Crazy little thing called love: Sioux City songwriters reveal the art of writing love songs

"Romantic songs will be popular as long as love is universal," he said.

On the other side of town, singer-songwriter Jill Miller sits in a space that doubles as both her office and makeshift recording studio.

"A love song doesn't have to be romantic," she noted. "It can also be spiritual."

Both accomplished performers and prolific songwriters, Langley and Miller bring a wealth of experience to writing love songs. 

Langley -- a 2012 Iowa Rock ’n’ Roll Music Association (IRRMA) Hall of Fame inductee -- learned to play the guitar form his singer-songwriter dad Jack Langley (himself, a 2005 IRRMA Hall of Fame inductee and a Matousek Family Lifetime Achievement Award recipient).

Following in his dad's footsteps, Langley subsequently moved to Europe and made a name for himself as a musician. Later on, younger brother Jon Langley joined him and the two formed the Langley Brothers Band.

"When I was a kid, I thought all love songs had to be 'pop-y' like The Beatles' 'She Loves You,'" Langley said. "As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that a love song can mean love between a partner, love for a child or even love of a planet."

Unlike Langley, Miller wasn't born into a musical family. She only ventured into the music world following a career as a court reporter, a stint as a stay-at-home mom and later a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization.

Now a full-time entertainer, she regularly performs around the Midwest and has worked with some of Nashville's most accomplished musicians.

"I consider myself a storyteller," said Miller. She's written music about infertility, adoption, divorce, the struggles of step-parenting, and dealing with a dad with dementia. "My songs are like three-minute stories."

While some of her songs are autobiographical, others have been written about people Miller has met along the way.

That included "That's What Love Looks Like," a song Miller co-wrote with veteran Nashville composer Randy Dorman.

"Randy's mom was Hazel Dorman but everybody knew her as Mama Bear," Miller said. "Hazel was married to Bruce, whom everybody called Papa Bear. Well, Papa Bear had been married to Mama Bear for 65 years when he passed away.

"To her dying day, Hazel had a glimmer in her eye when she spoke about her husband," she said. "Hazel would say, 'I was married to Papa Bear for 65 years and it just wasn't enough.'"

Miller wiped away a tear.

"To love someone that much for so long is amazing," she said. "Still, we wish we could have it for a little bit longer."

Miller said music must be able to mark the moments of our lives.

"Music must connect us emotionally," she said. "Sometimes it's love and sometimes it's sadness. But either way, it should move us."  

And what moves Langley? Neil Young's classic "Lotta Love."