Most melodramtic song ever?

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Is it Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas"?

― Mary, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Bruce Springsteen to thread!

― J Blount, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Do you mean inherently melodramatic? Or performed melodramatically?

...coz I want to mention Bright Eyes...

― Keiko, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I think the thread should be subtitled "What's your favorite Christopher Cross song?"

― maria, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Do you mean inherently melodramatic? Or performed melodramatically?

I was thinking performance. Though many would also be inherently melodramatic, as "Ne Me Quitte Pas".

― Mary, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Richard Harris's Macarthur Park is surely the apex of melodrama. Hell that song would sound melodramatic if someone like Stuart Murdoch or Stephen Pastel got their mitts into it.

― Billy Dods, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Peter Hammill must have a few strong candidates.
His 'This Side Of The Looking Glass' is one of the most preposterous yet glorious songs I've ever heard - imagine thespians Peter O'Toole and Richard Harris after a skinful...

― Ray M, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Bridge Over Troubled Water

― Possum Slimm, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Anything by Meatloaf.

― rat, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

On the Meatloaf tip, the first song that came to mind for me was Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", esp the part where she screams "I can't stop falling apart!"

― Sean Carruthers, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Another vote for Mcarthur park, In fact anything off "A tramp shining" or "The yard went on forever" would fit the bill nicely. "Without you" by Nillson would fit into this category but once again, in a good way. On the downside, most of the Jim Steinman stuff. I also find "Thong song" by Sysqo to be melodrama of the highest order, I mean, a 6 minute hip hop rock opera about a pair of knickers.

― Kris England, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Sweden" Divine Comedy

― Lynskey, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Steinman's on the downside? i have a special thing for "total eclipse" because it has 59 parts each one more miraculous than the last (okay and it owns a small part of my soul), but even/especially at his worst Steinman is king of this thread. he's all gesture and the gesture is ENORMOUS.

― The Actual Mr. Jones, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Barry Ryan's "Eloise" must be up there

― Robin Carmody, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

How did I remember Springsteen and forget Steinman?

― J Blount, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

The people who suggest Bright Eyes merely make me think they haven't heard more than 20 (or 2,000) records.

I envy them.

― Jerry, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Shirley Bassey I who have Nothing

or Leader of the Pack Shangri Las

― Justin, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

November Rain, anyone?

― JM, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Lorraine Ellison, "Stay with Me" and Ike and Tina's "River Deep, Mountain High."

― Michael Daddino, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Any of the girl groups who were recorded by Phil Spector--didn't he openly speak of making "little symphonies" for adolescent listeners?

― j.lu, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

The Sisqo thing is so on the money that it's not even funny, particularly towards the end when he starts going into histrionics that he wants to see that thong. "BAY-BEEEE!!! THAT THONG!" What the hell?

― Ally, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Neil Diamond-I Am I Said or Jennifer Holliday-And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going

― Arthur, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

'i've never been to me' by charlene, particularly for the overblown spoken monologue towards the end. pure cheese.

― angelo, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

The people who suggest Bright Eyes merely make me think they haven't heard more than 20 (or 2,000) records.
Oh, so it's not cool to dis emo kids anymore? That sucks. I could cry.

― Keiko, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

i would hope that "renegade" by styx is in the running....

― mike (ro)bott, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

'SWORDS OF A THOUSAND MEN'!

― DavidM, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

The first thing that came to mind was Still Life by Suede.

― Damian, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Bette Midler, "The Rose" -- particularly the way the words "for the lucky" are chewed up and spat out in three-part harmony.

― Colin Meeder, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"And all my friends just might ask me
They say, "Martin, maybe one day you'll find true love"
And I say, "Maybe there must be a solution to
The one thing, the one thing we can't find""

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Living A Boys Adventure Tale" , A-ha

― Chris, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Kiki and Herb's version of FOX IN THE SNOW (obv).

― Sarah, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"I KNOW, I'll NEVER, Love this way again...." - Who was that? I can't remember...

― Dave225, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Dazzle & Delight" by Gavin Friday & the Man Seezer. Seek it out.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Spinning Wheel by blood, sweat and tears.

― Andrew, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Justin got in ahead of me with Shirley Bassey on I Who Have Nothing (actually almost anything she touches or any versions of this, so it's the perfect answer), but he mentions the wrong Shangri-Las song. I was listening today to I Can Never Go Home Anymore, and that moment after all the quiet gentle talking when she cries "Mama!" and the cellos come pounding in is one of the most melodramatic moments in all of music. Give Us Your Blessings is an even more melodramatic death-crash song than Leader Of The Pack, too.

― Martin Skidmore, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Living A Boys Adventure Tale" , A-ha

Compared to "Manhattan Skyline," that's a gentle murmur in one's ear.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I may be confusing "melodramatic" with "histrionic", but R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" is what first came to mind. The fact that the lyrics seem like something Joe Raposo would write on a NyQuil bender only underscores how ridiculous it all is.

― Nate Patrin, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Forget "Leader of the Pack"--the Shangri-Las' "Dressed in Black." It takes my breath away just thinking about it. The 'Las are much slept on for baroque and bizarre teen-pop drama: see also proto trip-hop track "He Cried," "Remember (Walking in the Sand)," "I Can Never Go Home Anymore," etc.

― Lee G, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I humbly submit...OMD's "If You Leave"

― M Matos, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Mon Enfance by Brel is more melodramatic than Ne Me Quitte Pas.

However, melodrama as embarrasing nonsense: surely Vienna by Ultravox is king.

― Pulpo, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

whiskey bottle by uncle tupelo. hot damn i love that song. i gotta find the shortest path to the bar for a while...

― di, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

five months pass...

Nate Patrin you kiddin right. That is (r.kelly believes he could fly)kind of one of the most useless songs ever made. You believe in that song. Well done. Keep up the good work.

― soothteller, Thursday, 16 January 2003 13:54 (twenty-one years ago) link

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