Great Songs
Is a song simply a great song or is it the singer
that makes a song great? I would argue that Vincent by Don
McLean is simply a seriously great song, well crafted, immaculately
written and utterly sincere. The line, "And I could have
told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful
as you... Starry, Starry night..." just bursts the damn
behind my eyes everytime - If this was a page of paper it
would be sodden right now... But back to my point... I could
name a dozen singers who could do the song justice, yet American
Pie, Don McLean's better known classic, is his song alone.
I'm struggling to think of a singer who could do that song
justice. It is Don McLean's song. His style is stamped too
deeply into it to be sang by anybody else effectively.
Then we have James Brown's I Feel Good. It is
a truly great song when sang by James Brown. I would argue
that it loses a lot when sang by anyone else, and feel free
to debate that... Then we have My Way. There has been a fair
few singers who've had a go including the song's writer, Paul
Anka, but it is Frank Sinatra who made that song a great song.
If Sinatra hadn't sang the song would it be a great song?
I think that's an interesting question and worthy of a moments
pause...
The most contempary song I would call a great
song is Christina Aguilera's Beautiful. When I listen to that
song I have to listen to it at least ten times. It is fantastic
and it is Christina who makes the song fantastic. Her voice
on that song is incredibly potent.
Other great songs are Imagine by John Lennon,
Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan, No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley,
Woman by John Lennon, My Sweet Lord by George Harrison. Hey
Jude by The Beatles, Don't Speak by No Doubt, these are all
great songs, but only really great when sang by the singer
who made the song great. I would argue the Cranberries Dreams
and Zombie are great songs, but I'd like to see another singer
attempt to make them great... ;-) Same goes for Catatonia's
Road Rage... And I would argue that Soul Survivor by Young
Jeezy featuring Akon is a great song because it is brutally,
beautifully honest... And is Je T'aime by Jane Birkin &
Serge Gainsbourg the greatest love song ever? All I can say
is it is serious love-making material... And is REM's Everybody
Hurts the most painful song to listen to after you've just
had your heart broken?
And then we have the great freedom songs like
the Redemption Song by Bob Marley, Mandela Day by Simple Minds,
Peter Gabriel's Biko and Something Inside So Strong by Labi
Siffre... All truly great, great songs...
Tim Rees
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