1. Sara Bareilles - Manhattan
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''You can have Manhattan
I know it's for the best
I'll gather up the avenues
And leave them on your doorstep
And I'll tiptoe away
So you won't have to say
You heard me leave.''
Sara has a gift. Her songs are stories filled with pain, and this is no exception. Here, she's ending something huge, a deep love, a close connection and so she can't stay. It's a battle of skyscrapers and taxi cabs that she's given up on. She ends the song confirming that she'll leave an entire borough to this man she loves, but will never have.
2. The Wreckers- The Good Kind
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''And I walked alone,
Waiting for you to come along,
Take my tortured heart by the hand,
And write me off.
Do you know I cry?
Do you know I die?
Do you know I cry?
And it's not the good kind.''
Its the falsetto, the litany of harmonies when they ask "Do you know I cry? Do you know I die?" It's heartbreaking to even ask.
3. Lana Del Rey- Terrence Loves You
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''But I lost myself when I lost you,
But I still got jazz honey
When I've got those blues.
And I lost myself when I lost you
And I still get trashed, darling
When I hear your tunes.''
We all know Lana Del Rey is queen and this song reflects why. It's hypnotic and jazzy in a beautiful eerie way. The sadness comes from the idea of losing yourself when you lose a loved one.
4. Jhene Aiko - Nobody
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''No one ever listened, no one called me pretty.
Everybody called me Penny, I think I am worthless,
I don't have a purpose.
Who am I enough for?
Why we always lose what we work for?
Why we hurt more?
Why we never see my mother cry?
She's so tough for us, poor her.''
This song is a cry for independence blended with a rejection of everything and everyone. Jhene tells a poignant story throughout her album Trip, retelling her tale on a time when her brother died and she had a baby, feeling entirely alone. It's a deeply poignant story of struggling with money, drug influence and loneliness.
5. Amy Winehouse - Best Friend's, Right?
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''I can't wait to get away from you
Unsurprisingly you hate me too
We only communicate when we need to fight
But we are best friends, right?
You're too good at pretending you don't care
There's enough resentment in the air
You don't want me in the flat when you're home at night
But we are best friends, right?''
This song was written by Amy Winehouse about her best friends. It has an upbeat tone, but really Amy's singing about feeling attacked and dismissed. The song will seem more eery and sad to you if you've seen the documentary 'Amy' where it's explained further.
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