Romantic relationships has been the inspiration for many of our greatest works of art and music. Somehow the sweet ache of loving someone ( and very often losing them ) brings out the artistic and creative soul in us like no other human emotion. In our minds and hearts words and images tumble together in a whirlpool of angst, melancholia and hope resulting in a creative flourish that is truly a thing of beauty. The overwhelming tide of lovelorn and adoration that washes over us compels us to express them in the most glorious manner – hence a monument like the Taj Mahal would never be if not for the intense love of an emperor for his favorite wife.
Recently I came across a song called “Rhythm Of Love” that came out in 2010 by a group that goes by the name of ‘Plain White T’s‘. This is the same group that produced the mega hit “Hey There Delilah“. This time around though the duty of lead vocals has been assumed by band member Tim Lopez who wrote ‘Rhythm Of Love’. As I normally do with any song that catches my fancy, I did a little research into the song because very often the background story of a particular song is very interesting and entertaining. The reason(s) for its genesis can be even more compelling than the song itself.
‘Rhythm Of Love’ is no exception. It came about as a result of the writer’s regret in calling quits on a relationship that somehow wasn’t given the chance to bloom. In the words of Tim Lopez himself:
“It was written for this girl that I was dating while we were making our last album out in Malibu. We have a lot of history; I’ve known her since I was 11 or 12. I wasn’t really emotionally available to her at the time. I hadn’t completely gotten over my divorce, so when the band left on tour, I decided it wasn’t right to try to keep the relationship going so we called it quits. It was only over the last year or so that I’ve realized what I walked away from. The song was an attempt to rekindle things and win her back. She’s currently dating someone else, and I’m happy for her. But in case it doesn’t work out… who knows?”
Here’s a video of the song:
It’s a deceptively simple love song. But with a catchy melody and sung in Lopez’s folksy style filled with hope and longing, the song is a beauty and touches one right in the heart. Songs like these stays in your mind, gets your feet tapping and stands the test of time because it deals in the most noble and grandest of emotions that humans can express – love and it’s many enchanting rhythms.
