Feb 2022 aromantic ace-aro love-song
I cycle between states: aromantic & asexual. Romance is not my thing but I love passionately and that passion takes different forms, depending where I'm at. Holidays like Valentine's, birthdays, anniversaries, all make me want to run screaming for the hills. There's *so much pressure* and I have no instincts for it so I generally eat my cinnamon hearts in January and celebrate any day, every day, how much I love someone. And they know it.
This is a tongue twister kind of song with all the words, ever. Breathing is tough and cadences matter.
Holidays are pressure points
in an otherwise calming sea of time
that melts the days together
if it weren't for the light and weather
Suddenly remember you gotta
dress it all up in pink balloons
to demonstrate affection
with a decorative confection
Commerce drives economy
and artists gotta eat
but I hate putting on my party hat
to say I love you
I can say I think about all the
beautiful hours wrapped up in
your arms that make me smile
by the fathom and the mile
Doesn't it sound sweeter without all the
ribbons tied up in a tangle
I just wanna come undone
any season of the sun with you
Commerce drives economy
and artists gotta eat
but I hate putting on my party hat to say it
Commerce drives economy
and artists gotta eat
but I hate putting on my party hat
to say I love you
I do, I love you, I do
Chocolate is for every day
Wine's a daily drink
Cinnamon's the spice of life
no matter what they think
This calendrical regime won't tell me
when to tell you how I feel:
I'll tell you when it's real
Here's the only card you'll get cuz you
already know my rebel self can't
let this go unchallenged
(it holds my world in balance)
Not gonna put on pretty clothes and I
don't wanna make it special more than
all the other days cuz I
always feel this way
Commerce drives economy
and artists gotta eat
but I hate putting on my party hat to say it
Commerce drives economy
and artists gotta eat
but I hate putting on my party hat
to say I love you
I love you, I do
I just hate putting on my party hat
@janeg Feb 2022
Hard to add to all the raves below, of course chocolate and cinnamon and letting someone know you love them is for every day.
@dasbinky Feb 2022
Beautiful patterns in the vocals, lovely sentiment, and an excellent encapsulation of this aspect of your worldview. We all express our loves differently, and this a layered view into how you work them into your space. Thanks for sharing!
@panch Feb 2022
I love the rhythmic delivery of the vocals, they really give the song momentum. Really clever lyrics and so melodic. An excellent listen.
@toms Feb 2022
I could not agree more with this. Splendid song.
@nadine Feb 2022
Thanks a lot for writing a song about this. It deserves more attention. Commercialisation of Valentines Day AND ace/aro both. If you like somebody its not about a specific day. I love how you delivered. You spoke straight from the heart. The vocal layering is tasty.
@roddy Feb 2022
I think this is a really great song and an excellent performance. Your lyrics are outstanding. I particularly like your lines 'This calendrical regime won't tell me when to tell you how I feel'
@sheilerk Feb 2022
I kind of have preferred the 15th, half price chocolate day, to the commercialized Valentine’s Day. In general I’m all about holidays for everything. But, that said, I love this song and found a lot I could relate to, and your vocals and music carried the message perfectly.
@majormajormajormajor Feb 2022
I always an used in to buy people get well cards if I bought anything at all, and then writing something genuine. I dunno, I never considered that aromantic- if anything, it feels to me like the party hat people are making less effort. But I didn't come into the comments to split hairs, I came to say I really like your tune- the right level of snarky, with well chosen backing vocals that bring in quite a bit of interest but not enough to steal the show. That's reserved for your voice, nice understated performance with an open, bell tone.
@ductapeguy Feb 2022
Wow Leslie. This is awesome on so many levels. That Chorus is so powerful.
@improvyssey Feb 2022
I'm a fan of patter songs, and this is almost that. As a fellow ace/aro non-Valentine's Day fan, I approve.
@kenmattsson Feb 2022
Amazing emotion so delicately and powerfully put into song. All parts of this are so good!
This reminds me of my friend who came out as ACE, and I just said to them "Of course you're ACE because you love everyone."
@wylddandelyon Feb 2022
This is so wonderful. There are people who love the party hats, and people who need the reminders to say what's in their heart, but it is just as valid to not want the party foo-fra as it is to enjoy it.
@zecoop Feb 2022
Just a wonderful song and an excellent message to the world. Beautifully stated and sung (even if I don't know how you breathed). You really made a strong statement and loaded a whole lot of truth into this beautiful song. All the flowing I love you's make it clear that you do, but the harsh truth of "commerce drives economy and artists gotta eat but I hate putting on my party hat to say I love you." resonates completely, even with many who are not ace-aro.
Wonderful song and I am so glad you shared it!
@mikeskliar Feb 2022
This is sheer genius- really wonderful on every level- and I think so many people deep down can identify with that feeling of 'forcing emotion on holidays feels so fake', including valentine's day! I love the forward marching cadence and phrasing of this, musically it never lets up on the intensity and purity of the vision here- a great marriage (sorry to use that word, lol!) of words and music.
short version- this is great! :)
@gardeningangel1 Feb 2022
I love this so much I don't know what else to say. You said how I feel so well and so beautifully. Keeping this one, not just for holidays. Everyday can be a holiday with songs this good. <3
@clownresidue Feb 2022
i really love how you play around with the rhythm in this song! “doesn’t it sound sweeter without all the ribbons tied up in a tangle” is so catchy