| Song Title | Artist | Topic |
| L-O-V-E | Nat King Cole | acronyms |
| L-O-V-E (Love) | Al Green | Valentine’s Day songs |
| La Bicyclette | Yves Montand | bicycles |
| La Bière | Jacques Brel | beer |
| La Buisson (from Suite No.2 in G major) | Antoine Forqueray | orchestral string instruments |
| La Calatrava | Parov Stelar ft Michael Wittner | saxophone |
| La Canción | J Balvin & Bad Bunny | perspiration |
| La Chanson de Jacky | Jacques Brel | personal theme songs |
| La Chanson des vieux amants | Jacques Brel | songs that give you goosebumps |
| Là ci darem la mano | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | seduction |
| La Complainte du phoque en Alaska | Beau Dommage | the circus |
| La Copa Rota | José Feliciano | glass |
| La Danse de la limonade | Garolou | refreshment & cooling down |
| La Danse de Mardi Gras | The Balfa Brothers | New Orleans |
| La del Pirate Cojo | Joaquín Sabina | pirates |
| La Di Da Di | Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew | na-na-hey-hey songs |
| La Femme d’argent | Air | opening album tracks |
| La Femme Fetal | Digable Planets | babies & childbirth |
| La Fiancée du pirate | Jacques Loussier | pirates |
| La Folie | The Stranglers | album tracks better than singles |
| La Foule | Édith Piaf | crowds |
| La Gallera | Tekeyé ft Sofia Rei | clicking, tapping & stomping |
| La Grange | ZZ Top | humming |
| La Horse | Serge Gainsbourg & Jean-Claude Vannier | animals |
| harpsichord | ||
| La Iguana | Lila Downs | harp, lyre & zither |
| La La Bam-Bam | The Congos | biblical songs |
| La Liebre | Los Tigres del Norte | taxation |
| La Lloroncita | Los Parientes de Playa Vicente | Mexico & Central America |
| La Mer | Charles Trenet | water |
| La Niña | Mala Rodríguez | urban environment |
| La Nuit est sur la ville | Françoise Hardy | night & darkness |
| La Paloma de Picasso | Mayte Martín | famous or notable animals |
| La Pendule | Ina-Ich | clocks & watches |
| La plus jolie des fées | Christophe Maé | superlatives |
| La Quête | Jacques Brel | songs in French |
| La ragazza dalla pelle di luna | Piero Umiliani | instruments imitating voice & vice versa |
| La Realité | Amadou & Mariam | alarm sounds |
| La Rossa | Van der Graaf Generator | secret admirers |
| La Valse à mille temps | Jacques Brel | passage of time |
| La Venus du Mélo | Stacey Kent | works of art |
| La Vie en rose | Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra | pink |
| La Vie en rose | Édith Piaf | pink |
| La Zenaida | Armando Hernandez | fruit |
| Labelled with Love | Squeeze | domestic songs |
| Labrador | Aimee Mann | charisma |
| Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space | Spiritualized | opening album tracks |
| The Ladies’ Bras | Jonny Trunk & Wisbey | underwear |
| Ladies of the Canyon | Joni Mitchell | stereotypes |
| Laduma! | Mbongeni Ngema | crowds |
| The Lady | Sandy Denny | songs to start the morning |
| Lady | Fela Kuti | feminism |
| Lady Day and John Coltrane | Gil Scott-Heron | nicknames & pseudonyms |
| Lady Eleanor | Lindisfarne | books |
| Lady Evil | Black Sabbath | best bass lines |
| Lady Fuschia | Strawbs | owls |
| Lady Grey | Katzenjammer | passage of time |
| The Lady Is a Tramp | Gerry Mulligan Quartet | eccentric songs |
| Lady Liberty Needs Glasses | Malcolm-Jamal Warner | eyewear |
| Lady Marlene | Katzenjammer | honorific titles |
| Lady Marmalade | Labelle | New Orleans |
| Lady Nina | Marillion | prostitution |
| A Lady of a Certain Age | The Divine Comedy | getting older |
| glamour & style | ||
| The Lady Rachel | Kevin Ayers | stairs, ladders & elevators |
| Lady Stardust | David Bowie | other musicians |
| The Lady with the Braid | Dory Previn | one night stands |
| Lady with the Lamp | Country Joe McDonald | nursing & healthcare |
| Lady with the Spinning Head | U2 | spinning |
| Ladykillers | Lush | flirting |
| Lady’s Bridge | Richard Hawley | bridges |
| Lafayette Two Step | Aldus Roger | two – part 2 |
| Lágrima | Amália Rodrigues | melancholy songs |
| Lágrimas Negras | Trio Matamoros | great songwriting 1900-1955 |
| Lah-Di-Dah | Jake Thackray | stiff upper lip |
| Laid | James | lust |
| L’Aigle noir | Barbara | raptors |
| Laika | Wil Wagner | first & last time |
| Lake of Fire | Meat Puppets | heaven & hell |
| The Lakes of Pontchartrain | Paul Brady | New Orleans |
| L’Alouette lulu | Olivier Messiaen | birds |
| Lament for Ali Farka | Bassekou Kouyate | bereavement |
| Lament of McCrimmon | Sheila Chandra | remembrance songs |
| The Lament of the Black Sheep | Ange Hardy | nursery rhymes |
| Land of 1000 Dances | Wilson Pickett | collecting & listing |
| Land of Broken Promises | IAMX | broken promises |
| Land of Confusion | Katzenjammer | confusion & delusion |
| Land of Hope and Glory | Edward Elgar | pride |
| Land of the Glass Pinecones | Human Sexual Response | glass |
| Landslide | Tony Clarke | natural disasters |
| Landslide | Fleetwood Mac | coming of age |
| Langrenn | Tungtvann | winter sports |
| Language and Mentality | African Head Charge | the brain |
| Language of Violence | The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy | justice |
| Largo al factotum (from The Barber of Seville) | Gioachino Rossini | songs that go ‘la’ |
| Lark | Linda Lewis | notable key changes |
| The Lark Ascending | Ralph Vaughan Williams | England |
| Las Gafas de Lennon | Pedro Guerra | eyewear |
| Last Boat Leaving | Elvis Costello | separation |
| The Last Chance Texaco | Rickie Lee Jones | brands |
| The Last Conquistador | Gruff Rhys | confusion & delusion |
| The Last Days of Pompeii | Nova Mob | natural disasters |
| Last Days of the Miners’ Strike | Pulp | Yorkshire |
| Last Flight | Akiakane | futility |
| Last Great American Whale | Lou Reed | cetaceans |
| The Last Leviathan | The Fisherman’s Friends | fish & other aquatic life |
| Last Man Alive | Levellers | apocalypse |
| Last Night | Little Walter | last night |
| Last Night | The Mar-Keys | last night |
| Last Night a DJ Saved My Life | Indeep | radio |
| Last Night Changed It All | Esther Williams | fresh starts |
| Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me | The Smiths | dreams |
| Last Night I Had a Dream | Randy Newman | nightmares |
| Last Night Was Made for Love | Billy Fury | last night |
| Last of the Hobo Kings | Mary Gauthier | homelessness |
| The Last Shot | Lou Reed | drinking |
| Last Song | Clogs | finishing |
| The Last Sucker | Ministry | US presidents |
| The Last Time | The Andrew Oldham Orchestra | lesser known originals |
| Last Time Around | The Del-Vetts | great riffs |
| Last Time I Saw You | Donovan Woods with People Project | distractions & diversions |
| The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray | Jake Thackray | leaving or being left behind |
| Last Words | 23 Skidoo | choosing & using words |
| Last Words | The Real Tuesday Weld | choosing & using words |
| Latch | Disclosure ft Sam Smith | artistic trends of the 21st century |
| Late for the Train | Buzzcocks | trains |
| The Late Great Johnny Ace | Paul Simon | assassination |
| Late in the Evening | Paul Simon | evening |
| Late Night, Maudlin Street | Morrissey | roads & streets |
| Late November | Sandy Denny | without a chorus |
| The Late Show | Jackson Browne | famous last words |
| Later, On Decatur | Dave Ferrato | New Orleans |
| Lateralus | Tool | great drumming |
| Lather | Jefferson Airplane | birthdays |
| The Latin One | 10,000 Maniacs | gases |
| Latin Strut | Joe Bataan | from New York City |
| Laughing | David Crosby | mistakes |
| Laughing With | Regina Spektor | faith |
| Laura | Don Byas | instruments imitating voice & vice versa |
| Laura | The Four Freshmen | instruments imitating voice & vice versa |
| Laurie (Strange Things Happen) | Dickey Lee | strange & surreal |
| Lavender | Marc Almond | purple |
| Lavender | Marillion | kings |
| Law of the Land | The Temptations | idioms & common expressions |
| Lawdy Miss Clawdy | Lloyd Price | Mr, Mrs, Miss & Ms |
| Lawns of Dawns | Nico | dawn |
| Lawyers, Guns and Money | Warren Zevon | stuck or trapped |
| Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) | Melanie | songs to start the morning |
| Lay Lady Lay | Bob Dylan | staying |
| Lay My Burden Down | Dr. John, Mavis Staples & the Dirty Dozen Brass Band | spirit of 2021 |
| Lay Your Hands on Me | Thompson Twins | touch |
| Layla | Derek and the Dominos | lust |
| Lazarus | The Boo Radleys | biblical songs |
| Lazarus Man | Terry Callier | itinerants & migration |
| Lazy | Moe Tucker | anti-work songs |
| Lazy | X-Press 2 ft David Byrne | laziness |
| Lazy Afternoon | The Roots | afternoon |
| Lazy Calm | Cocteau Twins | silence |
| Lazy Day | The Moody Blues | bread & baking |
| Lazy Lightning | Grateful Dead | electricity |
| Lazy Line Painter Jane | Belle and Sebastian | bad boys & bad girls |
| Lazy River | Hoagy Carmichael | laziness |
| The Lazy Sunbathers | Morrissey | laziness |
| ironic songs | ||
| Lazy Sunday | Small Faces | noise |
| LDN | Lily Allen | London |
| Le Coucou au Fond des Bois (from Carnival of the Animals) | Camille Saint-Saëns | birdsong |
| Le Di a la Caza Alcance | Estrella Morente ft Michael Nyman | saints & martyrs |
| Le Fotographie | Ennio Morricone | photographs |
| Le Freak | Chic | dance styles |
| Le Gorille | Georges Brassens | mammals |
| Le Grand Noir / Čáhppat | Torgeir Vassvik | wordless vocals |
| Le Pas du chat noir | Anouar Brahem | minimalist songs |
| Le Petit Pain au chocolat | Joe Dassin | bread & baking |
| Le Poinçonneur des Lilas | Serge Gainsbourg | holes |
| Le Poisson des mers du sud | Isabelle Antena | flavour |
| Le Pregunté Yo a los Cielos | Sandra Carrasco | prayer |
| Le Printemps à Paris | Jacqueline Taïeb | Paris |
| Le Privilège | Michel Sardou | gender & LGBTQ+ |
| Le Rap à Ti-Pétang | La Bottine Souriante | clicking, tapping & stomping |
| Le Rendez-vous | Manu Chao | rendezvous |
| Le Rêve de l’oiseau (Koto Djime) | Ba Cissoko | fairytales |
| Le Rossignol et la Rose | Camille Saint-Saëns (singer: Edita Grubarova) | nightingales & thrushes |
| Le Temps des cacahuètes | Juliette Gréco | nuts & edible seeds |
| Lead Poisoned Jean | Frenzal Rhomb | silver & non-ferrous metals |
| Leader of the Band | Dan Fogelberg | leadership |
| Leader of the Pack | The Shangri-Las | storytelling songs |
| Leafy | Dry Cleaning | boring & dull |
| A League of Notions | Al Stewart with Lawrence Juber | historical events |
| Lean on Me | Bill Withers | friendship |
| Leaning on a Lamp-Post | George Formby | anticipation |
| Leaning on the Everlasting Arms | Mahalia Jackson | immortality & longevity |
| Learning the Game | Buddy Holly | education |
| Learning to Fly | Pink Floyd | determination |
| Learning to Swim | The Skints | swimming & bathing |
| Leave | Glen Hansard | songs that command or instruct |
| Leave a Light On | Belinda Carlisle | light |
| Leave It All Behind | The Features | moving on |
| Leave My Kitten Alone | Little Willie John | animals |
| Leave Out All the Rest | Linkin Park | legacy |
| Leave Them All Behind | Ride | volume changes |
| Leavin’ Memphis, ‘Frisco Bound | Jesse Fuller | leaving or being left behind |
| Leaving Here | The Birds | escape |
| Leaving on a Jet Plane | Peter, Paul and Mary | separation |
| Leaving St. Kilda | Alasdair Roberts & Robin Robertson | islands |
| Leck mich im Arsch | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | taboos |
| The Lee Shore | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | islands |
| The Left Hand and the Right Hand | Chuck Prophet | left & right |
| Left Hand Lost | Dory Previn | hands |
| Left of the Dial | The Replacements | radio |
| Leftovers | Millie Jackson | arguments |
| Legacy | Jay-Z | legacy |
| Legacy | Carole King | legacy |
| Legalize It | Peter Tosh | marijuana |
| Legend of a Mind | The Moody Blues | flutes, pipes & whistles |
| The Legend of Chavo Guerrero | The Mountain Goats | biography & autobiography |
| Legend of Xanadu | Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich | songs with talking |
| Legs | ZZ Top | legs & trousers |
| L’éléphant | Tom Tom Club | elephants & mammoths |
| Lemon Disinfectant | The Lorraine Bowen Experience | smells |
| Lemon Incest | Serge & Charlotte Gainsbourg | taboos |
| Lemon Tea | Sheena & the Rokkets | non-alcoholic drinks |
| Lentísimo Halo | Juana Molina | lighthouses & guiding lights |
| Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat | Beck | hats |
| Leopold Alcox | Jake Thackray | strange, rare or unlikely words |
| Les Bonbons | Jacques Brel | seduction |
| Les Bras de mer | Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita | quiet songs |
| Les Cactus | Jacques Dutronc | sharp objects |
| Les Crapauds | Alain Souchon | amphibians |
| Les Feuilles mortes | Yves Montand | September & October |
| Les Fleur | 4hero | mixtape closers |
| Les Fleurs | Minnie Riperton | trees, grass & flowers |
| Les Mannequins | Kraftwerk | foreign language versions |
| Les Marquises | Jacques Brel | contentment |
| Les Morts Dansants | Magnum | justice |
| Les Ours | Nick Cave & Warren Ellis | bears |
| Les Sucettes | France Gall | sweet foods |
| Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III | Cornershop | forgotten follow-ups |
| Let ‘Em In | Billy Paul | welcoming |
| Let Him Dangle | Elvis Costello | capital punishment |
| Let It Go | Wasis Diop | independence |
| Let It Go | Idina Menzel | snow & ice |
| Let Me Be the Clock | Smokey Robinson | clocks & watches |
| (Let Me Be Your) Dirty Fucking Whore | Machine Gun Fellatio | orgasms |
| (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear | Elvis Presley | great backing vocals |
| Let Me Roll It | Paul McCartney and Wings | solo Beatles songs |
| Let Me See the Colts | Smog | horses |
| Let Me Think About It | Fedde Le Grand vs Ida Corr | seduction |
| Let No Man Steal Your Thyme | Pentangle | smuggling & stealing |
| Let Our Love Grow Higher | Eula Cooper | getting brighter |
| Let Robeson Sing | Manic Street Preachers | singing |
| Let the Good Times Roll | Shirley & Lee | fun |
| Let the Happiness In | David Sylvian | happiness |
| Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me | Mississippi John Hurt | underwater |
| Let the Music Play | Shannon | 1980s 12” singles |
| Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em | Eric B. & Rakim | songs by duos |
| Let the Train Blow the Whistle | Johnny Cash | departures |
| Let the Water Run Dry | Ken Boothe | wells |
| Let There Be Love | Nat King Cole | spirit of 2021 |
| Let There Be Rock | AC/DC | minimalist songs |
| Let You Down | Inspiral Carpets ft John Cooper Clarke | trust |
| Let Your Linen Hang Low | Rosetta Howard & the Harlem Hamfats | fabrics |
| Let’s Be Natural | The Rutles | nature |
| Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield | Randy Newman | starting fires |
| Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off | Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers | vegetables |
| Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto | The Philadelphia International All Stars | trash |
| Let’s Dance | David Bowie | start with the chorus |
| Let’s Do It | Ella Fitzgerald | bees |
| Let’s Get It On | Marvin Gaye | songs to start the morning |
| Let’s Get Lost | Chet Baker | being lost |
| Let’s Get Lost | Elliott Smith | bridges |
| Let’s Get Married | Al Green | pick-up lines & marriage proposals |
| Let’s Get Married | The Proclaimers | knots & ties |
| Let’s Get Out of This Country | Camera Obscura | starting over |
| Let’s Go | The Ventures | handclaps |
| Let’s Go Away for a While | The Beach Boys | holidays |
| Let’s Go Crazy | Prince and the Revolution | songs with vim |
| Let’s Go Dancing (Ooh La, La, La) | Kool & the Gang | songs that go ‘la’ |
| Let’s Go Get Cokes | The Faction | non-alcoholic drinks |
| Let’s Go Round Again | Average White Band | time travel |
| Let’s Have a Party | Wanda Jackson | non sequiturs |
| Let’s Hear It for the Volunteers | Mustard’s Retreat | volunteering |
| Let’s Hit One More Place | Richmond Fontaine | hedonism |
| Let’s Pretend We’re Bunny Rabbits | The Magnetic Fields | hedonism |
| Let’s Push Things Forward | The Streets | spirit of 2021 |
| Let’s Sleep Now | Alternative TV | adult lullabies |
| Let’s Spend the Day in Bed | Over the Rhine | beds |
| Let’s Spend the Night Together | The Rolling Stones | flirting |
| Let’s Start the New Year Right | Bing Crosby | old and new |
| Let’s Stay Together | Al Green | devoted love |
| Let’s Stick Together | Bryan Ferry | great album or mixtape openers |
| Let’s Stop Hanging Out | Reuben | upbeat break-up #2 |
| Let’s Submerge | X-Ray Spex | music venues |
| Let’s Take a Trip | Godfrey | recreational drugs |
| Let’s Work Together | Canned Heat | volunteering |
| The Letter | The Box Tops | letters, emails & telegrams |
| The Letter | Dean Friedman | written correspondence |
| The Letter | Macy Gray | written correspondence |
| The Letter | PJ Harvey | reading |
| The Letter | Kristin Hersh | mental illness |
| Letter from America | The Proclaimers | Scotland |
| Letter to Bowie Knife | Calexico | sharp objects |
| Letter to Britannia from the Union Jack | Ian Hunter | flags |
| A Letter to Elise | The Cure | girls’ names |
| Letter to Hermione | David Bowie | written correspondence |
| Letter to Sister Friend | Ursula Rucker | sisters |
| Letters from the Garden of Stone | Everlast | army |
| Letting Go | Suzy Bogguss | higher education |
| Level Up | Vienna Teng | motivation |
| Levi Jacket (And a Long Tail Shirt) | Carl Perkins | brands |
| Levi Stubbs’ Tears | Billy Bragg | music as nutrition |
| Levii’s Jeans | Beyoncé with Post Malone | legs & trousers |
| LFO | LFO | vibrato, tremolo & oscillations |
| Liar | Rollins Band | propaganda |
| Liar Liar | The Castaways | lies |
| Liars’ Bar | The Beautiful South | pubs & bars |
| Libera me (from Requiem) | Gabriel Fauré | music for funerals |
| Liberated Carbon | Andrew Revkin | climate change |
| Libertango | The Swingle Singers | a cappella |
| The Liberty Bell | Coldstream Guards (composer: John Philip Sousa) | personal theme songs |
| Liberty City | Jaco Pastorius | steelpan |
| Libet’s Delay | The Caretaker | procrastination |
| Librarian | My Morning Jacket | eyewear |
| Libraries | Yellow Ostrich | libraries |
| The Library | Kimya Dawson ft Aesop Rock | libraries |
| The Library | Gecko | libraries |
| Library Girl | Squeeze | libraries |
| Library Song | Tom Chapin | libraries |
| The Lie (Bernini’s Saint Theresa) | Peter Hammill | works of art |
| Life | James Booker | great keyboards |
| Life Begins at Forty | Sophie Tucker | starting over |
| Life Changes | Wu-Tang Clan | change #2 |
| Life During Wartime | Talking Heads | ears & hearing |
| Life in a Northern Town | The Dream Academy | nostalgia |
| Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol.2 Ep.11 | Ivor Cutler | spoken word |
| Life in Mono | Mono | tea |
| Life in Reverse | Marine | reversing |
| Life in Tokyo | Japan | 12″ singles to 1979 |
| Life Is a Journey | Clinton Fearon | meaning of life |
| Life Is Highway | Tom Cochrane | road trips |
| Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries | Rudy Vallée & His Connecticut Yankees | meaning of life |
| Life Is Sheep | Robert Wyatt | pets |
| A Life of Crime | The Weirdos | great riffs |
| Life on Mars? | David Bowie | questions |
| Life on Mars | Dexter Wansel | celestial bodies |
| Life Support | Homeboy Sandman | underrated artists |
| Lifelong | Paperfangs | odd couples |
| Life’s a Game of Give and Take | Marvin Gaye | compromise |
| Life’s a Gas | T. Rex | gases |
| Life’s Been Good | Joe Walsh | boastful songs |
| Life’s Too Easy | The Undertones | chaos |
| Life’s What You Make It | Talk Talk | fate & destiny |
| Lift | Radiohead | stairs, ladders & elevators |
| The Light at the End of the Tunnel (Is the Light of an Oncoming Train) | Half Man Half Biscuit | social class |
| Light Catches Your Face | Bell X1 | faces |
| Light Enough to Travel | The Be Good Tanyas | nightclubs |
| Light Flight | Pentangle | flying |
| Light My Fire | The Doors | album tracks better than singles |
| Light of Day | ODEZSA ft Ólafur Arnalds | conditional phrases |
| Light of Fire | Prince Far I | lighthouses & guiding lights |
| The Light on the Shore | Karine Polwart | funerals |
| The Light Pours Out of Me | Magazine | light |
| Lighthouse | Hawkwind | lighthouses & guiding lights |
| Lighthouse | The Roots ft Dice Raw | lighthouses & guiding lights |
| Lighthouse | The Waifs | lighthouses & guiding lights |
| Lighthouse | Patrick Watson | piano songs |
| Lighthouse Keeper | Cross Canadian Ragweed | fortune tellers |
| Lighthouse Keeper | My Friend the Chocolate Cake | lighthouses & guiding lights |
| The Lighthouse’s Tale | Nickel Creek | unusual narrators |
| Lighting Fires | Grant McLennan | starting fires |
| Lightning Rod | Guster | unusual narrators |
| Lightspeed | Grieves | retrospection |
| Like a Hurricane | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | super solos |
| Like a Mighty River | St. Paul & the Broken Bones | slowing down |
| Like a Prayer | Madonna | prayer |
| Like a Rolling Stone | Bob Dylan | effects of fame |
| Like a Rolling Stone | Spirit | whispering |
| Like a Tiger | The Ricochets | tigers |
| Like Janis | Sixto Rodriguez | narcissism |
| Like Popcorn | Trilok Gurtu | nuts & edible seeds |
| Like Someone in Love | Chet Baker | similes |
| Like Spinning Plates | Radiohead | spinning |
| Like the Weather | 10,000 Maniacs | beds |
| Like to Get to Know You | Spanky and Our Gang | false endings |
| Li’l Red Riding Hood | Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs | following & chasing |
| Lila Engel | Neu! | purple |
| Lilac Wine | Jeff Buckley | wine |
| Lili Marleen | Marlene Dietrich | war |
| Lilizela Mlilizeli | Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens | music as nutrition |
| Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts | Bob Dylan | treachery & betrayal |
| Lily the Pink | The Scaffold | fixing & repairing |
| Limbo | Ludovico Einaudi | limbo |
| Limit | chelmico | bodily motion & exercise |
| Linda Linda | The Blue Hearts | different 7″ versions |
| Lindbergh | Woody Guthrie | fallen heroes |
| The Line | Bruce Springsteen | crosses |
| A Line in the Sand | PJ Harvey | borders, barriers, walls & fences |
| Line Song | Shrimp Boat | out-of-tune songs |
| Linha do Horizonte | Azymuth | horizons |
| Linstead Market | Louise Bennett | markets & fairs |
| The Lion and Albert | Stanley Holloway | hats |
| The Lion – Gaïende | Youssou N’Dour | bravery |
| The Lion This Time | Van Morrison | cats |
| Lioness Eye | Xavier Rudd | cats |
| Lions in My Own Garden (Exit Someone) | Prefab Sprout | acronyms |
| Lions, Tigers and Bears | Jazmine Sullivan | being scared |
| Lippy Kids | Elbow | gangs |
| Lipstick | Suzi Quatro | makeup |
| The Lipstick on His Collar | Caro Emerald | makeup |
| Lipstick, Powder and Paint | Big Joe Turner | makeup |
| Lipstick Traces | Benny Spellman | trombone |
| Lipstick Vogue | Elvis Costello & the Attractions | great drumming |
| Liquid Lunch | Caro Emerald | meals & mealtimes |
| Liquor Store Liver | The Cowmen | stomach & guts |
| Lisdoonvarna | Christy Moore | music venues |
| List of Demands (Reparations) | Saul Williams | collecting & listing |
| Listen, the Snow Is Falling | Galaxie 500 | cold |
| Listen, the Snow is Falling | Yoko Ono & the Plastic Ono Band | audible breaths |
| Listen to the Band | The Monkees | music as nutrition |
| Listen to What the Man Said | Wings | indirect messages |
| Listening In | The Undertones | eavesdropping |
| Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas | Okkervil River | other songs |
| Little America | R.E.M. | America |
| Little April Shower | Disney Studio Chorus | months of the year |
| Little Baby Swastikkka | Skunk Anansie | taboos |
| Little Bird | The Beach Boys | nature |
| Little Bit (Loving Hand Remix) | Lykke Li | from Nordic countries |
| A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You | The Monkees | apologies |
| A Little Bit of Soap | The Jarmels | COVID-19 lockdown |
| Little Bitty Pretty One | Thurston Harris | humming |
| Little Black Buzzer | Ivor Cutler | alarm sounds |
| Little Blue Man | Petula Clark | whimsical songs |
| Little Blue Number | Richard Thompson | pirates |
| Little Boxes | Pete Seeger | geometric shapes |
| Little Boy in Corduroy | Donovan | fabrics |
| Little Britain | Dreadzone | classical songs |
| Britain | ||
| Little Brown Jug | Glenn Miller & his Orchestra | brown |
| Little Cloud | The Incredible String Band | conversations |
| Little Colored Balloons | John Murry | close shaves & near misses |
| Little Darlin’ | The Gladiolas | na-na-hey-hey songs |
| Little Death | The Beths | orgasms |
| Little Demon | Screamin’ Jay Hawkins | fantasy |
| Little Does She Know | The Kursaal Flyers | intelligence |
| A Little Dog Cried | Jimmie Rodgers | crosses |
| Little Drunk Fists | Slobberbone | whiskey |
| Little Earthquakes | Tori Amos | small things |
| Little England | Red Eye | flags |
| Little Eyes | Yo La Tengo | laziness |
| Little Fluffy Clouds | The Orb | opening album tracks |
| Little Ghetto Boy | Donny Hathaway | children |
| Little Girl Blue | Janis Joplin | pathos |
| extraordinary vocals | ||
| Little Green | Joni Mitchell | songs that make you cry |
| Little Green Bag | George Baker Selection | personal theme songs |
| Little Hands | Alexander “Skip” Spence | children |
| Little Hollywood Girl | The Everly Brothers | Hollywood |
| Little Italy | Stephen Bishop | Italy |
| A Little Less Conversation | Elvis Presley | procrastination |
| Little Magic Glasses | Johnny Cash | eyewear |
| Little Man | Alan Jackson | sales, selling & bargains |
| The Little Man Who Wasn’t There | Glenn Miller & his Orchestra | stairs, ladders & elevators |
| Little Mascara | The Replacements | makeup |
| Little Nut Tree | The Melodians | nuts & edible seeds |
| Little Red Corvette | Prince and the Revolution | cars & driving |
| Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road | Robert Wyatt | unusual narrators |
| Little Sadie | Crooked Still | judges & trials |
| Little Sir Echo | Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band | echoes |
| Little Sister | Elvis Presley | sisters |
| A Little Soul | Pulp | fathers |
| Little Things (That Keep Us Together) | Scott Walker | doom |
| A Little Time | The Beautiful South | decisive songs |
| Little Trouble Girl | Sonic Youth | repression |
| Little Vinnie Jones | Robb Johnson | Jones & Joneses |
| The Littlest Birds | The Be Good Tanyas | small things |
| Live and Let Live | Love | bodily fluids |
| Live Bed Show | Pulp | beds |
| Liverpool Lullaby | Cilla Black | Liverpool & Merseyside |
| Livin’ on a Prayer | Bon Jovi | industry & manufacturing |
| Livin’ on the Fault Line | The Doobie Brothers | edges & ledges |
| Livin’ Thing | Electric Light Orchestra | ambiguity |
| The Living Bubba | Drive-By Truckers | stiff upper lip |
| Living by Numbers | New Musik | modernity |
| mathematics | ||
| Living by the Water | The Unthanks | water |
| Living Darfur | Mattafix | peace |
| The Living Dead | Suede | denial |
| Living Dead Diner Girls | Tommy heavenly6 | zombies |
| The Living End | The Jesus and Mary Chain | motorbikes |
| Living for the City | Stevie Wonder | storytelling songs |
| Living in a Box | Living in a Box | bags & containers |
| Living in Sin | The Broken Family Band | sinners |
| Living in the Past | Jethro Tull | flutes, pipes & whistles |
| Living Next Door to Alice | Smokie | shyness |
| Living Room | Frazier Chorus | domestic songs |
| Living Room | Dylan Scott | furniture |
| The Living Years | Mike and the Mechanics | legacy |
| Livingston | Mary Chapin Carpenter | music as nutrition |
| Liwa Ya Franco | Syran Mbenza & Ensemble Rumba Kongo | pioneers |
| Liza Forever Minelli | The Mountain Goats | limbo |
| Liza…Liza | Elias Rahbani | 12″ singles to 1979 |
| Llama in My Living Room | AronChupa ft Little Sis Nora | four-legged livestock |
| Llanura Aqui Esta Tu Hijo | Aries Vigoth | love songs to places |
| Llorando (Crying) | Rebekah Del Rio | crying |
| Lluvia con Nieve | Mon Rivera | trombone |
| Lo Decidi Yo | Juana Molina | 3/4 time |
| Lo Único Que Tengo | Víctor Jara & Isabel Parra | hands |
| The Load-Out | Jackson Browne | concerts |
| Loaded | Primal Scream | celebration |
| Lobachevsky | Tom Lehrer | intelligence |
| The Lobster Quadrille | Franz Ferdinand | asking, begging & pleading |
| Loch Lomond (live) | Runrig | Scotland |
| Lock and Key | Julia Fordham | keys & locks |
| Lock the Locks | The Streets ft Clare Maguire | keys & locks |
| Locked Away | Robert Forster | keys & locks |
| Locked in a Room | Oren Lavie | keys & locks |
| Locked Up | Akon | prisons |
| Locked Within the Crystal Ball | Blackmore’s Night | fortune tellers |
| Locket | Crumb | psychedelic songs |
| Loco in Acapulco | Four Tops | Mexico & Central America |
| The Loco-Motion | Little Eva | physical gestures |
| Locust | The Drones | Australia |
| The Lodger | Jake Thackray | sisters |
| Lodi | Creedence Clearwater Revival | poverty |
| LOL | Little Jackie | telephones |
| Lola | The Kinks | mistaken identity |
| Lola, Leave Your Light On | Gov’t Mule | prostitution |
| L’ombelico del mondo | Jovanotti | Italy |
| Lon-dubh / Blackbird | Julie Fowlis | Gaelic songs |
| Londinium | Catatonia | London |
| London | The Smiths | London |
| London Belongs to Me | Saint Etienne | London |
| The London Boys | David Bowie | youth cults |
| London Calling | The Clash | omens & prophecies |
| London Gangs | Sault | gangs |
| London Is the Place for Me | Lord Kitchener | London |
| London Pride | Noël Coward | flowers |
| London Social Degree | Billy Nicholls | songs that aren’t what they seem |
| The Londonderry Air | Johnny Griffin Quartet | national anthems |
| The Lone Ranger | Quantum Jump | specific or obscure places |
| The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Operator | Elbow | jobs |
| The Lonely 1 | Wilco | concerts |
| Lonely at the Top | Randy Newman | wealth |
| Lonely Avenue | Ray Charles | loneliness |
| Lonely Financial Zone | Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers | loneliness |
| Lonely London | Jah Wobble | inspired by poetry |
| The Lonely Man | Joe Harnell | superheroes |
| Lonely Night | Richard Hawley | humming |
| The Lonely Shepherd | James Last with Gheorghe Zamfir | easy listening |
| The Lonely Spy | Lori & the Chameleons | spying |
| Lonely Stretch | The Triffids | wilderness |
| The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll | Bob Dylan | villains |
| Lonesome Dreams | Lord Huron | wilderness |
| Lonesome Love | Mitski | tomorrow |
| Lonesome Town | Ricky Nelson | losers |
| Lonesome Whistle Blues | Freddie King | ears & hearing |
| Long After Tonight Is All Over | Jimmy Radcliffe | devoted love |
| falling in love | ||
| The Long and Winding Road | Paul McCartney | road trips |
| Long Black Limousine | Elvis Presley | coming home |
| Long Black Veil | The Band | stiff upper lip |
| The Long Black Veil | Lefty Frizzell | adultery & infidelity |
| Long Black Veil | Dave Matthews Band | masks |
| Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress | The Hollies | treachery & betrayal |
| Long Distance Runaround | Yes | anger |
| The Long Highway | Mark Knopfler | road trips |
| Long John Blues | Dinah Washington | teeth |
| Long Lankin | Steeleye Span | horror-inspired songs |
| Long-Legged Larry | Aesop Rock | amphibians |
| Long Live Rock | The Who | concerts |
| Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll | Rainbow | mood-changing music |
| Long, Long, Long | The Beatles | notable outros or codas |
| Long Lost Penpal | Hello Saferide | deception |
| Long May You Run | Stills-Young Band | songs that aren’t what they seem |
| The Long Road | Eddie Vedder & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan | unlikely collaborations |
| The Long Shot | Megson | chance & coincidence |
| Long Shot Kick De Bucket | The Pioneers | gambling |
| Long Tall Sally | Little Richard | triggering dancing |
| Long Time Gone | Crosby, Stills & Nash | dares |
| Long Time Man | Tim Rose | regrets |
| Long Walk to D.C. | The Staple Singers | determination |
| Longdog | Show of Hands | dogs |
| The Longest Day | Iron Maiden | D-day |
| Longest Day | Soulsavers ft Dave Gahan | D-day |
| The Longest Day March | Maurice Jarre | D-day |
| The Longest Time | Billy Joel | clicking, tapping & stomping |
| A Longing to Be Absorbed for a While into a Different and Beautiful World | Leyland Kirby | Manchester |
| The Longships | Enya | Gaelic songs |
| Longships / The Raven | The Stranglers | wide open spaces |
| Longview | Green Day | addiction |
| The Look | Roxette | songs that go ‘la’ |
| Look a Ghost | Unwound | never |
| Look at Me | John Lennon | solo Beatles songs |
| Look Away | Larkin Poe | steel guitar |
| Look Back in Anger | David Bowie | surprise encounters |
| Look Dad No Tunes | Half Man Half Biscuit | music industry |
| The Look of Love | Isaac Hayes | album tracks better than singles |
| The Look of Love | Dusty Springfield | whispering |
| Lookin’ for a Leader | Neil Young | leadership |
| Looking at the Front Door | Main Source | arguments |
| Looking for an Echo | The Persuasions | singing |
| Looking for Lewis and Clark | The Long Ryders | opening album tracks |
| (Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night | Tom Waits | sound effects |
| Looking Glass | The La’s | mirrors |
| Looking on the Bright Side of Life | Ray Noble & His New Mayfair Orchestra with Al Bowlly | optimistic songs |
| Looking Over from My Hotel Window | Yoko Ono | hotels |
| Looking Through the Eyes of Love | Gene Pitney | eyes & sight |
| Looks Are Deceiving | Macka B | deceptive appearances |
| Looks Is Deceiving | The Gladiators | close harmony singing |
| The Loos of England | Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich | pride |
| Loose | The Stooges | big and meaty |
| Loose Fit | Happy Mondays | fashion |
| Loosen the Knot | Lissie | knots & ties |
| Lopin’ Along Thru the Cosmos | Judee Sill | space travel |
| L’orange | Gilbert Bécaud | orange |
| Lord Anthony | Belle and Sebastian | character songs |
| Lord Franklin | Pentangle | honorific titles |
| The Lord God Bird | Sufjan Stevens | birds |
| Lord Gregory | Shirley Collins | social class |
| Lord Hereford’s Knob | Half Man Half Biscuit | bad decisions |
| maps | ||
| Lord, I’m Discouraged | The Hold Steady | famous last words |
| Lord Randall | Martin Carthy | conversations |
| Los Chismes | Chalino Sánchez | songs in Spanish |
| Lose This Skin | The Clash | androgynous vocals |
| Lose Yourself | Eminem | bravery |
| Lose Yourself to Dance | Daft Punk ft Pharrell Williams | perspiration |
| Loser | Jerry Garcia | loss |
| Loser | Grateful Dead | ironic songs |
| The Loser | Derrick Harriott | losers |
| Loser | The New Dawn | losers |
| Losing Haringey | The Clientele | England |
| Losing My Edge | LCD Soundsystem | getting older |
| modernity | ||
| Losing My Religion | R.E.M. | fear |
| Losing Sleep | Edwyn Collins | comeback songs |
| Lost | David Allan Coe | cocktails & spirits |
| Lost Highway | Hank Williams | losers |
| being lost | ||
| Lost Horizons | Gin Blossoms | bright songs about dark subjects |
| Lost in France | Bonnie Tyler | loss |
| Lost in Music | The Fall | unlikely cover songs |
| Lost in Music | Sister Sledge | celebration |
| Lost in the K-Hole | The Chemical Brothers | addiction |
| Lost in the Stars | Abbey Lincoln | being lost |
| Lost in the Supermarket | The Clash | being lost |
| Lost Property | The Divine Comedy | loss |
| The Lost Sheep | Adrian Munsey | eccentric songs |
| Lost Song | Jane Birkin | classical songs |
| A Lost Village | Grasscut | villages |
| The Lost Watch | The Duke of Iron | hats & accessories |
| Loud Love | Soundgarden | screams, howls, grunts & shrieks |
| Loud Places | Jamie xx ft Romy | quiet |
| Louie Louie | Richard Berry & the Pharaohs | indecipherable songs |
| Louis Collins | Mississippi John Hurt | shooting |
| Louis XIV | The Wolfgang Press | fallen heroes |
| Louise | The Human League | upbeat break-up |
| Louisiana 1927 | Aaron Neville | bad weather |
| Loup Garou | Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown | wolves |
| L’ours | Christophe Maé & Youssou N’Dour | bears |
| Love Action (I Believe in Love) | The Human League | great keyboards |
| Love and Affection | Joan Armatrading | arresting opening lines |
| Love and Rage | Mischief Brew | words of wisdom |
| Love at the Five and Dime | Nanci Griffith | first love |
| Love Battery | Buzzcocks | electricity |
| Love Buzz | Shocking Blue | onomatopoeia |
| The Love Cats | The Cure | unusual narrators |
| Love Child | Diana Ross & the Supremes | shame |
| Love Comes in Spurts | Richard Hell & the Voidoids | anti-love songs |
| Love Detective | Arab Strap | spying |
| Love Don’t Live Here Anymore | Rose Royce | electronic music to 1983 |
| Love for Sale | Billie Holiday | stairs, ladders & elevators |
| Love for Sale | Shirley Horn | taboos |
| A Love from Outer Space | A.R. Kane | birthdays |
| Love Hangover | Diana Ross | hangovers |
| The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage | Smokey Robinson & the Miracles | disappointment |
| similes | ||
| Love in Vain | Robert Johnson | heartbreak |
| Love in Vain | The Rolling Stones | old meets new |
| Love Is…. | Common | songs that say what love is |
| Love Is a Bourgeois Construct | Pet Shop Boys | strange, rare or unlikely words |
| Love Is a Losing Game | Amy Winehouse | gambling |
| Love Is a Rose | Neil Young | roses |
| Love Is a Serious Business | Alfie Davison | songs that say what love is |
| Love Is a Stranger | Eurythmics | songs that say what love is |
| Love Is…Afraid of the Dark | Lil Louis & Tammy | songs that say what love is |
| Love Is an Arrow | Aberfeldy | songs that say what love is |
| Love Is Blue | Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra | harpsichord |
| Love Is Like a Butterfly | Dolly Parton | butterflies & moths |
| Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart | The Supremes | hammer & mallet instruments |
| Love Is Like Oxygen | Sweet | gases |
| Love Is Not a Romantic Song | My Little Airport | songs that say what love is |
| Love Is Such a Good Thing | Fessor Funk | songs that say what love is |
| Love Is the Drug | Roxy Music | songs that say what love is |
| Love Is the Only Goal | Wendy Waldman | searching & seeking |
| Love Is the Sweetest Thing | Ray Noble & His New Mayfair Orchestra with Al Bowlly | songs that say what love is |
| Love Itself | Leonard Cohen | quiet songs |
| Love Letter | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | retrospection |
| Love Lifted Me | Kenny Rogers | spiritual songs |
| Love Like Anthrax | Gang of Four | control |
| Love, Love Alone | Harry Belafonte | kings |
| Love Man | Otis Redding | narcissism |
| Love Me, I’m a Liberal | Phil Ochs | funny songs |
| Love of the Common People | Nicky Thomas | adversity |
| Love on a Farmboy’s Wages | XTC | work |
| Love on the Beat | Serge Gainsbourg | rhythm, beat & boogie |
| Love on the Brain | Rihanna | the brain |
| Love on Top | Beyoncé | notable key changes |
| Love on Top of Love | Grace Jones | kissing |
| The Love Parade | The Undertones | parades |
| Love Potion No. 9 | The Clovers | magic |
| Love Really Hurts Without You | Billy Ocean | fictional adverts |
| Love Rears Its Ugly Head | Living Colour | nightmares |
| Love Shack | The B-52s | jukeboxes |
| Love Shines Brighter | Culture | getting brighter |
| Love Sick | Bob Dylan | anti-love songs |
| Love Song #1 | Meshell Ndegeocello | influenced by reggae |
| Love Song to a Girl in an Old Photo | Happy and Artie Traum | photographs |
| Love Songs | Margo Guryan | songs about love songs |
| Love Story (You and Me) | Randy Newman | everlasting love |
| A Love Supreme, Part 1: Acknowledgement | John Coltrane | spiritual songs |
| A Love Supreme, Part 4: Psalm | John Coltrane Quartet | prayer |
| Love the One You’re With | The Isley Brothers | advice |
| Love Theme from Spartacus (Zero 7 Remix) | Terry Callier | hope |
| Love Theme from Spartacus | Yusef Lateef | ancient history |
| Love Theme from Spartacus | Kenny Wheeler | without percussion |
| Love T.K.O. | Teddy Pendergrass | sport |
| Love to Love You Baby | Donna Summer | euphoria |
| Love to Share | Carlton and the Shoes | quiet songs |
| Love Train | The O’Jays | trains |
| Love Vigilantes | New Order | home |
| Love Will Tear Us Apart | Joy Division | failure |
| Love Won’t Let Me Wait | Major Harris | orgasms |
| Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me | Rosemary Clooney | anti-love songs |
| Loveless | 4hero ft Ursula Rucker | end of the world |
| A Loveletter from Sydney | Steve Kilbey | Australia |
| Lovely Day | Bill Withers | getting brighter |
| Lovely Hula Hand | Alfred Apaka | physical gestures |
| Lovely Rita | The Beatles | jobs |
| Lover I Don’t Have to Love | Bright Eyes | anti-love songs |
| Lover, You Should’ve Come Over | Jeff Buckley | quoting Shakespeare |
| Lovers Are They Worth It | Poison Girls | rejection |
| A Lover’s Concerto | The Toys | classical songs |
| Lovers Never Say Goodbye | The Flamingos | goodbye |
| Lovers of Today | The Pretenders | adult lullabies |
| Love’s Been Good to Me | Johnny Cash | music for funerals |
| Lovesick | Gang Starr | separation |
| Lovin’ You | Minnie Riperton | songs that go ‘la’ |
| A Loving Hand | Kevin Coyne | puppets |
| Loving Hannah | Mary Black | change of mind |
| Loving Pauper | Gregory Isaacs | self-deprecation |
| Low Gravity | Prince Far-I & the Arabs | gravity |
| Low Life in High Places | Thunder | leadership |
| Low Rider | War | slowing down |
| The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys | Traffic | obsolete things |
| The Lowly Carpenter | Mischief Brew | social mobility |
| Lucifer Sam | Pink Floyd | mammals |
| Lucifer’s Hotel | Rough Silk | hotels |
| Lucille | B.B. King | guitars |
| The Luckiest | Ben Folds | contentment |
| The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side | The Magnetic Fields | luck |
| Lucky | Radiohead | edges & ledges |
| Lucky | Britney Spears | luck |
| Lucky John | The Lurkers | overturning the odds |
| Lucky Man | The Verve | acceptance |
| happiness | ||
| Lucky Number | Lene Lovich | independence |
| Lucky Star | Madonna | great middle eights |
| Lucky to Be Me | Bill Evans | luck |
| Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds | William Shatner | Beatles covers |
| Lucy Mae Blues | Frankie Lee Sims | cheating |
| Ludwig | Amon Düül II | 19th century life |
| Lujon | Henry Mancini | easy listening |
| Luka | Suzanne Vega | named after men |
| The Lull | Cat’s Eyes | quiet songs |
| Lullaby | Leonard Cohen | gentleness |
| Lullaby | The Cure | whispering |
| Lullaby (2, West 46th Street) | Moondog | addresses |
| Lullaby of Birdland | Ella Fitzgerald | music venues |
| Lullaby of Broadway | Busby Berkeley | dance instrumentals |
| Lullaby of London | The Pogues | adult lullabies |
| Lullaby of the Leaves | Ella Fitzgerald | adult lullabies |
| Lumberlung | Slobberbone | kindness |
| Lumi | Edward Vesala | expressing movement of walking |
| Luminous Spaces | Jon Hopkins & Kelly Lee Owens | psychedelic songs |
| Luna y Sol | Manu Chao | lies |
| The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum) | Fun Boy Three | chaos |
| Lush Life | John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman | mistakes |
| Lush Life | Billy Strayhorn & Kay Davis | wheels |
| Lust | Les Baxter featuring Bas Sheva | wordless vocals |
| Lust for Life | Iggy Pop | great album or mixtape openers |
| Lyke-Wake Dirge | The Young Tradition | Yorkshire |
| The Lyre of Orpheus | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | musical instruments |
| tragedy & comedy |