

There’s always the cheesy, make-her-laugh-and-smile love letter songs such as “Baby, I Love Your Way” by Peter Frampton and “I’ll Make Love To You” by Boyz II Men. However, better choices come from the classy love letter route like “All My Life” by K-Ci and Jojo and “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal.

If you’re feeling a bit mysterious and dark with your V-Day date then go with “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. More modern options for love letter songs to provide inspiration for your Valentine’s Day masterpiece include “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s, “Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service or any modern cover — and there are a lot — of “Time After Time.”

However you decide to spend Valentine’s Day is totally up to you — or more importantly that special someone you are attempting to impress. But if money is tight and you live your life by the inspiration and emotions you can find in music, then pick up an instrument and serenade that special someone. And if you don’t have a lover to spend Feb. 14 with, then crank out the metal and rock out all night long.

Brian Washburn is the founder of DBW and is currently working on a way to revolutionize the music industry.