Greatest Love Songs Ever: #23 “Let’s fall in love”
Hamlet poses the portentous question, “to be or not to be?” in one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. He offers the question in the context of whether to go on living. By contrast, songwriting hall of famer, Ted Koehler, poses the same question in the context of love:
“To be or not to be? Let our hearts discover.”
This delightful love song answers the question with a resounding yes:
“Let’s fall in love,
Why shouldn’t we fall in love?
Our hearts are made of it,
Let’s take a chance,
Why be afraid of it?”
Love is the antidote to abortion
“Let’s Fall in Love” ranks an impressive #23 in our countdown of the 52 Greatest Love Songs Ever. This series posits that Love is the antidote to abortion. We need to listen to more love songs, songs that make us think beyond ourselves. Songs that soften our hearts and strengthen our humanity.
The great Harold Arlen (“Stormy Weather,” “Over the Rainbow”) adds a simply delightful, happy melody, that would even put a smile on the face of a grouch.
So the interesting line in the lyric above is, “our hearts are made of it,” suggesting our hearts are made of love.
In this context, I believe Kohler suggests that our humanity, our ability to feel and interact with the world, is animated by the spark of divine love that brought us into existence. Perhaps he really refers to our souls, which hunger for love.
He whimsically adds, “Why be afraid of it?”
As I scoured YouTube for different presentations of “Let’s Fall in Love,” the usual suspects popped up. Krall. Sinatra. Cole. Diana Krall (top of page) is far and away my favorite. For starters, she includes the opening verse which is often deleted by other singers.
Krall is a jazz artist, and this is a tune on which jazz artists can really cut loose. Take a listen. Her piano chops are just as good as her incredible vocal chops. A good singer makes a song sound natural, effortless, and Ms. Krall excels in this category. The middle section of the song (the “to be or not to be” part) is not so simple, but she makes it sound simple.
The same goes for the great Nat King Cole, who slows the song down into a lovely ballad. (For the record, Cole was also an incredible jazz pianist.)
Nat King Cole sings “Let’s Fall in Love”
So to the question, to be or not to be, this song jubilantly responds YES, let’s fall in love! YES, let’s embrace life! There’s nothing to be afraid of!
And if you agree with these great songwriters, take a moment to subscribe to this blog. And if you’re able, make a gift to enable Pulse Life Advocates to continue spreading a pro-life gospel of love.
Next week showcases a classic song written by songwriting royalty in 1939 and performed by a recent inductee into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
