Tim McGraw

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Many of the songs which are most important to us are important because of their personal associations. We often fall in love by sharing songs, and that context gives those songs deeper meaning. Some hymn or psalm might be special because it was learned on the knee of a grandparent. We dance to these songs at weddings; we play these songs at funerals. But there seems to be a tension between the glow of personal association that these songs have, and the aesthetic appreciation that they warrant. It seems, in other words, that we can’t appreciate the beauty of a song if we love it because of its personal associations. Aesthetic appreciation must be disinterested, shorn of any personal bias; when we aesthetically appreciate something, we trust that everyone could aesthetically appreciate it. But songs of personal appreciation seem tied to our own experiences. The love songs that move us most deeply are often tied to our love for a particular person. This chapter argues that songs of personal association are best appreciated through emotions for someone, because these emotions help us get at the objective beauty of a song. Disinterest doesn’t mean passionless. Passions and memories help us understand love songs better for what they really are. Furthermore, the song, when aesthetically appreciated, helps us understand the person better, too.</jats:p>