Some songs just wound every time they are played. The three heartbreak ballads from the 1970s below are like that. No matter how many times we’ve heard these hits, they still cut deep. Revisit them below and try to tell me it doesn’t hurt a little.
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“Alone Again (Naturally)” — Gilbert O’Sullivan
This song is about deep, existential heartbreak. Gilbert O’Sullivan isn’t just nursing a lost love; he’s reckoning with his very life after years of suffering. It’s the kind of heartbreak that makes the listener wince a little to hear.
“Oh, in a little while from now / If I’m not feeling any less sour / I promised myself / To treat myself / And visit a nearby tower / And climbing to the top / Will throw myself off,” the painful lyrics read. The upbeat rhythm of this song makes it somewhat digestible, but if we dig into the lyrics, we’re left with the kind of heartache you can’t shake off just by pressing the pause button.
“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” — Elton John
Elton John’s “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” is about how pride can sometimes cost a relationship. “It’s sad, so sad / Why can’t we talk it over? / Ohh, it seems to me / That sorry seems to be the hardest word,” he sings in this 1970s ballad.
John’s songs have always had a unique way of touching the listener’s heart, and this one is no exception. We’ve all experienced something that makes this song relevant to our lives. It’s so brutally honest that it makes you want to turn away in shame.
“Ain’t No Sunshine” — Bill Withers
This simple song says a lot. It feels like walking around a city street by yourself, head hung low, wondering where you went wrong. It’s a song you can listen to in any state, but beware if you’re even the littlest bit heartbroken; it stings like a deep cut.
“Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone / It’s not warm when she’s away / Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone / And she’s always gone too long / Anytime she’s goes away,” the familiar lyrics read. We all know the soul-sucking feeling Bill Withers sang about here. When we listen to it, we step away from Withers’ story and into our own.
(Photo by Arthur Grimm/United Archives via Getty Images)
The post 3 Heartbreak Ballads From the 1970s That Still Sting Today appeared first on American Songwriter.
Author: Alex Hopper
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