Maybe it was your wedding song, or the first song you and your beloved happened to dance to long before you knew he was the one, when you met him at someone else’s wedding, or at a club during a night out with the girls. Maybe it showed up on a playlist he made you in college. We can all agree that there is always that one song, and that one special set of words, that does it for us. And it always comes back to you out of nowhere: when you first walk into your neighborhood cafe, while waiting at the dentist’s office, or while driving alone at night, passively scrolling the radio. A simple line could trigger a flurry of emotions, produce a lump in the throat and well up the eyes. All this simply because you associate this song with a specific person or a certain memory.
As proud sentimentalists, we at Treehut have an active interest in the many mysterious forms and expressions love takes. Pop love songs infect our culture and make up the soundtrack to our lives. They become loaded with even more meaning when shared with someone you love or care about. Many of us indulge in the same popular songs, but we all make sense of them differently in the context of our own unique experiences.
Maybe you’ve already got your one song in mind. If you’re looking for some inspiration to have engraved into your next personalized gift for him, we’ve shortlisted eight well-loved hits for you here:
No list like this can leave out this 1997 signature hit from Savage Garden, and it’s hard to imagine a world in which someone isn’t singing it on karaoke somewhere. A deeply personal song with feelings laid bare, vocalist Darren Hayes once said it was originally meant as a hidden bonus track. With perfectly syrupy lyrics throughout, this is one case where the song’s title acts as a tightly packed capsule for the song’s meaning.
Beautifully penned by Prince and made virally famous by Sinead O’Connor, this is a devastatingly emotional song about a special brand of scorched-earth kind of love, when you’re in it for better and for worse. Its title (and confessional refrain) is a sweet shorthand that also feels appropriate for the digital age we live in.
If you’re looking to engrave your gift with a little extra edge, look no further than this track title off the Grease Original Soundtrack, companion to the wildly popular 1978 film adaptation about a slow-burning love. The film’s closing song, an electric duet by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, gives major goosebumps. If you know who you want, declare it.
Life’s a rollercoaster of emotions, trials and tribulations. A solid relationship is one able to bear the brunt of it all. Maybe you’ve been in it for the long haul and are looking for a fresh way to express your undying love and long-term commitment. Shania Twain’s evergreen song was written to profess exactly that to her own husband.
Looking for a swoon-worthy way to elope or convince someone to hop on a plane with you? Gunning for a cross-country road trip with your crush? Get your special someone to hit the highway and indulge in some timeless time with a nod to Norah Jones’s soft and sultry tune. These are some of the most seductive words anyone might want to hear--or have engraved in a watch.
This sweet, quiet song by Ray Charles is for the kind of love that knows no borders. It makes ample references to time standing still, of a heart that aches to be away from his love interest, but one that continues to beat for her no matter the terms of their relationship.
Maybe the most recognizable song by Bright Eyes, this emotionally raw ballad is a matter-of-fact way to let someone know that your life changed--started over--the day you met them. It is a song about the way a person can give you not only a new lease on life, but a new lens too: I think I was blind before I met you. A love so abundant that it colors the smallest, simplest memories: Remember the time you drove all night / Just to meet me in the morning.
This slow, soulful piece by John Legend is the nicest way to let someone know that you’re all in--all of you--for everything that they are. Loving someone in this way means recognizing them as a multifaceted, complicated person, because being human is messy. Gift this line to express to your loved one that you’re happily staking all your love on them.
There are endless possibilities. Engravings are special opportunities to personalize your watch with a love-affirming message while also referencing your favorite love song. Have an engraving story you’d love to share? Feel free to tag us in your Instagram or Facebook posts!
