There ain’t no space and time
To keep our love alive
We have existence and it’s all we share
There ain’t no real truth
There ain’t no real lies
Keep on pushin’ ’cause I know it’s there
—“Space and Time ” by The Verve

Image: E. Jason Wambsgans


“Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)”—She & Him
She & Him’s stellar cover of this Johnny Mercer-penned standard works for those in a new relationship: “Fools rush in where wise men never go/ But wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?”



“Space and Time”—The Verve
From The Verve’s nearly perfect album Urban Hymns, this song begins with the opening quotation and takes off from there.

“I Couldn’t Love You More”—Sade
Let Sade’s sultry voice and soothing beats take you to the islands in the dead of winter…

“Catch”—The Cure
One could choose an obvious Cure song (e.g., “Lovesong,” “Just One Kiss,” “Just Like Heaven”) but Robert Smith’s quirky side comes through in this song about an enigmatic crush who “fell down a lot” in the snow… how apropos.

“Perfume”—Jesus and Mary Chain with Hope Sandoval
“Me-oooooooow,” repeats the feline-esque Sandoval throughout this noise pop gem from the Scottish alt-rockers.

“My Cherie Amour” (Italian Version)—Stevie Wonder
We all know the English version of Wonder’s wistful “My Cherie Amour,” but the Italian one is piu romantico.

“Caramel”—Suzanne Vega
No date tonight? Treat yourself to some decadent caramel with Vega: “It won’t due to dream of caramel, to think of cinnamon, and long for you.”

Bonus Tracks for the lovelorn:

“So Like Candy”—Elvis Costello (co-written with Sir Paul McCartney)
From Mighty Like A Rose, the right amount of anger ensues as Costello recounts heartbreak from a girl named Candy: “Here lie the records that she scratched/ And on the sleeve I find a note attached/ And it’s so like Candy…”

“Over You”—Roxy Music
On this synthpop tune from Flesh + Blood, Bryan Ferry, the King of Cool, strikes the right melancholy chord: “Oh baby this is nowhere/
Wish I was somewhere – over you” Enough said.