2. Dolly Parton: “Two Doors Down”
In this perky 1977 hit from Parton’s pop crossover era, the narrator is nursing a broken heart when she hears a raucous party happening in an apartment several units over. “I think I’ll dry these useless tears and get myself together,” she sings. “I think I’ll wander down the hall and have a look around.” There, she finds the cure for what’s ailing her: a new man.
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3. Flock of Dimes: “Two”
I forgot how much I love this song until I was wracking my brain for “two” tunes for this playlist. Flock of Dimes is the solo project of the very talented multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Jenn Wasner, who also plays in the indie-rock duo Wye Oak. In this stirring single from her excellent 2021 album, “Head of Roses,” she muses on the difficulty of staying connected to her individual identity while in a relationship: “Can I be one? Can we be two? Can I be for myself, still be with you?”
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
4. Stacey Q: “Two of Hearts”
As sweet and fizzy as pink champagne, this 1986 dance-pop hit by Stacey Q (formerly of the fun new wave group SSQ) celebrates the upside of drawing a low card.
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5. Mary Wells: “Two Lovers”
Written by Smokey Robinson, like many of Mary Wells’s defining hits, this 1963 Motown track features a playful narrative twist. “I’ve got two lovers, and I ain’t ashamed,” Wells sings on the chorus, before introducing us to that pair of paramours during the song’s verses. One is “sweet and kind”; the other treats her badly. The big reveal comes on the bridge: “You’re a split personality, and in reality — both of them are you.”
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
6. Bruce Springsteen: “Two Hearts”
A fitting title for a track on a double album, the rousing rocker “Two Hearts” appears on Springsteen’s 1980 epic “The River” and has since become a live staple. “I believe in the end that two hearts are better than one,” Springsteen sings. That’s just math!
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
7. Mitski: “Two Slow Dancers”
The singer-songwriter Mitski begins this final track on her 2018 album, “Be the Cowboy,” with a potent olfactory question: “Does it smell like a school gymnasium in here?” While that might not sound like the most romantic setup for a love song, “Two Slow Dancers” is indeed a sparse, swooning and ultimately poignant ode to aging slowly alongside someone else. “We’re just two slow dancers, last ones out,” Mitski sings, creating a vivid image in which a pair of figures meld into one.
