With Valentine’s Day approaching, here’s one of my favorite romantic songs. I’ll be singing this song on Saturday. It’s tradition.
Enjoy!
Category Archives: Music
Song of the Day: Baby Come Back (by Player)
There’s something timeless about Player’s “Baby Come Back.” The moment that smooth, shimmering guitar riff kicks in, you’re instantly transported to an era of feathered hair, smoky bars, and love songs that meant exactly what they said. Released in 1977, it’s the sound of a guy trying to keep it together after heartbreak — and not quite succeeding. Honestly, any song that uses the phrase “mask of false bravado” earns its “timeless” badge automatically. That’s pure emotional poetry hiding inside a silky yacht‑rock groove.
What makes it work is how effortlessly cool it sounds while being totally sincere. The production is sun‑drenched, the harmonies glide, and the rhythm section keeps everything smooth without ever getting sleepy. You can hear the singer trying to play it off, pretending he’s fine — but those gentle falsettos betray him at every turn. It’s heartbreak with charm, regret you can actually dance to. The song doesn’t wallow; it sways.
Nearly five decades later, “Baby Come Back” still hits that sweet spot between sad and suave. It’s for those quiet, reflective nights when you’re too proud to text first — but not too proud to sing along. There’s a warm nostalgia baked into every note, and that lyrical honesty feels a little rarer each passing year. Turns out, love and vulnerability age beautifully when wrapped in a melody this smooth.
Baby Come Back
Spending all my nights, all my money going out on the town
Doing anything just to get you off of my mind
But when the morning comes, I’m right back where I started again
And tryin’ to forget you is just a waste of time
Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong and I just can’t live without you
All day long, I’m wearing a mask of false bravado
Trying to keep up a smile that hides a tear
But as the sun goes down, I get that empty feeling again
How I wish to God that you were here
Baby come back, oh baby, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong and I just can’t live without you, oh
Now that I put it all together, oh, oh
Give me the chance to make you see
Have you used up all the love in your heart?
Nothing left for me? Ain’t there nothing left for me?
Baby come back, oh darling, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, listen baby, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong and I just can’t live without you
I was wrong and I just can’t live
Music Video of the Day: Little Of Your Love by Haim (2017, dir by Paul Thomas Anderson)
As we approach Valentine’s Day, this music video from Haim feels appropriate. Back in the day, Paul Thomas Anderson directed video-after-video of the Haim sisters walking around Los Angeles and it was the greatest thing ever.
Enjoy!
Song of the Day: Open Arms (by Journey)
There’s something about nostalgia that hits differently. It gets a bad rap sometimes—mostly because it can make us label anything from our past as a “classic” just because it’s tied to some fond memory. But when it’s genuine, nostalgia can feel like stepping back into a moment you never wanted to end.
That’s exactly what today’s “Song of the Day” does—it stirs up those feelings of the past and reminds me why some songs never lose their magic. I’m talking about one of the all-time great power ballads: Journey’s “Open Arms.”
Released in 1982 on Journey’s seventh album, Escape, the song was an instant hit, both on the radio and in their arena shows. “Open Arms” quickly became the rock power ballad—the one all others get compared to. Like any good ballad, it’s about losing love and finding it again. Honestly, I don’t know anyone—no matter their music taste—who hasn’t slow danced to this song at least once.
It wasn’t exactly the go-to tune at my high school dances, but I definitely heard it plenty once I was older—at weddings, anniversaries, and other celebrations. The song’s staying power comes from more than just its lyrics—it’s Steve Perry’s voice. His delivery is powerful without feeling overdone or corny. There’s this sincerity in his singing, like he’s sharing something deeply personal, and that’s what gives the song its timeless emotional pull.
Open Arms
Lying beside you
here in the dark
Feeling your heart beat with mine
Softly you whisper
you’re so sincere
How could our love be so blind
We sailed on together
We drifted apart
And here you are by my side
So now I come to you
with open arms
Nothing to hide
believe what I say
So here I am with open arms
Hoping you’ll see what your love means to me
Open arms
Living without you
living alone
This empty house seems so cold
Wanting to hold you
wanting you near
How much I want you home
But now that you’ve come back
Turned night into day
I need you to stay
So now I come to you
with open arms
Nothing to hide
believe what I say
So here I am with open arms
Hoping you’ll see what your love means to me
Open arms
Music Video of the Day: With You by Jessica Simpson (2003, dir by Elliott Lester)
Today’s music video features Jessica Simpson, back in happier days. This was the last video she made with Nick Lachey. (They would get divorced three years later.) It’s essentially just an advertisement for the reality show that was their life. When Jessica and Nick split up, a generation stopped believing in love. They probably should have stopped believing in reality television instead.
Jessica Simpson and I went to the same high school, though Jessica had dropped out and moved to California long before I started going there. Still, I had some teachers who remembered her as being a nice person.
Enjoy!
Song of the Day: Just Once (by James Ingram)
“Just Once” by James Ingram is one of those early ‘80s ballads that somehow hits twice as hard decades later. Produced by Quincy Jones for his 1981 album The Dude, the song carries that signature Jones polish—smooth arrangement, soft piano lines, and a tasteful rhythm section that gives Ingram’s soulful vocals all the space they need. It’s the kind of track that sneaks up emotionally on you; what sounds like a classic love ballad at first slowly reveals itself to be something heavier, an inner plea for emotional connection that never quite worked out right.
A huge part of the song’s lasting impact came from its unexpected use at the end of The Last American Virgin (1982). That film, a teenage sex comedy on the surface, ends on a gut punch of heartbreak and disillusionment—and “Just Once” rolls in right as the realization sinks in. Instead of tying things up neatly, the song underscores the protagonist’s pain and futility, matching the moment perfectly. It’s almost cruel how the film pairs that kind of emotional devastation with a song this beautiful.
And that’s what makes “Just Once” stand apart from other ballads of its era: it’s not syrupy or idealistic. It’s a bittersweet confession wrapped in a soulful groove, about trying your best and still losing. The honesty in Ingram’s delivery gives the song an authenticity few pop hits manage to capture. Whether you first heard it through Quincy Jones’ production or that unforgettable movie ending, it’s hard to shake off once it finds you—it’s heartbreak with melody, regret with elegance.
Just Once
I did my best
But I guess my best wasn’t good enough
Cause here we are
Back where we were before
Seems nothin’ ever changes
We’re back to being strangers
Wondering if we ought to stay
Or head on out the door
Just once
Can we figure out what we keep doin’ wrong
Why we never last for very long
What are we doin’ wrong?
Just once
Can we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
We could just get to it
I know we could break through it
Hmm hmm
I gave my all
But I think my all may have been too much
Cause Lord knows we’re not gettin’ anywhere
Seems we’re always blowin’
Whatever we’ve got goin’
And it seems at times with all we’ve got
We haven’t got a prayer…
Just once
Can we figure out what we keep doin’ wrong
Why the good times never last for long
Where are we goin’ wrong?
Just once
Can we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we could break through it
If we could just get to it
Just once
I want to understand…
Why it always comes back to goodbye
Why can’t we get ourselves in hand
And admit to one another
We’re no good without each other
Take the best and make it better
Find a way to stay together
Just once…
Can we find a way to finally make it right
Whoa
Make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we could break through it
If we could just get to it
Just Once…
Whoa, oh
We can get to it…
Just Once…
Music Video of the Day: Bible Belt by Travis Tritt and Joe Pesci (1992, dir by ????)
Today, we wish a happy birthday to Joe Pesci!
Enjoy!
Song of the Day: Breakin’ My Heart (by Mint Condition)
Whenever “Breakin’ My Heart” by Mint Condition comes on, it’s like flipping back to the spring of ’91 — those final high school days buzzing with possibility and that sweet uncertainty of what came next. I remember those silky keys and that laid-back groove spilling out of boomboxes in the parking lot after school, turning ordinary afternoons into something electric. It was the ultimate slow jam for passing notes in class and those marathon phone calls about crushes that felt like the whole world.
What made the track stick so deep was its smooth, patient vibe, like it was custom-made to linger in those tender high school romance moments — Stokley’s voice carrying that perfect mix of ache and hope. At senior prom, when “Pretty Brown Eyes” finally hit, the gym lights dimmed, and suddenly every sway felt like a promise. It bridged those innocent, heart-on-your-sleeve high school flings right into the haze of early college, where relationships got messier, longer-distance, and way more real, with calls late at night from someone met through college halls and weekend jaunts to clubs.
That song soundtracked our whole transition that summer before freshman year — cruising with windows down, radio cranked, as we traded high school goodbyes for the thrill and nerves of campus life. Mint Condition’s harmonies wrapped up all the nostalgia of backyard parties and first kisses, while hinting at the tougher navigations ahead, like figuring out if those feelings could stretch across states. Even now, it pulls me right back to that bridge between worlds — young love evolving, full of promise and those first real heartbreaks.
Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)
Pretty
Brown
Eyes
Pretty brown eyes, you know I see you
It’s a disguise, the way you treat me
(The way you treat me, pretty brown eyes)
You keep holding on to your thoughts of rejection
If you’re with me, you’re secured
You keep telling me that your time is always taken
But I keep seeing you out alone
(Out alone, pretty brown eyes) yeah
Listen to love, your heart is pounding with desire
Waiting to be unleashed
Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Yeah, breakin’ my heart, oh, yeah
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Sugar, yeah, yeah
Don’t tell your friends
That I don’t mean nothing to you
Please, don’t deny the truth
(Pretty brown eyes)
Tell me right now, I know your heart is in the right place
You know I won’t let you down, oh, yeah, yeah
You can’t disguise all the pounding of your heart, yeah
(I see your eyes) I see your eyes
(Pretty brown eyes) and you can’t hide
Start to make sense and quit playing
These love games (silly little games)
Tell me what you’re gonna do, yeah
Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Yeah, breakin’ my heart, ooh
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes), yeah
I just want to know one thing
Will you be with me?
(Pretty brown eyes)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, oh, oh
Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Here comes my lovin’ (here comes my lovin’)
(Please, honey will you dance?)
Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart, yeah
Breakin’ my heart, whoa
Got me cryin’ all inside (pretty brown eyes)
Ohh, ho, ho, ooh, I’m talking ’bout (breakin’ my heart)
I’m talkin’ ’bout you, I’m talkin’ ’bout me
I’m talkin’ ’bout we, I’m talkin’ ’bout we, we (pretty brown eyes)
Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Here comes my lovin’, will you dance (here comes my lovin’, please, honey will you dance?)
Oh yeah, sugar pie, baby
Breakin’ my heart
Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Will you dance (here comes my lovin’, please, honey will you dance?)
Oh, hoo, ohh, yeah (pretty brown eyes)
Heart, breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart, breakin’ my heart
Music Video of the Day: I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll, covered by Britney Spears (2001, dir by Chris Applebaum)
It’s Britney!
Filmed at Long Island bar, this video is here to welcome us to Super Bowl Sunday! Pretty soon, some people will be watching the game and some people will be watching the commercials and, here at the Shattered Lens, we’ll be posting any trailers that drop during the big game. It’s a part of our tradition!
For now, though, let’s love rock and roll.
Enjoy!
Song of the Day: Make It Last Forever (by Keith Sweat)
It’s funny how just the first few notes of “Make It Last Forever” can take you straight back to those smoky gymnasiums where the lights were dim, the disco ball spun slow, and everyone pretended not to care who asked who to dance. Keith Sweat’s voice had that raw, pleading edge — smooth but vulnerable — the kind that cut right through all the teenage coolness. This track wasn’t just background music; it was the moment when couples swayed a little closer, trying to hang on to a feeling that was bigger than any senior year could hold.
The thing about that late ’80s R&B scene is that it knew how to make time stop. Between Sweat’s silky tone and Jacci McGhee’s soft harmonies, the song felt like a brand-new kind of intimacy. It wasn’t flashy, just honest — the kind of slow jam that made you believe love could actually last forever, at least for the length of that dance. You didn’t need fancy choreography or a booming beat; the groove did all the talking. It was warm, romantic, and a little bittersweet — the perfect soundtrack for that fleeting stretch between youth and adulthood.
Even now, when it plays on an old-school radio mix or at a 40th high school reunion, something in it still hits home. You remember the scent of cheap cologne, the click of high heels on the gym floor, and that mix of nerves and hope that only a slow dance can bring. “Make It Last Forever” wasn’t just a song — it was a promise whispered in the dark, a memory that never quite fades, no matter how many years go by.
Make It Last Forever
Make it last
Make it last forever (ever)
Don’t let our love end (ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-oh)
Let’s make it last (ooh-ooh-ooh-oh)
Let’s make it last forever and ever
Mm, don’t let our love end (oh, don’t let love end) mm
Let me hear you tell me you love me
Let me hear you say you’ll never leave me
Ooh, girl, that would make me feel so right
Let me hear you tell me you want me
Let me hear you say you’ll never leave me, baby
Until the morning light (ah)
Let me tell you how much I love you
Let me tell you that I really need you
Baby, baby, baby, I will make it all right
No one but you, baby, can make me feel
The way you make me, make me, make me feel
Whoa, oh-oh-oh
Mm, mm, mm
Don’t let our love end (oh, ooh-oh)
Just make it last forever (oh, make it last) and ever (forever)
Your touch is wonderful
Your love is so marvelous
Joy, that’s what I feel when I’m with you
Nothing, no one (no one, boy)
Could compare to what we have (oh, my baby)
Love, it feels so good
I’m so glad you’re mine (oh, oh)
Whoa, oh-oh-oh (ooh, baby)
Make it last forever (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Don’t let our love end (no-no, no-no-no)
Make it last forever and ever (yeah, yeah)
Ooh, give me kisses (kisses)
Love me (love me), hold me (hold me)
Squeeze me (squeeze me)
Chillin’ (chillin’), come on (come on)
I love it (you know I do), baby
Whoa, oh-oh-oh
Mm, mm, mm
Make it last forever (no-no) and ever (no-no-no)
Don’t let our love end (and ever)
Ooh, whoa, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh (no, don’t you let it end)
You got to make it last
Never, never, never let it end
Just make it last forever and ever (ooh-ooh, oh)
I want our love to last a lifetime (I’d give it up, give it up for you)
Ooh, tell me, tell me you’ll always be mine
(I love you, love you, love you, love you, love you)
To make love forever and ever (ooh-ooh)
We’ve got to make it last
Got to make it, got to make it, got to make it, got to make it
Oh, baby, oh, honey (oh, honey)
I love you (ooh, oh, oh, I love you)
Ooh, you’re my best thing in the world (oh)
The only thing in the world, I love you so
Through the Shattered Lens 