7 Ultimate Sad Songs: Western Male-Female Duet Edition
Friday, January 27, 2017
Sometimes, we do not feel sad all alone. Sometimes, two people who used to be together are being apart only to realize that one another’s existence is like an air for breathing; that they cannot do without each other, that it is hard for them to even breathe when they are apart; and there is sadness in it. Sometimes, two people who have been alone for so long are longing for each other, as one try to convince the other that nobody wants to be lonely, and that they belong together to ease the pain; and there is sadness in it. Sometimes, two people always love each other are entangled in a complicated relationship because they take each other’s presence for granted, that they always on each other’s side despite fears and doubts that deter them to be together; and there is sadness in it. Sometimes, two people who are deeply in love with each other find themselves in a deep grieving and longing for being together, because a lifetime would be a waste if they don’t spend it loving each other; and there is sadness in it. Sometimes, two people who are in love are being separated by space and time, hence they can only long for being where one another is that they can be together; and there is sadness in it. Sometimes, two people who belong to each other in love have to bid farewell because they don’t have any choice but saying goodbye, even though they know that leaving one another would be the hardest day of their lives; and there is sadness in it. Still belongs to the Ultimate Sad Songs series, this is the eighth part: seven saddest Western duets performed by male and female vocalists.
7. Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown – No Air
As the list starter
on number seven is a duet titled “No Air”, performed by American singers,
Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. This pop R n’ B track was released in 2008 and
served as second single taken from Sparks’ self-titled debut album. It was
written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Mike Scala, Harvey
Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell. In this song, Sparks and
Brown’s vocals are echoing heartbreakingly as the lyrics speak the feeling of
desperate longing and hollow sadness about living without their significant
other. Their significant other’s existence in each other’s life gives air.
Without one another, they are hard to breathe as if there is no air.
Sparks & Brown: So
how do you expect me to live alone with just me? ‘Cause my world revolves
around you; it’s so hard for me to breathe. Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe
with no air. Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air. It’s how I feel whenever
you ain’t there; it’s no air, no air. Got me out here in the water so deep.
Tell me how you’re gonna be without me. If you ain’t here I just can’t breathe;
it’s no air, no air.
6. Christina Aguilera & Ricky Martin –
Nobody Wants to be Lonely
Up next on number six
a bitter-sweet song titled “Nobody Wants to be Lonely”, performed by Puerto
Rican singer, Ricky Martin. Taken from the singer’s second English album,
“Sound Loaded”, it was recorded as a duet with American diva, Christina
Aguilera. Released in 2001, it was written by Desmond Child, Victoria Shaw, and
Gary Burr. This Latin pop R n’ B track has a heart-wrenching lyrics that allude
to the feeling of hollow loneliness and deep desperation of being alone without
having someone to love and be loved. By speaking the honesty that nobody wants
to be lonely, they assure each other to be together and in love instead of
crying and being hurt by the sadness all alone, because they believe that it’s
better to face the sadness together rather than just alone.
Aguilera & Martin:
Come to me. Come to me. Can’t you see that nobody wants to be lonely? Nobody
wants to cry. My body’s longing to hold you; so bad it hurts inside. Time is
precious and it’s slipping away. And I’ve been waiting for you all of my life.
Nobody wants to be lonely, so why don’t you let me love you?
5. Sheryl Crow & Sting – Always On Your
Side
Number five of list
is occupied by a song titled “Always On Your Side”, performed by American
singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow. Recorded in 2005, it was released in 2006 as
second single taken from Crow’s fifth studio album, “Wildflower”. Written by
Crow herself, this pop track was recorded as a duet with British musician,
Sting. Everything just falls right into place in this song. I really love Crow
and Sting’s vocals harmony as they sing about the story of a woman and a man
who love each other deeply but being entangled in a complicated relationship.
The man is afraid of commitment while the woman cannot seem to move on easily. They
leave some wonders toward each other whether they could be. However, no matter
they try to pull away from each other, they always on one another’s side. It is
hard to be together, but it is also difficult to be separated.
Crow & Sting: But
is there someplace far away, someplace where all is clear? Easy to start over
with the ones you hold so dear, or are you left to wonder, all alone,
eternally. This isn’t how it’s really meant to be. No it isn’t how it’s really
meant to be. Well they say that love is in the air, never is it clear, how to
pull it close and make it stay. Butterflies are free to fly, and so they fly
away. And I’m left to carry on and wonder why even through it all, I’m always
on your side.
4. Tina Arena & Marc Anthony – I Want to
Spend My Lifetime Loving You
On number four of the
list is the main theme for 1998 film “The Mask of Zorro”, “I Want to Spend My
Lifetime Loving You”. This orchestral ballad duet is performed by Tina Arena
and Marc Anthony. It was written by James Horner and lyricist Will Jennings. The
lyrics talk about the pleading of a man and a woman who are deep in love and
they long for spending their lifetime together. The love is so deep that when
they have each other on their side, then they will never need anything else in
life. It is like a heart-wrenching confession of love; that they want to spend
their lifetime loving each other.
Arena & Anthony: I
want to spend my lifetime loving you, if that is all in life I ever do. I will
want nothing else to see me through, if I can spend my lifetime loving you.
Though we know we will never come again. Where there is love, life begins over
and over again. Save the night, save the day. Save the love, come what may.
Love is worth everything we pay.
3. Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey – Where
You Are
Starting the big
three of the list is a sweet romantic yet heart-wrenching duet titled “Where
You Are”, performed by then-lovers, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. It was
recorded by the former singers-couple for Simpson’s debut studio album, “Sweet
Kisses”, in 2000. This ballad track was written by Lachey, Louis Biancaniello,
Sam Watters, and A. Stamatopoulou. It was included on the soundtrack of 2000
teen romance movie, “Here on Earth”. Simpson and Lachey’s vocals harmonization
sounds very sweet; blending softly with the beautifully sad of the melody. This
sad love song has sentimental lyrics that tell about two lovers who are
separated by place, time, and distance, and longing for being together at the
same place. The love is so strong, beyond time, that they deeply long for being
where they are together.
Lachey: Now baby there
were times when selfishly I’m wishing that you are here with me, so I can wipe
the tears away from your eyes. And make you see that every night while you
are dreaming, I’m here to guard you from a far.
Simpson and Lachey:
And anytime I feel alone, I close my eyes and dream of where you are,
where you and I can breathe together once again. We’ll be dancing in the
moonlight just like we used to do. And you’ll be smiling back at me.
Lachey: Only then will
I be free. Then I will be free.
2. Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony – No Me Ames (Don’t Love Me)
On the runner-up
position of the list is a heartfelt duet titled “No Me Ames” (being translated
into English as “Don’t Love Me”), performed by American singers Jennifer Lopez
and Marc Anthony. This Latin pop ballad track was recorded in 1999 for Lopez’s
debut studio album, “On the 6”. It is a Spanish cover version of
the Italian song “Non Amarmi”, written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, Marco
Falagiani, and Aleandro Baldi, and recorded in 1993 by Baldi
and Francesca Alotta for Baldi’s album, “Il Sole”. I choose this song
to stand on number two of this list because I personally feel related to it. This
song’s lyrics speak of a complicated relationship between two lovers. They love
each other, but it gets complicated since they have different perspective
towards their future together. The man is skeptical and pessimist about the
future, making him full of doubts and fears. On the other hand, the woman is
persistent and optimist about the future, making her not giving up to convince
the man. The man is stubborn and cold-hearted, while the woman is not afraid of
anything. The man keeps asking for the woman to not love him, while the woman
cannot help but loving him.
Lopez: I love you so
much.
Anthony: And why is
that?
Lopez: Crazy stubborn
man, stop doubting it any longer. Although in the future there will be a huge
wall, I’m not afraid. I want to fall in love.
Anthony: Don’t love me
because you think that I may appear different.
Lopez: You don’t think
it’s right for us to see time goes by together?
Anthony: Don’t love me.
I understand the lie that it would be.
Lopez: If I don’t
deserve your love, don’t love me. Just stay another day.
1. Alejandro Sanz & The Corrs – The Hardest
Day
On the top position
of the list is a song titled “The Hardest Day”, performed by Spanish singer-songwriter
Alejandro Sanz, in collaboration with Irish band, The Corrs. It was recorded in
2001 for Sanz’s special edition of sixth studio album, “El Alma el Aire”. Sanz
and Andrea Corr sing in a heartfelt beautiful harmony for the pop ballad track.
I choose this as the saddest duet personally because I feel so related with it.
The lyrics follow the story of a man and a woman who have to bid farewell
though they deeply fall in love with each other. My heart is aching every time
I listen to this song. Even now when I’m writing this, my heart hurts so much
just thinking about “how can we love but do not have a choice to fight for it?”.
When we know that leaving would be the hardest day of our lives, why would we
do it anyway? Is there really no other way? Is this just really it?
Sanz & Corr: If I
promise to believe will you believe that there’s nowhere that we’d rather be.
Sanz: Nowhere
describes where we are.
Sanz & Corr: I have
no choice, I love you. Leave, love you wave goodbye.
Sanz: And all I ever
wanted was to stay. And nothing in this world’s gonna change, change.
Sanz & Corr: Never
wanna wake up from this night. Never wanna leave this moment. Waiting for you
only, only you. Never gonna forget every single thing you do. Loving you is my
finest hour. Leaving you, the hardest day of my life.
0 komentar