Steamy songs work.
Researchers tell us that romantic songs nearly double the likelihood that single women will agree to give men their phone numbers.
And music works for those of us in relationships too. Music does a pretty good job of expressing affection, amorous intention, and other feelings that can be screwed up by mere words.
Why?
Obviously we react to music we like and to lyrics that make us feel. Music engages our bodies, often helping us move out of our heads to a more sensory level. It gets to us in ways we aren’t consciously aware of as well. In This Is Your Brain on Music Daniel Levitin describes what happens as we listen. Imaging studies show that excited nerves signal from the auditory system to activate expectation and reward centers in the brain. In fact the pleasure we take in music causes our dopamine levels to rise and we all want more of that feel-good neurochemical.
We here at GeekMom talked over our favorite erotic tunes. We noted that it isn’t easy to separate them from love songs, because adoration is definitely a turn on. Okay, we also had to weed through our favorite sexy tunes to eliminate the exceedingly creepy, depressing, and misogynistic ones.
The more basic question remains. What music sounds sexy to you? Is it the beat, the lyrics, the overall tone? Or does it have more to do with memories you attach to the piece?
Offer your suggestions.
Here are a few of ours. Not in order and not by any means comprehensive.
1. What Kind Of Woman Is This? by Buddy Guy
I heard a blind man screaming, say
There goes a sight for my sore eyes.
2. Glorybox by Portishead
Just give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
3. Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover by Sophie B. Hawkins
I’ll rock you till the daylight comes
Make sure you are smilin’ and warm
4. I Just Want To Make Love To You by Muddy Waters
I don’t want you to be true
I just want to make love to you
5. Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan
Lay lady lay, lay across my big brass bed.
Stay lady stay, stay with your man awhile.
6. Wicked Game by Chris Isaak
What a wicked thing to do
To let me dream of you
7. Love Me Like A Man by Bonnie Raitt
I want a man to rock me
Like my… backbone was his own
8. I’m Wild About That Thing by Bessie Smith
If you want so satisfy my soul,
Come on and rock me with a steady roll
9. Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
I want to hold the hand inside you
I want to take a breath that’s true
10. In The Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett
I’m gonna take you girl and hold you
And do all the things I told you
11. Bang A Gong (Get It On) by T. Rex
You dance when you walk so let’s dance, take a chance, understand me
You’re dirty sweet and you’re my girl.
12. Try A Little Tenderness by Otis Redding
But while she’s there waiting
Try just a little bit of tenderness
13. Need You Tonight by INXS
So slide over here, and give me a moment
Your moves are so raw
14. Angel Dance by Robert Plant
Little angel dance
Come on come on and dance
15. Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye
You know what I’m talking bout,
Come on baby, let your love come out
16. Can I Stay by Ray LaMontagne
Lay with me in your thinnest dress
Fill my heart with each caress
17. Arms Of A Woman by Amos Lee
Ya, when she wakes me
She takes me back home
18. My One and Only Love by Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane
You fill my eager heart with such desire
Every kiss you give sets my soul on fire
19. You Shook Me by Led Zeppelin
You know you shook me
You shook me all night long
20. Love Me Unique by Michael Franti
Mmmm, exhale
Touch me like the blind read Braille
21. Delicate by Damien Rice
When nobody’s watching
We might take it home
22. Little Red Corvette by Prince
I say the ride is so smooth
You must be a limousine
23. Powerful Stuff by Sean Hayes
Alright now let’s turn it up
Every day do like a flower does
24. Samba da Benção by Bebel Gilberto
Put a little love
In the cadence
25. Ready For Love by Bad Company
I want you to stay
Ooh, I want you today
26. Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
When the whole world fits inside of your arms
Don’t really need to pay attention to the alarm
27. Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band
Hike up your skirt a little more
And show the world to me
28. Get On Your Boots by U2
You don’t know
How beautiful you are
29. Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers
Oh my love, my darling
I’ve hungered for your touch
30. I Melt With You by Nouvelle Vague
I’ll stop the world
And melt with you
31. Boléro by Orchestre de Paris
32. Stripped by Depeche Mode
We’ll lay on the grass
And let the hours pass
Makes me wanna pull
Down the shade, yeah
34. Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake
Get your sexy on
Go ahead, be gone with it
Come inside where it’s okay
And I’ll shake you
36. Father Figure by George Michael
Just for one moment
To be warm and naked at my side
37. Inertia Creeps by Massive Attack
Recollect me darling raise me to your lips
Two undernourished egos four rotating hips
38. Let’s Pretend We’re Bunny Rabbits by The Magnetic Fields
Let’s pretend we’re bunny rabbits
Let’s do it all day long
No list like this should *ever* be published without mention of the band Morphine. Just take one listen to You Look Like Rain and you’ll hear what I mean.
Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” Everything about it screams romantically sensual to me. Unfortunately my husband disagrees completely, so what does that do for ya?
@RockinLibrarian. You’re right, “Moondance” has got it.
@MarkClark. Thank you. I never heard “You Look Like Rain” before. I’m now on my third listen. More than delicious. And it’s the only sexy song with lyrics lauding a lover’s smarts, experience, ideas, and oh yeah, taste.
“Your mind and your experience call to me
You have lived and your intelligence is sexy
I want to know what you got to say
I can tell you taste like the sky
cause you look like rain”
“You Look Like Rain” by Morphine
Personally, “Calling You” from Blue October ranks up there with my favorite love songs. Absolutely beautiful lyrics. I love the Chris Isak mention, the way his voice sounds makes both me and my wife melt, and I’m not ashamed to admit it!
Great list, I second all of the entries!
Oooh, nice choice. Really captures a feeling of love at any distance.
morphine’s “you look like rain” (yes, it was the first one up in the comments. as it should be.) that bluesy groovy sexiness is always my favorite.
joe cocker’s “you can leave your hat on” is undeniably male-indulgent, but also undeniably sexy. =)
santana’s “into the night.” love those drums, and the whole energy.
eagle eyed cherry’s “save tonight.”
babyface and des’ree’s cover of “fire.” i really dig the intro, especially.
“music of the night,” from ‘phantom of the opera.’
eva cassidy’s version of “fever.” her voice, those drums and the fiddle are an especially sexy combo.
bell X1’s “west of her spine.” less overt, more tenderly sexy.
madeleine peyroux’s “dance me to the end of love.” really, with lyrics like “show me slowly what i only know the limits of,” does it need an explanation? =)
i also LOVE rachel portman’s rendition of “caravan” (it’s on the soundtrack to ‘chocolat.’) it’s the most sensual version i’ve ever heard of that tune, and the scene in the movie is really sexy, too.
Down here, it would have to be Hunters and Collectors “Throw your arms around me”
If you want to pluck a Gen X Aussie’s heart strings, this is the song:
“I will squeeze the life out of you
You will make me laugh and make me cry
We will never forget it
You will make me call your name and
I’ll shout it to the blue summer sky”
Okay, we also had to weed through our favorite sexy tunes to eliminate the exceedingly… depressing… ones.
Okay, being a very strong Depeche Mode fan, I don’t fully agree with “Stripped”. Yes, I understand some of the lyrics suggest eroticism, but then the message overall is also one against environmental pollution. At least this entry is from the Black Celebration album, which I think is fairly a sensual one overall, if not specifically erotic.
I’m having a tough time suggesting alternatives. “Somebody” is more on the romantic side, and “Dressed In Black” (also from Black Celebration)… well, okay, not everyone has a kink like that, I guess. I do, but… *cough* yeah.
“Precious” from Playing the Angel did come to mind, but then I realized it’d be hard to, *cough* bump ‘n grind to.
Really, though, I acknowledge everyone’s opinions will be different, and “Moondance” doesn’t do much for me, either. Might be a feminine perspective thing.
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