The love song is timeless. From its beginnings, it has been shaped by bohemians
and renegades, slaves and oppressed minorities, prostitutes, immigrants and othe
r excluded groups. But what do we really know about the origins of these intimat
e expressions of the heart? And how have our changing perceptions about topics s
uch as sexuality and gender roles changed our attitudes towards these songs? In
Love Songs: The Hidden History, Ted Gioia uncovers the unexplored story of the l
ove song for the first time.
