Windsor, Ont. songbird pens personalized love songs for couples

Some lucky couplesin Windsor, Ont. woke up to a very special present Valentine's Day morning.

Instead of a pancake breakfast, chocolates or a card, local couples were able to share a personal love song written by local songwriter Crissi Cochrane.

"I was thinking of a creative way to stimulate my songwriting," Cochrane said. "I had them answer things like how they met, favourite hobbies, any stories about them. A lot of people would tell me about what they did on their first date or how they met their loved one."

Cochrane stopped by CBC News to play one of the eight songs she wrote for the holiday. With syncopated chords and lyrics about Levi jeans and meetings at the river, it tells the story of a 13-year marriage.

"It's all pretty jazzy, soft," Cochrane said. "Some are more waltzy, others are more upbeat and you can dance to them."

Vanessa Shields was one of the first people to sign up for a song after hearing about Cochrane's offer. With both Shields and her husband being fans of Cochrane's work, she thought a song would be the perfect valentine.

"I felt it would be super romantic and be something we could have for years and years and listen to over and over again," Shields said. "It was totally romantic, beautiful and unique."

When the song arrived a few days before Valentine's Day, Shields gave it a listen. She was overwhelmed with what she heard.

"I got the house nice and quiet and listened to it," Shields said. "It just grabbed my heart. I got a little bit overwhelmed by it and then it was finished. So I had to listen to it over again."

Shields told her husband about the song and they plan to listen to it together for the first time on Valentine's Day morning. She offered to show it to him before, but he wanted to wait.

"I know I'm going to cry when I give it to my husband and we listen to it and dance together in the kitchen."