Ah, breakup songs. They’re so often set on infinite repeat in our souls. So you oughta know: are they unhealthy in their forwarding of a pro-wallow agenda?
Not necessarily so, says Thao Nguyen — she of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down (a personal fave band o’mine, although better known for the sort of “something with shouting and hand claps in the chorus” songs which Nguyen identifies here as totally not breakup-friendly). In this nice commentary in Bitch Magazine, Nguyen celebrates the therapeutic salve of a deeply felt, fully embraced breakup song. And she’s got an I’m-OK-you’re-OK take on the importance of the dirge for the recently dumped:
“It is the sauna where all your emotions gather after work and sit and talk shit or breathe deeply and with each action make themselves hotter and sweatier until there is such frenzied perspiration you are crying on the outside, probably alone in your car. The breakup song serves a very specific role in the triage of heartbreak. I’m not saying it’s healthy to delve and wallow — but I am saying everyone I know does it, so let us honor the sad, slow breakup song for the fucked-up and necessary friend it is.”
Breakup bonus: Included at essay’s end is Nguyen’s personally curated track list for the all-time heartbreak catalog. Comment or add your own here!
Presenting Menage a Twang: BG’s new fav-o-rite local band!
P.S. Our spy, who saw them the other night, reports that they also sang (not from the album) “Your Love is Like Time Warner Cable.” (You know, as in, “I hate you but can’t live without you.”) Other titles included I’ll Only Support Your Art for So Long, Find Me on Facebook, I Don’t Want to Hold Your Baby, The Pantsuit, and Your Boyfriend Has a Boyfriend.
P.P.S. New Yorkers in inter-borough relationships, please do not miss Weekend Service Changes.
P.P.S.S. Attention concert bookers: Menage a Twang + Rob Paravonian = music comedy heaven.
Filed under: pop culture — posted by Maria @ 3:12 pm
Not very long ago I sent out a request to my friends for breakup songs. While mine was for a relationship breakup, Aunt Becky over at Mommy Wants Vodka (one of my favorite names for a blog, EVER! mostly because I feel that!) has put together her list of Songs To Break Up To for her breakup with Diet Coke. (I feel you there too, sista!)
Her songs include: “Always On My Mind†by Elvis Presley; “Good Year For The Roses†by Elvis Costello; “Pictures of You” by The Cure (of course); “November Rain†by Guns ‘n’ Roses and “Delicate” by Damien Rice.
None of these songs was on the lists my friends suggested. Over in my world (my roughly post-1990 world) we had: “How to fight Loneliness” by Wilco; “Harder Now that It’s Over” by Ryan Adams; “February” by Dar Williams; “Done Wrong” by Ani DiFranco — actually, there was a lot of Ryan Adams and Ani DiFranco, now that I think about it. And the Magnetic Fields — though a few of my friends thought that might drive me to suicide at the time and prudently left them off their lists.
I’m not in a breakup right stage right now — though I am seriously considering breaking up with network TV this season. But I’d still like your suggestions. What are your favorite breakup songs?
Ever marvel at the power of make-believe to bring about real-life happiness? Plus, who doesn’t love four-part harmonies? Well, BG is delighted to offer New York-area (or visiting) BreakupGirl.net readers special discount tickets to THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES, a cotton-candy colored, non-stop jukebox-musical blast from the past, where you’ll meet four sweet-voiced girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinolines! The New York Times called WONDERETTES “effervescent and irresistible…an utter charm!”
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: $45; Saturday & Sunday: $55. (Regular price $79!) For the discount:
1. Visit BroadwayOffers.com and mention code MAINT01, or
2. Call 212.947.8844 and mention code MAINT01
Westside Theatre, 407 West 43rd Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues)
e-mail to a friend in need
Ever marvel at the power of make-believe to bring about real-life happiness? Plus, who doesn’t love four-part harmonies? Well, BG is delighted to offer New York-area (or visiting) BreakupGirl.net readers special discount tickets to 
