“If you were a pill, I’d take a handful at my will/And knock you back with something sweet and strong.”
Paul Westerberg perfectly captures the sleazy hopelessness of young, desperate love in “Valentine.” The song was recorded by The Replacements for their 1987 album PLEASED TO MEET ME, and pretty much the only V-Day song I’m going to be listening to today. The song’s opening lines, in which a star wished upon turns out to just be an airplane tells you everything you need to know about this song. I wouldn’t call Westerberg unsentimental, I’d just call him a realist. Love’s a drug and we’re all junkies.
These guys KNOW what love’s really all about.
Valentine’s Day is just like all the other holidays: a good idea twisted into an excuse for people to spend money they don’t have. Take time to think about all the love you’ve had and currently have, but don’t buy a fucking greeting card.
Defending Axl Rose 
Great song, great post. I could wax poetic about my thoughts on the cosmic nature of Love, but whatever. This post just created a perfect little V-Day moment for me. Thanks!
I actually wrote a really long, bullshitty post about love and another song…but I scrapped it in favor of this. Happy V.D.