Sometimes, the popularity of a song can obscure its uniqueness. In theory, Seal’s most famous song ‘Kiss from a Rose’ shouldn’t work – it’s such a strange song. Take the start:
‘There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea’
It’s a line more at home in Romantic poetry than pop! And yet, it tells you everything you need to know about the protagonist of the song. In this sense, it reminds me of the opening of ‘This Charming Man’ by The Smiths:
‘Punctured bicycle / On a hillside desolate’
Another line of pure poetry, that seems to sketch in the singer’s environment but actually describes his state of mind.
Written almost subconsciously, Seal describes his approach as one of experimentation. He didn’t initially like it – proving again that artists are not always the best judge of their own work!
But the song taught him that: ‘You have to do music for the love of it, not for a ‘hit’, there is a certain element of authenticity.’
So essential to remember in this dystopian world of ChatGPT.
