MP3: The Mountain Goats - Love Love Love
“Love Love Love” is not a sappy, soulless song about the most giddy of emotions. Rather, John Darnielle take this opportunity to pose a question of motivation: why is it that we do the things we do? Biblical, historical and modern day examples of personal motivation sandwich up against his personal lyrics, which border between speculation and explanation.
It’s a comforting thought that–as Darnielle suggests–love is the greatest motivator, and the most noble cause. But today it seems that those who might agree are in short supply. Everywhere you look, love is traded for convenience, and honor sacrified for a buck. This is where a cynic would call John and those of his ilk “hopeless romantics” and shut the book of love, love, love.
Not me.
Call it situational perspective. Call it an unrealistic tint to the world. But whatever the reason, I identify with this song more than most that I’ve encountered in my life. Despite what they teach you in school, love really does win and goodness is worth fighting for–and believe me, there will be fighting. “Love Love Love” is the rallying cry of the romantic, but not of the fool. Life isn’t easy, and John makes that clear enough. But if everything you do, you do with love in your heart, it will work out in the end. I promise.
