Oh L'amour! How Will I Know? Basically, I Wanna Dance With Numbers

A great man once said that creating a pop song that makes people happy is one of the hardest things to do.

It is quite simple to tap into negative energy and create the kind of songs and pictures that make you cry.

There is a sadness in this world, for we are ignorant of many things. Yes, we are ignorant of many beautiful things - things like the truth. So sadness, in our ignorance, is very real. Tears are real. What is this thing called a tear? There are even tiny ducts - tear ducts - to produce these tears should the sadness occur. Then the day when the sadness comes - then we ask: "Will this sadness which makes me cry - will this sadness that makes my heart cry out - will it ever end?" The answer, of course, is yes. One day the sadness will end.

Yesterday a friend suggested I listen to "Oh L'amour" on a rainy NYC day. That, and "How Will I Know" are two pop songs that have brought me happiness at different stages of my life.

Patrick Bateman: Did you know that Whitney Houston's debut LP, called simply Whitney Houston had 4 number one singles on it? Did you know that, Christie?

Elizabeth: [laughing] You actually listen to Whitney Houston? You own a Whitney Houston CD? More than one?

Patrick Bateman: It's hard to choose a favorite among so many great tracks, but "The Greatest Love of All" is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation, dignity. Its universal message crosses all boundaries and instills one with the hope that it's not too late to better ourselves. Since, Elizabeth, it's impossible in this world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves. It's an important message, crucial really. And it's beautifully stated on the album.



"How Will I Know" is the third hit single from Whitney Houston's self-titled first album. The single was released in November 1985 and was written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam of Boy Meets Girl fame, who wrote it for Janet Jackson[1]. The song is an electric dance tune about the singer wondering if a guy she likes feels the same way about her.

On the US Billboard Hot 100 singles survey, "How Will I Know" rose from #60 to #50 the week of December 14, 1985, reaching the #1 spot by February 15, 1986, and becoming Houston's second number-one single. The single displaced "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne Warwick, thus becoming only the third time (and first by female artists) in history for relatives to replace themselves at number one. It remained at number one for two weeks, and spent fifteen weeks in the top forty.

The music video for "How Will I Know" was directed by Brian Grant and is set against a fantasy, vividly colored background, with dancers in black outfits and wearing French-style makeup. The video is recognized for the animated paint dripping down the screen. In the video, when Houston sings "I'm asking you 'cause you know about these things", there's a brief screencap of singer, close family friend, and Godmother Aretha Franklin.

There's a boy I know
he's the one I dream of.
Looks into my eyes
takes me to the clouds above.
Oh
I lose control
can't seem to get enough.
When I wake from dreamin'
tell me
is it really love?

How will I know? Cirl
trust your feelings -
How will I know?
How will I know? Love can be deceivin' -
How will I know?

How will I know if he really loves me?
I say a prayer with every heartbeat.
I fall in love whenever we meet.
I'm asking you
'cause you know about these things.
How will I know if he's thinking of me?
I try to phone
but I'm too shy - can't speak.
Falling in love is so bitter sweet.
This love is strong
why do I feel weak?

Oh
wake me
I'm shakin'; wish I had you near me now.
Said there's no mistakin'
what I feel is really love.

Oh
tell me: how will I know? Girl
trust your feelings - . . .
How will I know if he really loves me? . . .

If he loves me - if he loves me not -
if he loves me - if he loves me not -
How will I know? - How will I know? -
How will I know? - How will I know

How will I know if he really loves me? . . .
How will I know? How will I know? How will I know?
How will I know? - I say a prayer - how will I know?
How will I know? - I fall in love - how will I know?
How will I know? - I'm asking you - how will I know?




"Oh L'amour" is a song by British synth pop duo Erasure,c onsisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell, released in April 1986 as their third single. Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, "Oh L'amour" is a lament from someone experiencing unrequited love ("broke my heart / now I'm aching for you"). The song is an uptempo synth pop dance track.

Oh l'amour
Broke my heart
Now I'm aching for you
Mon amour
Whats a boy in love
Supposed to do

Looking for you
You were looking for me
Always reaching for you
You were too blind to see
Oh love of my heart
Why leave me alone
I'm falling apart
No good on my own

Oh lamour
Broke my heart
Now I'm aching for you
Mon amour
Whats a boy in love
Supposed to do

Why throw it away
Why walk out on me
I just live for the day
For the way it should be
There once was a time
Had you here by my side
You said I wasnt your kind
Only here for the ride

Oh l'amour
Broke my heart
Now I'm aching for you
Mon amour
Whats a boy in love
Supposed to do

No emotional ties
You don't remember my name
I lay down and die
I'm only to blame
Oh love of my heart
Its up to you now
You tore me apart
I hurt inside-out

Oh lamour
Broke my heart
Now I'm aching for you
Mon amour
Whats a boy in love
Supposed to do

Oh l'amour
Broke my heart
Now I'm aching for you
Mon amour
Whats a boy in love
Supposed to do





Girls On Top was the pseudonym used by record producer Richard X between 2001 and 2002. As part of the bootleg music craze of the time, Girls On Top had a string of limited edition underground singles released on vinyl only. Richard X used the method of taking the instrumental music track of one pop record and the a cappella version of another pop record and splicing the two together.

"I Wanna Dance With Numbers" is Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" vs Kraftwerk's "Numbers".

Uh... yeh... woo... hey yeh... huh... hoo yeh... uh huh... yeah...
I want to dance...

Clocks strikes upon the hour,
And the sun begins to fade.
Still enough time to figure out,
How to chase my blues away.
I've done alright up 'til now,
It's the light of day that shows me how,
And when the night falls, loneliness calls.

(Chorus:)
Oh! I wanna dance with somebody.
I wanna feel the heat with somebody.
Yeah! I wanna dance with somebody,
With somebody who loves me. (x2)

I've been in love and lost my senses,
Spinning through the town.
Sooner or later the fever ends,
And I wind up feeling down.
I need a man who'll take a chance,
On a love that burns hot enough to last.
So when the night falls,
My lonely heart calls.

(Chorus x2)

Somebody who... Somebody who... somebody who loves me...
Somebody who... Somebody who... to hold me in his arms...

I need a man who'll take a chance,
On a love that burns hot enough to last.
So when the night falls,
My lonely heart calls.

(Chorus x2)

Ooh ooh! Dance! Come on baby... (laughs)
Dance! Wooo! Yeh! Dance! You dance like this... (laughs)
Woah! (dance!)

Don't you wanna dance? (dance!) with me baby.
Don't you wanna dance? (dance!) with me boy.
Don't you wanna dance? (dance!) with me baby.
With somebody who loves me.

Don't you wanna dance?
Say you wanna dance.
Don't you wanna dance? (dance!)

Don't you wanna dance?
Say you wanna dance.
Don't you wanna dance? (dance!)

Don't you wanna dance?
Say you wanna dance. (uh huh)(dance!)
With somebody who loves me.
Ooh (dance!)
Ooh-oh (dance!)
Ooh (dance!)
...with me baby...

I Wanna Dance With Numbers