Music has the power to unite us all in song, showing us that we often feel the same emotions or have the same thoughts. As a result, there are many songs about touching, whether these songs discuss hugs and kisses or touching hands.
In this article, we’ve listed our 20 favorite songs with touch in the lyrics. Often, people seek out songs about touching to better understand their own situation with human connection, whether it’s physical or more abstract!
1. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles, first released in 1963, is perhaps one of the best songs that deal with touch. In this iconic song, the band opens up with the lyrics, “Oh, yeah, I’ll tell you something / I think you’ll understand / When I’ll say that something / I wanna hold your hand.”
The band sings that they want to hold their love interest’s hand — and they also want to be her man!
2. “In His Touch” by Celine Dion
Celine Dion’s 2003 song “In His Touch” follows a romantic relationship that seems to be struggling. Dion sings to her partner, telling him that he can confess his love to her in beautiful words. However, it won’t mean anything to her, as she believes that she’ll only see his true emotions towards her in his touch.
Explaining this, she sings, “’Cause when a man loves a woman, it is all / In his touch.”
3. “Touch” by Little Mix
“Touch” by Little Mix, which appears on the group’s 2016 album Glory Days, explores a romantic relationship. The girl group sings about their romantic partners, explaining that nothing is wrong with their relationships. They love their partners and are still quite smitten with them!
As a result, they sing about their emotions in their relationship. They sing, “Just a touch of your love is enough / To knock me off of my feet all week.”
4. “Touch” by The Jackson 5
1973’s “Touch” by The Jackson 5 details how physical touch can help solve any issue in a relationship. The group sings about their romantic relationships — and some of the struggles they sometimes have to deal with.
However, they aren’t worried about these problems. They sing, “Your touch means than words / Than any language ever heard.”
5. “Knock on Wood” by Ella Fitzgerald
In 1969’s “Knock on Wood”, Ella Fitzgerald sings about her romantic relationship. She’s delightfully happy with her partner and realizes that she doesn’t want to lose him. While she’s never been superstitious before, she finds herself now knocking on wood to ensure that they stay together.
As she sings about how much she loves him, she also talks about touching. She sings, “With his touch all over / You know it means so much.”
6. “Who Was That Stranger” by Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn released her song “Who Was That Stranger” on her 1988 album of the same name. In this song, Lynn sings about traveling with her husband. However, she feels that her husband is completely different at one point and likens him to a stranger.
She says she hopes that this mysterious stranger comes back again, as she felt closer to him because of his touch. She sings the lyrics, “His touch was so familiar when he kissed me goodbye.”
7. “Sleepin’” by Diana Ross
“Sleepin’” by Diana Ross, first released in 1973, is an emotional song about follows the song’s narrator as she comes to terms with her romantic partner’s death. At first, she just says that he’s sleeping. He’s not dead. She talks about how much she loves him, including singing about his touch, when she says, “He lives hard and he gives hard / And I’ll just die for his touch.”
However, later in the song, things change as people tell her he’s not sleeping. Instead, he’s dead. At this point, she tells people to not touch him.
8. “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts is also one of the most popular — and most beloved — songs about touching on this list! In this upbeat, classic 1984 rock song, Jett sings about a potential love interest and whether or not they’re going to be together!
9. “I Know How He Feels” by Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire’s 1988 song “I Know How He Feels”, which appears on her album Reba, explores a romance that has ended. At the beginning of this song, Reba sings about running into her old ex. She still loves him and misses him, even though she gave him up.
As she sees him with his new girl, she can’t help but reminisce on their past. She sings, “I know how he feels / How warm his touch is.”
10. “Magic Touch” by KISS
“Magic Touch” by KISS, which appears on the iconic band’s 1979 album Dynasty, opens with the lyrics, “She’s got the magic touch / And you’re walking around in a dream.”
Even though the band sings about this woman’s “Magic Touch”, they do warn that something is amiss with her. She’s cold and things aren’t always perfect. In the end, they sing about how she’ll always leave you and break your heart!
11. “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” by Journey
Journey released their popular song “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” on their 1979 album Evolution. This iconic song opens with the lines, “You make me weep, and wanna die / Just when you said we’d try / Loving, touching, squeezing each other.”
The singer explains that the woman he loves has gone off with someone else, leaving him heartbroken. However, he also warns her that she’ll be left alone one day. By the end of the song, she is — as her man has left her for another!
12. “When Love Is New” by Dolly Parton and Emmy Rossum
In Dolly Parton and Emmy Rossum’s duet “When Love Is New”, Parton sings from the perspective of Rossum’s mother. Parton warns her daughter to not fall for the first man she thinks she loves, as she’ll just end up heartbroken.
However, Rossum denies that this will happen — even if it did happen to her mother. Instead, she sings, “His touch just takes my breath away / You surely remember when you felt that way / When you and father first married.”
13. “Human Touch” by Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield’s 1983 song “Human Touch”, which appears on his album Living in Oz, talks about love and affection in the modern world. Springfield admits he feels alone and isolated in this modern age. He imagines others feel this way, too.
As a result, he ends up singing the lyrics, “We all need the human touch.”
14. “Willow” by Taylor Swift
In “Willow”, Taylor Swift sings about her romantic partner. She sings about him and how much she loves him, as well as her emotions that revolve around this relationship. She wants to be with him always, so she begs him to return her affections.
As a result, she sings the lyrics, “I’m begging for you to take my hand / Wreck my plans, that’s my man.”
15. “Captive Heart” by Selena
1995’s “Captive Heart” by Selena explores a romantic relationship. Selena sings about the man that she’s fallen for. Even though he might look dangerous, and even though others might recommend her to not fall for him, she still wants to be with him. She’s captivated by him.
She explains her feelings by singing, “He has a wild passion that drives away the cold / And I know / His touch is real.”
16. “My Baby” by LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes released her song “My Baby” on her 1996 album Blue. In this song, Rimes opens with the lyrics, “My baby gives me satisfaction / My baby gives me all his love / Let’s me know I’m his main attraction / No one else is gonna feel his touch.”
The rest of the song follows suit as Rimes sings about how much she loves her man. She loves him, and nobody will take him away from her!
17. “Reach Out” by Hilary Duff
“Reach Out” by Hilary Duff is another song about a romantic relationship! Throughout the song, Duff sings, “Reach out and touch me.” She’s interested in a new man and wants to be with him, though various obstacles and situations seem to keep them apart.
Regardless, she’s intent on flirting with him and letting him know how she feels. At one point, she even says she’ll have a “secret affair” with him if she must!
18. “Hold My Hand” by The Fray
“Hold My Hand” by The Fray explores needing someone to help you when you’re struggling. The singer opens up by explaining that he’s not the man he used to be. He doesn’t know how he used to be so carefree, happy, and sure of himself. Now, he’s nothing like that.
He’s going through a hard time and he asks his loved one to be there to support him. He doesn’t feel as if he can do this alone. However, with someone there supporting him and by his side, he knows that he can conquer anything. The band sings, “Hold my hand / I can hear the ghosts calling.”
19. “Let’s Go On the Run” by Chance the Rapper featuring Knox Fortune
In “Let’s Go On the Run”, Chance the Rapper and Knox Fortune sing about escaping with their loved ones to avoid the stress and problems of daily life. They say, “Won’t you come home to your mister? / I’ve got plans to hug and kiss ya.”
They want to be with their loved ones alone, away from all the hustle and bustle — and all the things they can’t control!
20. “How to Touch a Girl” by JoJo
Finally, we have the last song on our list! “How to Touch a Girl” by JoJo, released on her 2006 album The High Road, explores a new romantic relationship. JoJo is interested in someone, but she worries about this person and their real intentions with her.
She repeatedly sings, “Do you know how to touch a girl?” She wants to know if he’s thoughtful and kind and if he won’t hurt her. Even though she wants to be with him, she still has some questions he must answer!