What Is Love? Songs About Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
published 2/12/21; updated 3/7/26
by Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org
Continuing the popular series of Song Playlists for Teachers, here are a variety of songs about healthy and unhealthy relationships.
Teachers, please note: MindfulTeachers.org has a multicultural audience of people working in very different contexts. Please preview anything you plan to share with your students to make sure it’s appropriate for your particular situation.
All of Me, John Legend
lyrics; video of John Legend, with Lindsay Stirling on violin (song ends 4:38); British sign language interpretation by Abbi Signs
Angel, Shaggy (featuring Rayvon)
lyrics; video of live performance
A song expressing appreciation for the woman he loves, after taking her for granted.
Angel Street (Lovely Irene), Lucie Idlout
video
This song was written in honor of a friend who suffered from domestic abuse.
Best of You, Andy Grammer (feat. Elle King)
Loving and supporting each other through tough times.
Breakfast, Dove Cameron
Thought-provoking video with a reversal of stereotypical gender roles: a female boss takes her stay-at-home husband for granted and preys on a young male office worker. (Teachers, please note: There are a couple of briefly-flashed headlines about abortion, and at the end of the video there’s a brief news clip with a pro-choice rally.)
Flowers, Miley Cyrus
lyrics; official video; jazz waltz cover ft. Stella Katherine Cole
celebrating her independence after a breakup
Girl in a Country Song, Maddie and Tae
lyrics; video; alternate video of acoustic performance
The video shows young women in the typical sexy poses and outfits of country videos, then an amusing role reversal with guys in the same short shorts and low-cut tops.
Grow Old With You, Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy
video of ukulele cover by Patrick Carroll, with lyrics in video description
I Got You (I Feel Good), James Brown
lyrics; video of YoungArts TakeOne performance
A group of young musicians get together for the first time and record a song in one take--amazingly well, in this case!
Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel
lyrics; audio; cover by Justin Vendette
Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars
lyrics; official video; ASL video by Jason Listman; Auslan interpretation; BSL interpretation
Life is Better with You, Michael Franti and Spearhead
lyrics; lyrics video
Love Song, Sara Bareilles
lyrics; video of live performance
She actually wrote this song as about her record company demanding a love song, but it can also apply to other types of one-sided relationships.
Opposites Attract, Paula Abdul
lyrics; video of ASL performance by Rosa Lee Timm and Russell Harvard
Para Que Tu Me Quieras (For You to Love Me), Debi Nova
audio; lyrics (in Spanish); English translation
Spanish-language song with the message: For you to love me, I have to love myself.
Permission, Saturday Night Live
video: In the right context, this parody of sexually-charged hip-hop videos could spark productive discussions about consent.
The Rose, Bette Midler
lyrics; video by Westlife showing friends and family celebrating a young couple's wedding
Thank You for Loving Me, Bon Jovi
lyrics; video of live performance
U Love U, Jax (feat. JVKE)
They have a much better relationship with each other because they’ve learned to love themselves.
The Way I Am, Ingrid Michaelson
lyrics; video of cover by Mree
I would do anything for you because you love me the way I am.
What is Love, Howard Jones
lyrics; original video from 1984; video of cover by Lauren Hoffman
What You Don't Do, Lianne La Havas
lyrics; video by a cappella academy
I don’t need any grand words or gestures; I love you for the lies you don’t tell and the games you don’t play.
Related Posts
There are many more song playlists and resources on mindful communication and relationships here at MindfulTeachers.org, including the following posts: