Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and the big softies here at One-Click Wonders want to celebrate by showcasing our favorite love songs. So, up until V-Day itself, this blog will feature a different collection of love songs from NBN staffers and various campus figures. Today, NBN staffer Lana Birbrair mixes the project up, contributing her favorite unrequited love songs for the lonelier crowd.

”I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You” by Colin Hay
This beautiful song of love had and lost remains poignantly perfect, even if way too many hopeless romantics did start humming it after Garden State came out.

“Untouchable Face” by Ani DiFranco
This isn’t just another mopey diatribe on being unloved. Ani, in her fiery feminism, gets mad at the guy for existing and mad at herself for being in love with him in the first place, which is incredibly powerful, in a sadly weak sort of way.

“I Don’t Really Love You Anymore” by The Magnetic Fields
As you may guess by the song’s inclusion on this list, “don’t” should not be taken literally here. The singer’s attempt to convince himself otherwise is touching, maybe a tad pathetic, but totally relatable.

“Layla” by Eric Clapton
Although the lyrics are not explicitly about unrequited love, this song (and most of the album it’s from) was written as a testament of love to a woman who was crazy enough to turn Clapton down. The woman, Pattie Boyd, was George Harrison’s wife, who later relented and married Clapton. That only goes to show that not all cases of unrequited love end badly* (except maybe for George Harrison.)
*This one did anyway, technically. Pattie Boyd gave up on famous rock stars and divorced Clapton in 1989. Thinking a little bit about your unrequited love yet?

“I Know It’s Over” by The Smiths
No one in the world has ever been as adept at hating himself as Morrissey of The Smiths – which would probably be why The Smiths have the market covered on sad songs about how much life sucks. This one takes the cake for sheer desperation and anguish, though, in case you were looking for an upper.

“ On My Own” from Les Misérables
This might actually be the saddest unrequited love song ever written in one of the most tragic musicals you could ever sit through. (Come on now, just look at the title.) It’s pretty much impossible to watch this performed live and not burst into tears. And unlike most of the other songs on this list, this is legitimately about a love that is unacknowledged and unknown, making it all the more pitiful.

“ Love Fool” by The Cardigans
Here, however, the singer probably just has bad taste in men. Which is pretty much what makes this song so great – it’s a case of unrequited love sung with such cheer it almost seems desirable.