How Music Becomes a Bond of Love
Romance in Love, Accompanied by Music
When you are in love, what kind of romantic moments make your heart race?
Is it a poem written just for you? A surprise rose? Or a spontaneous trip?
For me, the most romantic thing is music. It carries the warmth of emotions, filling the gaps that words cannot express.
The Melodies of First Love
In the 1990s, my first love was a Taiwanese man who had moved to Shenzhen for work. He gifted me a Walkman, allowing me to play cassette tapes. Among the albums he gave me were Childhood Sweethearts by Zhou Zhiping (lyrics and composition by Zhou Zhiping) and By Chance, a song sung by Stella Chang and adapted from a poem by Xu Zhimo. The melodies were delicate and poetic.
But the most unforgettable were Teresa Teng’s love songs. Her soft voice, her delicate lyrics—each word flowed into my heart like gentle notes. These songs not only made me more sensitive to emotional nuances but also deepened my reflection on the profound connection between music and love.
Music: A Thousand-Year-Old Love Story
Many classic Chinese poems have been set to music, becoming symbols of love. Take, for example, lines from The Book of Songs, later adapted into the song By the Riverside—
Green grass so vast, mist so thick,
A beauty stands afar, by the water's side.
I wish to go against the stream, chasing after her trace,
Yet she remains faintly visible, standing midstream…
This song was originally sung by Teresa Teng and was one of the cassette tapes gifted to me by my first love. Three years later, he returned to Taiwan, and influenced by his affection, these songs, and traditional culture, I chose to remain single for the next ten years, reluctant to enter a new relationship easily.
Music in Proposals and Love Stories
In recent years, YouTube has been flooded with flash mob proposals, where couples use music and dance to declare their love. Typically, in bustling streets or tourist spots, a group of dancers begins performing to attract a crowd. Suddenly, the groom-to-be joins the dance, and the music shifts to Marry You—he then kneels down to propose. These moments always bring tears to those who love romance.
During weddings, many couples also choose music to tell their love stories. One piece I remember is Canon in D, a piano composition said to have been written 300 years ago by composer Johann Pachelbel as a musical expression of longing for his beloved. The melody’s repetitive yet evolving nature conveys an endless yearning, symbolizing eternal love.
A Song That Changed My Perception of Him
When I first met my husband, I wasn’t particularly drawn to him. I thought he was just a businessman, focused solely on making money, and his pursuit of me did not move me.
But after exchanging emails for some time, one day, he sent me a message with lyrics and an MP3 file—Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing by Katie Melua:
There are nine million bicycles in Beijing,
That's a fact,
It's a thing we can't deny,
Like the fact that I will love you 'til I die…
One line, in particular, touched me deeply:
There are six billion people in the world, more or less,
And it makes me feel quite small,
But you're the one I love the most of all.
I was deeply moved by these words—in a world of six billion people, we are as insignificant as dust, yet fate brought us together, so I love only you.
This song made me reconsider our relationship. Having experienced heartbreak before, I had become emotionally closed off, skeptical of love. But this song—after listening to it countless times—gradually melted the ice around my heart.
Later, he introduced me to another song, Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman by Bryan Adams, and this time, I truly embraced love again. Sixteen years have passed, and we are still together, still sharing 60s-90s classic love songs.
Music: A Love Language Beyond Words
I have always loved classical music and opera. Though I may not understand the lyrics, the rise and fall of melodies, the expressions of the singers, and their body language all convey emotions clearly.
The first opera my husband took me to see was Cats, featuring the song Memory, which I played repeatedly in the car. And then, there was Swan Lake, where not only was the ballet performance mesmerizing, but Tchaikovsky’s music also enchanted me. Without these great composers crafting musical tributes to love, perhaps these stories wouldn’t have stood the test of time.
Timeless Melodies of Love
In classical music, many compositions are considered “songs of love”:
Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata, Für Elise
Debussy: Clair de Lune
Mozart, Chopin, and their many romantic piano pieces
Of course, there is also Canon in D, which has touched countless hearts. When my son was young, it was this very piece that inspired him to learn the piano.
Music: A Bond That Keeps Love Alive
Music is more than just melodies; it is a vessel of emotions, a witness to love.
It could be a cassette tape, an MP3 attachment in an email, a flash mob proposal’s background music, or the soundtrack to a timeless opera or ballet.
Music transcends time, connecting hearts. Even as the years pass, the love in music remains ever moving.
What is your favorite love song? Have you ever received or given a song to a lover as a token of your love? What song would you choose for your wedding or a wedding you are planning? Feel free to share your stories in the comments!
-To Be Continued EP011-
