Songs About Limerence
Limerence is a term that was used in the 1970s by psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe a mental state that is characterised by intense love infatuation.
It is marked by an initial period of euphoria and extreme emotional stimulation, which can progress to an unavoidable, obsessive craving for another person. It is also known as the “love high.”
However, no matter how closely one looks, love and limerence are not the same thing. The major difference between them is that love demands a genuine and significant connection with another individual, whereas limerence is based entirely on the act of pursuing and lusting after another individual. Therefore, in this article, we’ll examine an exhaustive list of songs about limerence. Enjoy!
7 Songs About Limerence
1. “Fever” by Beyonce
First on our list of songs about limerence is “Fever” by beyonce which was originally released in the late 1950s. Due to the fact that so many artists have covered it throughout its history, it is widely regarded as one of the most iconic examples of American popular culture.
The title of the song, “Fever,” is supposed to convey the idea that the person being addressed makes the vocalist feel very heated. It is impossible to deny that an implication about sexual activity is being made when one suggests that another person gives them heat.
The most obvious sexual connotation is found in the chorus when the vocalist confirms that she indulges in this “fever” “in the morning” and “all through the night” with the person being addressed.
Having said that, even though many popular recordings of this song have a slinky quality, it is clear that the subject matter the vocalist is actually addressing is sex and lust over the addressee.
At some point in the lyrics, she lists the exquisite qualities of the addressee that makes her desire him even more; his intelligence, his looks and confidence.
2. “Girl Like You” by Edwin Collins
There are not many similarities between love and lust. One of the similarities they do have, though, is the ease with which they may catch us off guard and then keep our attention diverted. This song is not particularly a love song. It conveys both lust and infatuation that the narrator has for the addressee.
The lyrics of this song are rather complex; however, it becomes less complicated if you read in between the lines. This song also addresses the subsequent humiliation that one frequently experiences as a result of being physically captivated by another person.
Although it later appeared on the soundtrack for Austin Powers: International Man of Mistery, this song was initially released on the album Gorgeous George. It was used to great effect there.
In North America, Edwyn Collins is known as a “one-hit wonder,” yet in the 1980s, he had a successful career with his band Orange Juice, thanks in large part to their signature hit “Rip it Up.”
3. “High School Confidential” by Rough Trade
People tend to keep their lust to themselves, possibly because the object of their desire is inaccessible to them in some way. However, there are times when there are other, more complex forces at play.
The tension caused by the fact that the object of our lust is also someone we do not necessarily like or respect makes the desire that much more forceful at times.
In this song by Canadian band Rough Trade, which was a radio hit in the early 1980s, the narrator is yearning for a “cool, blonde scheming bitch” whom she meets at school daily.
In this song, it seems more like a sexual infatuation, and the narrator has the sneaking suspicion that everyone, even the principal, is hoping to hook up with this girl.
4. “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey
Rapper Eminem, who claims to have dated Mariah Carey in the past and dissed her and her husband Nick Cannon in a song, is a likely inspiration for this song.
Carey has, however, consistently refuted the relationship rumours. Regardless of who the song is about, Carey is critical of the subject’s dishonesty and irrational behaviour in the lyrics.
5. 867-5309/Jenny – Tommy Tutone
The wall of the bathroom, a place of obscenity, might be regarded as a repository for carnal thoughts that will be preserved for future generations. If someone writes your name there, is this an insult to your integrity, or is it a questionable honour? In the case of Jenny, it seems as though the moment has come to revise that figure.
The narrator of this song not only lusts from a distance, but he has also pushed this sentiment to an almost extreme extent, using his lust as a means to express his own sense of hopelessness.
Because of this, it provides a clue to the more sinister side of lust, which is when it transforms from something pure and natural into something rather dangerous.
6. “Obsession” by Animotion
The song was initially recorded as a collaboration between Michael Des Barres and Holly Knight; however, the pair did not enjoy much commercial success with their version of the song; Animotion went on to make it a blockbuster.
The male narrator of the obsessive love song is a man who develops an infatuation with a woman, which quickly evolves into desperation, as he is determined to “capture” her.
7. “Cactus” by Pixie
This song is about a guy who is serving time in jail. However, the reference to blood has nothing to do with murder. The guy (narrator) who is jailed longs for his girlfriend, but all he has are letters to communicate with her.
What he really wants is something that smells like her or that comes from her body, because “a letter in your writing does not mean you are not dead.”
She should either get hot in the desert and sweat in her dress or spill food on it – anything to get a smell that reminds him of her. He suggests that she cut her hands on a cactus, wipe the blood from her hands on her dress, and send him that instead of a letter.
The song is really about missing someone to the point that you desperately want to possess anything that smells like them or has their scent on it.
