How Old School Music Resonate With Young Love- Mixtape

 James Burks

ENGL 2017

Dr Harris

30 April 2025

How Old School Music Resonate With Young Love

For this project I am putting majority emphasis on Blues, Pop, and R&B’ Music that has been composed from the 20th century to the 21st and how it has remained so relevant or desirable in today’s black community and how it has major influences on generations old and young in how they view love and how they feel it should be expressed or enjoyed.  My source for my Mixtape ties from Salvation, particularly from ‘Loving Masculinity and Heterosexual Love. Parts from Salvation that relate to the playlist are “Stevie Wonder often sings the lyrics , I want to know what love is. I want you to show me love. (Salvation 153).  And Heterosexual Love, “Many black men are in unfulfilling relationships with women with whom they share no common interests or values because they were initially drawn solely to the way the women looked. In mass media relationships between black women and men are rarely based on shared communication. (Salvation 171). This array of songs  was a very interesting time for black men dealing with romantic affairs as theirs an insight into the perspective between the black man and black woman. I have composed a list of songs with their respected artists alongside them to shed light into how over the decades love has been expressed or explained through cohesive and sensational methods.

1. “Stand By Me” Ben E. King  (1962) 

The song is simply based around one  main goal, Enduring, love that’s able to stand the test of time, no matter what happens rather it’s trauma, arguments, political turmoil or mental tolerance. He dedicated this song to his partner Betty Nelson.

2. “Best Of My Love “ The Emotions(1977)

 They talk about how it doesn’t take much to make them happy indicating that a man does not need to do much for them to be satisfied, they want it to be demonstrated through more affectionate love rather than material love as changes will come and go but they want the world to see how the man makes them feel about it him without overplaying his role and staying to the basic principles.

3. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” Prince (1979)

Throughout this song it is very apparent from the opening that Prince is expressing to the woman that he wants to be there for her in every way there is especially when it comes to one thing that is hard for many black couples to deal with-Being A Listener not just a lover but he also let’s her kno up front that concerning the current matter he not rich like any other man that may cross her path but he’s willing to make up for it with effort through his heart.

4. ‘Show Me” Glenn Jones (1983)

In this song Jones expresses his introspective feeling to a woman that he wants before she leaves. He’s willing to do anything for her even despite exposing himself to controversy from male partners but he’s willing to do it out of love for a woman he sees as worth it when she looks into his eyes she will know why he feels the way he does.

5.“If You Don’t Want Me” T.K. Soul (2007)

 In this song T.K. describes the need to communicate when a relationship is facing rocky ground due to the lack of communication which is a key factor in the life of a relationship as if there is no communication there is no love to the bond at all. In the song says how lonely he feels when the woman does answer the phone knowing he’s calling her but when he finally get’s a response she’s always busy indicating that the relationship won’t work if she doesn’t have time for him and maybe doesn’t want him at all. Which is why he says “ If you don’t want me let me be” and he will be free to find another alternative to his liking without hurting her on purpose as the more the communication lapses he becomes more insecure.

6. “Try Me” T.K. Soul (2007)

In this Song T.K.  emphasized throughout the entire song that he insists that the woman tries him implicating that she should give him a chance in dating her as he states in the song “I’ll be gentlemen baby yea”  similar to how black men are today when they pursue a lady for romance they will insist on being a good man or gentle for the better good of her well being especially when the woman has morals that she abides by.

7.“I’ll Pay Shipping Cost” Ronnie Bell (2020)

In This song Bell points out the flaws in a man that a woman has to deal with romantically despite the need to get away from him as he’s bad news for her and her future. He will keep her down and not help her strive, he will only do enough to keep her down and nowhere with that being said his notable line “I’ll Pay For Shipping” he’s not paying for the woman’s shipping. He’s willing to pay for her man’s shipping cost to get him gone and out of her life so she can find better love for herself first and her career that way better things will come to her as she’s sleeping with her enemy. Her man, the only thing that’s getting in her way of success.

8.‘I Wrote A Letter To My Baby” Donnie Ray (2000)

In This song Donnie explains how he apologizes for doing his lady wrong in any way he did that he didn’t know of. He writes a letter to her showing how much he still loves and misses her. Hoping that he will take her home meaning to take him back and they’ll make up for all the time that was lost during that gap of separation similar to today’s generation when they say “Make Up”

9.“Sexual Healing” Marvin Gaye (1982) 

In this song Gaye explores how love via Physical Intimacy could be utilized to provide emotional relief and of course be a healing  especially in black relationships, this is especially common in black relationships where physical love and intimacy would be used to release stress, restructure emotional bonds.

10. “I’m Coming Home” Marvin Sease (2008)

In this song Marvin let’s the listener know up front what’s the problem and it’s that he did wrong by leaving the woman he had at first thinking he would find someone much better than her however he releases that he was wrong and expresses remorse without sugarcoating anything insisting he is a changes man hoping that she hasn’t found another man as stated in the lines “And you might’ve found someone else girl, But baby, if it’s not too late, I’m comin’ home to you.”  

11.“Mississippi Girl” Wendell B. (2010)

Wendell explains how she greets him in the morning with “breakfast and a smile’ and how “she’s everything he needs”  Relating to many males in the present generation where the small things would simply matter to them, that is part of the Love Ethic, the small things matter and instead of it being the breakfast it would be the smile that comes with it showing gratitude and appreciation to the man not indicating she was forced but she’s doing it because she’s comfortable around him.

12. “Adorn” Miguel (2012)

This song by Miguel is based solely around the love and affection for the girl he was dating for 7 years. He was inspired by his past experiences and wanted to really dedicate some to the woman he loved most who would eventually go off to become his wife; however they eventually got divorced later on down the line.

13. “Book Of Love” Tucka (2012)

Tucka puts emphasis on how he spent his time writing his book about love. Using it as a prop to gain liking in hopes that it will be enough for a woman to let him love her in hopes that it works out but he stresses that only time will tell if the love is really going to be sincere. But he shows it’s worth the try as he says in one of the lines “Girl, love is worth the fight. But it’s up to you.”