14 Songs About Love at First Sight to Warm Your Heart
Have you ever felt that sudden tingly feeling in your gut when you come across a stranger who just blows you away? Everything seems perfect about them, be it the way they act, speak, dress, or help others. You just can’t get over them and may even become a completely different person around them.
If you’re feeling this now (or hope to one day), then I have the perfect selection of songs to make your heart soar.
Without further ado, here are some amazing songs about love at first sight for every genre that I love—and I think you will too.
“So Into You” – Tamia
This R&B slow jam from 1998 perfectly illustrates how, if and when you meet the right person, you can absolutely fall for them hard.
On the track “So Into You,” Tamia tells the story of a woman that is so into a man that she’s just met, she feels he’s sent from Heaven.
But more than that, Tamia loves how this newfound love makes her feel. It’s not just about loving someone’s external looks, or even enjoying their company (or body). It’s much more about how, when you find the right person, a certain part of you lights up in a way you haven’t quite experienced before.
And it’s a feeling you never want to go away.
“I Don’t Even Know Your Name” – Alan Jackson
This rowdy country classic tells a funny story of a man falling in love with his waitress in an old-timey highway diner. At first glance, it’s a story we’ve all heard before: a man gets drunk in a restaurant and begins to politely hit on his waitress.
His buddies carry him out to his car to make sure he gets home safely, and he’s never heard from again, leaving the waitress with a big tip and an amusing story to tell her coworkers. But this song goes a little further.
Not only does this man have a little liquid courage to aid him with his slurred pick-up lines, but he also completely blacks out and wakes up in a – wait for it – church! Here he is, married to a waitress and doesn’t even know her name!
What was initially meant to be a joke for Jackson’s family, the renowned country singer decided to release this track to the public, which, fortunately for us, became one of his well-known hits. It seems as though many people could relate to the bizarre details of this story, which may make you want to ask your parents how they met.
Jackson was a brave soul for taking that leap of faith and asking his waitress out on a date. I hope it encourages you to do the same to your crush. Just don’t go tying the knot too quickly.
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Lauryn Hill
This song originally came out in 1967, so we can’t credit Lauryn Hill with penning the lyrics. But we can absolutely applaud Lauryn’s performance on this track, as it rests towards the very end of her “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” album. And yet, despite that, there’s at least an argument to be made the it’s the best song on that (an album already brimming with excellent songs).
On this track, Lauryn is so smitten with a man she just met, she simply cannot avert her gaze—even if she tried.
She’s transfixed by him—there’s simply no going back.
Checkmate.
Pardon the way that I stare (the way that I stare)
There’s nothing else to compare
The sight of you leaves me weak
There are no words left to speak (words left to speak)
But if you feel like I feel
Please, let me know that it’s real
You’re just too good to be true
Can’t take my eyes off you
“Tear You Apart” – She Wants Revenge
While sudden attraction can be endearing and cutesy, it can also be dangerous and unhealthy. She Wants Revenge’s alternative grunge rock hit, “Tear You Apart”, paints a picture of a young man who wants to talk to his crush but is overcome with anxiety.
At first, his friends are encouraging him to take the risk, as she is likely nervous too and he shouldn’t be ashamed. But he is ashamed because he has strong, dark fantasies of things he wants to do to her that he’s too afraid to tell her, or anyone else; as a matter of fact, he’s afraid of even himself, fearing he may lose his inhibitions and inflict his every desire onto his crush.
The song ends with a repeating chorus, as they finally dance together. With each sway with the beat, the singer’s thoughts become more and more prevalent, and he finally admits with a whisper in her ear, “I want to f******* tear you apart”.
“Love At First Sight” – Kylie Minogue
What is a love song without a little disco dance-pop? This genre is like the queen of love songs, and no matter how much you hate it, you’ll soon love it and have it on repeat for hours.
This song gives me a Daft Punk meets Britney Spears vibe, and it’s such a fun mix that will grant you the courage to dance with your crush. But the story isn’t about your “everyday girl meets the senior in high school” love story, but it rather details the intense attraction Minogue feels towards a popular musician.
She lovingly stresses that the music he was playing “blew her mind” and it was “love at first sight”. Her life went from left to right in almost an instant as she knew everything would be perfect if they were only together.
“Love” – Foster the People
I love a good tale about a player turned partner. Mark Foster sings about a man who’s your typical womanizer looking to get lucky at a party. He describes himself creeping through the lively crowds, charismatically greeting people and showing off like a fool.
Then suddenly he locks eyes with a woman, and he is frozen in his shoes, equally filled with excitement and the strong anxiety to run away. But he holds his ground and stutters “Y-y-y-you were meant for me”; it is at this moment he realizes he’s falling in love.
This song has a classic indie electropop vibe that may intrigue those who like to attend those mysterious masked mixers *wink wink*. Although the couple seems extraordinary to each other, they have ordinary hopes and dreams of finding true love in their pesky pursuits, often finding potential partners who simply can’t handle commitment.
I’ve definitely been there and I’m sure many of you have as well. No worries, failure is a huge part of success, so keep trying! And hey, maybe this song will help to liquify your anxieties as you gather the gall to ask your crush out on a date.
“True” – Spandau Ballet
Nothing is more soul-crushing than your crush’s dismissal crushing your soul. As painful as rejection can be, we can’t ignore that it doesn’t happen, which is why Spandau Ballet’s new wave soul track, “True”, is here to assure you that you’re not alone.
Gary Kemp is reported to have written this song about a platonic relationship he had with a singer, but he wanted to be more than friends; unfortunately, she did not share his sentiments, and he held onto this for a long time before he desperately needed to write his feelings out in a cryptic, musical love letter to her.
Who knew such a sweet 80s song often sampled in romantic movies and music would carry such heavy-hearted lyrics? If you’re recovering from rejection, sing it out with Spandau Ballet and don’t be afraid to get out there again! There’s bound to be a hopeless romantic waiting to be embraced by you.
“Dream Weaver” – Gary Wright
If you’ve ever been in love, you know that this emotion can stretch far across space and time, ignoring the laws of physics. Gary Wright writes about such a love he’d found in the mid-70s that carried an “infinite compassion and love, carrying us through the night of our trials and suffering; none other than God Himself”.
This highly spiritual hit is something I can relate to on a deep level. Falling in love with another person is intense on its own yet falling in love with the nature of the universe is a timeless tale that stretches far beyond our mortal shell. It is truly our final form that we achieve when we can find authentic appreciation for our cosmic interconnection with all things. Though our bodies will someday fade, the love we feel will always be eternal.
“I Saw Her Standing There” – The Beatles
I’d like to give a full disclaimer that this song is strictly for my teens under 18, given the age of the young lady in question on this classic rock’n’roll hit by The Beatles.
The lyrics immediately dive into how her beauty made his heart go “boom”, and it was then and there, when he saw her standing there, he’d make sure she’d dance with no other man. His tenacity pays off as she grants him a dance, and he soon fell in love, knowing he’d never ”dance with another, since I saw her standing there”.
This song is a perfect reflection of how light-hearted and charming love at first sight can feel. Remember, you’re never too old to get butterflies fluttering about in your tummy! Just make sure the one you’re falling for is old enough to buy you a drink.
“You Don’t Know My Name” – Alicia Keys
Earlier, we talked about a man in high spirits (while inebriated with spirits) fancying a waitress, but what about a cute story of a waitress being smitten by a customer?
One of Alicia Keys’ most famous R&B neo-soul lead singles explores the lovesick thoughts of a waitress who falls head over heels for one of her regulars. Although this customer has no idea she has feelings for him, she has spun herself into a whirlwind of whimsical emotions, fantasizing about the charming life they’d lead together if only he’d notice her.
What makes this song so popular is that it offers a glimpse into the personalities of the story’s characters, during a soft-hearted telephone scene when she finally asks him out on a date. This moment feeds your bated excitement breadcrumbs of “what ifs”, but finally explodes with passionate flair, as the man she’d fallen for at first sight accepts her invitation to a date.
If you’re nervous about confessing your love for “the one”, take a line from Keys’ verse and embrace the unknown! I can’t count how many times I’d listen to this song before asking someone out. Though some resulted in rejection, others blossomed into beautiful relationships. Don’t lose hope; your true love may be out there ordering a vanilla latte at your local café!
“Separator” – Radiohead
With all these waitresses and patrons falling in love, we need to slow things down a little and pay our respects to those who nearly enkindled a relationship with someone at first sight but missed their opportunity.
Radiohead’s “Separator” has an artful indie rock sound that explores the thoughts of an individual in a dream-like state. The singer is reminiscing about what could have been with a woman with whom he was extremely infatuated.
He likens his absentminded state with as if he’d “fallen out of bed from a long and vivid dream”. He can remember every word and gesture he shared with this woman in his core being that he can’t quite shake, and he may never be the same.
Towards the end of the song, he reveals that he’d lost her number and feels great remorse because of this. As the melody fades away, he longingly asks if she will wake him up from his dream; alas, she is not there to respond to his question, leaving him to his thoughts once more.
“Past Life” – Tame Impala
Tame Impala is beloved for orchestrating electronic psychedelia, and “Past Life” takes this a step further by weaving a spiritual concept into a romantic attraction. The track begins with a winding melodic run with synth keys, as a deep, distorted voice narrates about the monotonous details of running his daily errands.
Suddenly, he happens upon a woman who seems…familiar. Then, paired with the hardest bass drop of our lives, he is instantly hit with a rush of memories from a time separate from his current existence, which reveals this mysterious woman to be a “lover from a past life”.
Then the chorus swoops in and carries you away on gentle cosmic waters as he comes to terms with the bizarre events that have evoked from him an emotion that seemingly resurfaced from nowhere.
This is one of my favorite love at first sight songs because the narrator realizes that who he sees is, in fact, a former lover he’d forgotten about, and contemplates how to go about approaching her. He considers the practicality of his predicament and wonders whether it’s worth risking looking like a crazed, love-struck fool on the off chance that she may invite him into her life again.
Fortunately, he remembers her phone number, and, after a brief moment of hesitation, he calls her. The song swells and abruptly halts as the final sounds we hear are the ringing dial tone of a phone, then the voice of a woman curiously saying “hello?”.
What happens next, we may never know; however, what we do know is the lesson this song provides. Even if you feel silly re-approaching that person who could be “the one”, gather your bearings and calmly ask them; you may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
“Can’t Get Over You” – Joji (feat. Clams Casino)
If you’re awkward like me, you’d love this chipper R&B single by Joji. He perfects playing the role of a delusional man who is utterly obsessed with a woman he doesn’t even know.
He just can’t get over her and toys with the idea of potentially falling in love with her if he only got an opportunity to be the one, at least before he dies.
With stark conviction, he admits he doesn’t understand social cues and struggles with socially acceptable day-to-day interactions with everyday people, but he’s willing to try, even if it hurts him in the process. The song draws on many parallels that seemingly imply homicide, romanticism, and suicide all at once.
One line in particular, “tell me more, I got a box cutter with your name on it”, at first glance, can mean he either wants to solidify his love by carving their initials into a tree or move in together; but, a later line that states “if I can’t have you, no one can”, implies that he’d use that box cutter to make sure she can’t fall in love with anyone if it’s not him.
Although his socially graceless demeanor is relatable, his thoughts of harming either others or himself, is certainly not something with which I can vibe.
“The First Time Ever I saw Your Face” – Roberta Flack (1957 Ewan MacColl cover)
I will never forget the first time ever I heard this soulful pop song: I was at a show choir competition at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee. One choir’s ballad was this song, and the woman with the solo was just as enchanting as Roberta Flack’s rendition of Ewan MacColl’s 1957 romantic ballad.
Flack lovingly recalls thinking the sun rose in her lover’s eyes when she first saw his face. She goes on, line-by-line describing her undying love throughout each stage in their relationship.
The earth-trembling joy of the tender feelings they shared with one another seems to stick with her through every stage of their lives that they share together. This is the type of everlasting love so many of us long for, and this timeless epitome of peak romanticism assures us that it is indeed obtainable.
Conclusion
Attraction is a beautiful, complex phenomenon. We all have, in one way or another, felt an unexplainable pull towards a person that felt so magical beyond comprehension.
These songs about love at first sight remind us that while it’s not always the best idea to act on our impulses, it’s totally okay to long for the ones with whom we want to spend our lives.
