Artist:   Rosie Thomas
Song:   "The One I Love"
Album: These Friends of Mine
Label:   Nettwork Records
Year:    2007

Originally a hit single for Michael Stipe and REM when they released the "love" song in 1987 at the height of their career, "The One I Love" has been widely and inappropriately dedicated to, well, loved ones for over twenty years now. One of the many wonders of music and song is that it lay open to interpretation. We hear what we want to hear as individuals. As is the case with "The One I Love," the majority of listeners have latched on to the the key lyric "This one goes out to the one I love," and stop at that. Upon closer examination of the mere three verses that are the heart of the song, you'd quickly discover that "a simple prop to occupy my time" is in no way a shout-out to true love. Keeping this in mind, singer-songerwriter Rosie Thomas' acoustic cover of the song from her fourth album, 2007's These Friends of Mine, is not so much beautiful (and it is beautiful) as it is downright heartbreaking. The breathless harmonies accompanied by only sparse acoustic guitar notes are thanks to friend and fellow folk-rocker Sufjan Stevens. The way the duo almost whisper Stipe's fiery lyrics is enough to run loveless chills down your spine and make you reinterpret a song you once belted out in the name of love. This is in fact the anti-love song.