10 Songs That Start With V – Vacations, Valentine’s & Vegas
We all love music, but let’s face it—songs that start with V are far less common in the music industry compared to other letters (like E, which we’ve discussed before). But, there are absolutely some hidden gems for this particular topic, and in this article, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite songs that deal with topics like vacations, Valentine’s Day, and Vegas!
1. Vacation by Dirty Heads
The reggae-rock band, Dirty Heads, released “Vacation” on their sixth studio album, Swim Team. I look at this song as an inspiration to get up every morning and do what I love. There are many people I know that generally are not happy and when you ask them why the answer is they do not like their job or how things have turned out in life.
The main message Dirty Heads is telling us is that if you are doing what you love, you will be happy, and happiness matters more than money. The inspiration for the song came when Jared Watson was walking his dogs and reflecting on how much happiness he has found in life and the type of life he had built from the success of his band.
Thanks to TikTok, in 2021 “Vacation” went viral with the #vacationtransition trend and introduced more people to the song. In an interview with The Aquarian’s Debra Schafer, Jared Watson reflected on how much social media contributed to the song’s success. “We’re just gonna keep writing music, the music that we like, and hopefully our fans are gonna like it. This song has proven that point.” I love how calm and mellow “Vacation” is and the message that it sends that happiness is the real gold in life and should be what you chase more than a dollar.
2. Valentine by 5 Seconds of Summer
5 Seconds of Summer released “Valentine” on their 2018 album, Youngblood, and the track featured vocals from all four members of 5SOS. The band has often referred to the song as the ultimate Valentine’s Day song and guarantees that playing it will help encapsulate the type of mood you want to feel. The lyrics to “Valentine” are filled with cliches and cheesy lines and encapsulate how commercialized the holiday has become.
One takeaway from the song is that you should treat every day like Valentine’s Day and not let your love and excitement for your partner die. The lyrics and instrumentals for “Valentine” are very upbeat and cheery and perfect for a laid-back and easy-going time.
3. Valentine’s Day by Linkin Park
Linkin Park released “Valentine’s Day” on their third studio album, Minutes to Midnight. “Valentine’s Day” is often called one of the poppier songs on the album, with Chester Bennington singing softly, and is about losing a lover on Valentine’s Day. I absolutely love the raw emotion that Chester Bennington shows in his vocals and it tells a story about the true darkness that some feel on Valentine’s Day due to past experiences.
The instrumentals start out slow then climax in a huge show when the chorus hits. Linkin Park is considered a darker band that talks about uncomfortable things and they did a great job of trying that aspect with a poppier sound. Overall, “Valentine’s Day” is a great song that I would definitely give a listen to whenever it comes on.
4. Valium Skies by The Verve
The alternative/indie/pop band released “Valium Skies” in their 2008 album, Forth. The British alternative rock band is most known for their song, “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” one of the most iconic songs of the 90s. “Valium Skies” is a metaphor for depression and being with someone who can get very depressed but still remain with you. The lyrics, “when it comes to my valium skies, she don’t mind if I cry,” are about the testing of a relationship when someone is breaking down.
While the song is very open to interpretation, varying from listener to listener, the music is very buoyant and delightful to listen to. This would be a great song to add to a playlist of songs beginning with the letter “v.”
5. Vampire Money by My Chemical Romance
Not only is “Vampire Money” a great song, but it’s also very rebellious from the start. The notorious band was contacted and offered a huge payment to write a song for the Twilight soundtrack series due to the band’s music genre. Not only did the band refuse because they despise what the goth genre has become, but they also didn’t like how bands are writing music for the sole purpose of obtaining money.
In an interview with Kevin O’Donnell from SPIN, guitarist Ray Toro said, “we just kept saying ‘no, no, no’. Gerard wrote those lyrics to the song as if to say, if you want a song for the movie this is what it’s going to be.” My Chemical Romance isn’t a fan of movie soundtracks where the music was written specifically for the movie. I love how they were able to use this song as a way to convey what their personal opinions are with certain things in the movie/ music industry, and they were able to also create a great song.
6. Voodoo by Godsmack
Godsmack’s most popular song, “Voodoo” was originally released on their 1997 album, All Wound Up… and was later edited and released on the band’s 1998 album, Godsmack. The band’s lead singer Sully Erna practices the Wicca faith and incorporated his beliefs and a traditional Wiccan ritual ceremony in the music video for “Voodoo.” The band got the inspiration for the song after watching the movie The Serpent and the Rainbow.
In an interview with MTV News, Sully Erna said, “it’s simply about the belief of the Earth, natural herbs, and healing remedies that come from the Earth. A lot of spiritual beliefs, karma, stuff like that.” Other listeners have also mentioned that for them, the song is about addiction, even though the band did not intend for the song to be about that. I love how the deep vocals and instrumentals flow perfectly with the song and the music video matches exactly what you would imagine it to look like.
7. Vasoline by Stone Temple Pilots
“Vasoline” is a track on the grunge band’s second album, Purple. Scott Weiland heard his parents listening to “Life in the Fast Lane” by the Eagles, and came up with the lyric “flies in the vasoline” because that is what he thought he had heard. In an interview with Greg Prato from Songfacts, Scott Weiland revealed, “That’s where the initial line came from, and that sort of sparked the whole idea of the song. I get into a deeper kind of idea.”
The song is a metaphor about being stuck in the same situation over and over, like with drugs, similar to flies being stuck in vasoline. Weiland used this song as a way to write about how he was lying to his wife Jannina and lying to his band about his heroin addiction. The opening bass is flat-out amazing and the song features an upbeat, fast feel that makes it easy for you to fully understand the music. “Vasoline” is a great song to add to a playlist of songs that begin with the letter “v.”
8. Vegas by Doja Cat
Doja Cat wrote “Vegas” for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis documentary soundtrack and combines her musical style with that of Elvis Presley. As a tribute to this, Doja Cat incorporates one of Elvis’s song, “Hound Dog,” into the lyrics of her song. Though, her use of “hound dog” takes on a whole new meaning compared to Elvis Presley’s version.
Through her lyrics, Doja is addressing a man and accuses him of being a fraud. Unlike the iconic Vegas motto, Doja is reminding him that “this ain’t stayin’ in Vegas,” and what he did will soon come to light. “Vegas” is proof that Doja Cat is continuously proving she is a leading female artist right now.
9. Venice Queen by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers released “Venice Queen” on their 2002 album, By the Way. While many see this song as just another drug song, “Venice Queen” is actually a positive and melancholy way Anthony Kiedis chose to deal with losing a good friend. Anthony wrote this song in memory of Gloria Scott, a drug counselor, who passed away from her battle with cancer. She helped Anthony a great deal and taught him how to get through dark times, “you taught me most of what I know, where would I be without you Glo?”
The members of Red Hot Chili Peppers found “Venice Queen” to be a beautiful way to describe how they felt about not being able to say proper goodbyes. The whole band had a deep connection with Gloria and found “Venice Queen” to be a beautiful way to describe how they feel about not being able to properly say their goodbyes. In the end, it’s a beautiful song with deep meaning that contains great instrumentals that Red Hot Chili Peppers is known for.
10. Venom by Eminem
“Venom” is the final track on Eminem’s album, Kamikaze, and is the lead single for the Marvel Venom movie. “Venom” is a tribute to the synergetic alien character from the movie and was the only track from the album to be teased before the album’s release. Like most of Eminem’s songs, “Venom” delivers hard-hitting lyrics, and set a major tone for the song.
It’s well known that Eminem is a big fan of comics and I particularly like this song since I feel like he’s fanning out over the human arachnid. The chorus of the song gives you the feel of the symbiote taking over every time it kicks in. Even if you are not a huge Marvel fan, “Venom” is still a great rap song to listen to with an impeccable flow and is definitely worth a listen.
Conclusion
No matter the reason for looking at songs that begin with “v,” these songs are all unique and hold a deeper meaning than just the lyrics. This article of songs that start with “v” is sure to deliver variety and hopefully find something new for you to enjoy.
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