With 16 shopping days to go till Valentine’s Day, we’re gearing up for February 14 here at The Current by launching our poll of the Top 89 Love Songs. The ballot is now open — be sure to submit your ballot by Wednesday, Feb. 7 to help us curate the ultimate Valentine’s Day playlist.

Now when it comes to love songs, there are certainly those tracks that are slam dunks: Etta James, “At Last”; Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, “When We Were Vampires”; Dolly Parton or Whitney Houston singing “I Will Always Love You.” The list of obvious love songs is vast, beautiful and widely cherished.

But how about those love songs that aren’t quite so blatant about it? Maybe they don’t come out and declare affection in a direct way, but if you dig a bit deeper into the lyrics, looking perhaps at the story or the metaphor, a message of devotion starts to shine through. Today, let’s celebrate those more subtle approaches to the love song. 

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what less-than-obvious love songs do you want to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played
Middle Kids – Bootleg Firecracker
Feist – Any Party
They Might Be Giants – Ana Ng
The Shins – Simple Song
Led Zeppelin – Going to California
First Aid Kit – Emmylou
The White Stripes – Little Ghost
Lou Reed - Perfect Day