With the weather getting cooler and summer fading like the daylight, it's time to clean the fireplace, throw the bear skin by the hearth, uncork the Veuve and get close to someone you love. Autumn is a great time for loving and we have the playlist for you, beginning with the sexiest song of all time. Has a sexier song been written?
1. Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus."
2. Ana Carolina and Seu Jorge, "É isso Aí."
Damien Rice's song "The Blower's Daughter" is interpreted by Brazilian singer Ana Carolina and Seu Jorge. Rice's lyrics are pure seduction: "I can't take my eyes off of you ... I can't take my mind off of you." Carolina and Jorge appear to be seducing each other right on stage.
3. Lila Downs, "Alcoba Azul" (Blue Room).
The sensuality of this next song is filmed in the movie Frida. Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd seduce the entire room while Lila Downs sings.
4. Bob Marley, "Mellow Mood."
The word "legend" doesn't only apply to Bob Marley for his music. His seductive prowess is captured perfectly in this next song.
5. Astor Piazzolla, "Milonga Del Angel."
When seduction is passionate and deliberate, this is the song for you. Watch the expression on Astor Piazzolla's face as he caresses his accordion. Piazzolla considered Tango: Zero Hour to be his very best album. The liner notes from that album are the best I've ever seen.
6. Khaled, "Aïcha."
This next love song by Algerian singer Khaled was a massive hit in Europe in the late '90s. It's written by Jean-Jacques Goldman, but sung by Khaled. Listen to Khaled pleadingly woo a woman named Aïcha.
7. Caetano Veloso, "Cucurrucucú Paloma."
When seduction is pure longing, and possibly painfully unfulfilled, Caetano Veloso has a song for you. He sings a version of the Mexican song "Cucurrucucú Paloma," in the Almodóvar film Hable con Ella. If you're wondering what the words mean, here's the translation.
8. Astrud Gilberto, "The Girl from Ipanema."
This next song is probably the best known Brazilian song. The girl from Ipanema used to walk past a bar where Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes used to hang. When recording an English version in New York, João Gilberto's wife, Astrud, was recruited to sing the song because she spoke the best English. Here she is performing in the film, Get Yourself a College Girl.
9. Pan Ron, "I Want to be Your Lover."
I first heard this next song on a compilation of Cambodian classics collected by the band Dengue Fever. The seductive intent of this song transcends language.
10. Ry Cooder and Manuel Galbán, "Bodas Del Oro."
Ry Cooder and Manuel Galbán prove it's possible for one guitar to seduce another guitar, in this song from their fantastic album Mambo Sinuendo. The song translates as "Weddings of Gold."
11. Chavela Vargas, "En el Ultimo Trago."
A couple months ago, the legendary Mexican singer Chavela Vargas passed away. She lived 93 passion-filled years. Her version of "En el Ultimo Trago" captures the feeling of an evening lived as if it's the last. The title means "The Last Drink." The song begins: "Share this bottle with me, in the last drink."
There are countless songs about seduction. What are some of your favourites? Leave your comments below.
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