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Valentine's Day Special: 5 love songs which are totally cool and smart

It's Valentine's season, and unfortunately, that usually means an overdose of sappy, artificially sweetened songs on most peoples' playlists. You know the type - An outpouring of ridiculously purple lyrics about "eternal love" (I'm looking at you, PJ and Duncan).

If you feel the same way, change things up a bit this Valentine's Day with these five love songs that won't have you hurling.

of Montreal: An Eluardian Instance

Choice lyric:
Now, I'm viewing my memory reel in reverse
Scrolling back to come to feel your weather then
Now, I'm noting the limits of our parabola
To predict the points of thou-shalt-not-return

Bring out the trumpets! An Eluardian Instance, by psychedelic-pop band of Montreal, starts out euphorically triumphant and ends on a sweeter note.

The song itself is a nostalgic retelling of how of Montreal singer Kevin Barnes met his wife while on holiday in Oslo, but the sheer joy in this song is infectious. Kooky, eccentric and sweet all at once, this song boasts a genuine heart that is hard to replicate.

The Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses

Choice lyric:
Cradle me
I'll cradle you
I'll win your heart
with a woop-a-woo
pulling shapes just for your eyes

When less says more: Toothpaste Kisses may be a short song, but it's that understatedness that makes this a great love song. In just three verses, The Maccabees may not sing about purple prose involving endless love, or other trite professions of devotion, but they nail that feeling of simple, straightforward companionship. The modern day's "All you need is love".

Imelda May - Inside Out

Choice lyric:
I love your chin and the skin that you're in
I love your nails even your entrails
I love your soul even your little mole
Yeah, I love you inside out

Rockabilly singer Imelda May's Inside Out perfectly captures that butterflies-in-stomach feeling of a new love, when everything is fresh, exciting and - to be honest - just a little bit obsessive (who doesn't think constantly of a new partner day in, day out?).

The Irish singer's unconventional lyrics about loving someone inside out ("From your wits, to your wobbly bits") gets bonus points for being the only song I know that includes the word "entrails". That, and for avoiding the usual sappy "fire/desire" standbys.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - That's What's Up

Choice lyric:
I'll be the church, you be the steeple
You be the king, I'll be the people
Well I was feeling such a mess I thought you'd leave me behind
Well I was being such a wreck I thought you'd treat me unkind
But you helped me change my mind

The first thing you'll probably notice is the incredibly cute music video. However, underneath that is a song about two people who just complete each other.

If you're looking for a unique song to sing along to with your sweetheart, this is the one. I challenge you to listen to this song and not come away with at least a smile on your face.

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

Choice lyric:
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Finally, we'll round off our list with a classic: Metallica may get a bit of stick these days, but this power ballad still sticks out as one of the great rock love songs - which also doesn't mention the word 'love' at all.

The story goes that James Hetfield wrote this song while on the phone with his then-girlfriend, and it wasn't meant to be released - but after drummer Lars Ulrich heard it, it was considered for the album. There's a powerful message here of not just devotion, but also trust in your partner.

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