Tag Archives: ballad

Song of the Day: We Are One (by Kelly Sweet)

Posted on by Arleigh

I think it’s time to slow things down a bit after several choices of rock and metal for Song of the Day. Thus, my pick for the latest Song of the Day is the song “We Are One” by Kelly Sweet.

Yes, I have a soft spot for adult contemporary singers like Kelly Sweet whose sound of modern jazz and classical leanings make for fine easy listening. Life can’t be all rock and metal. Got to have something relaxing and soothing once in awhile. Ms. Sweet is one of the hidden gems of the last couple years whose career is still doing a sow burn, but her debut album, also titled We Are One, has gained her quite a loyal following. The ballad chosen for the song of the day is one of her original songs in the album full of covers. While she does a great job doing both original and cover work, this paticular song is my favorite out of the bunch.

Her classical and jazz training gives her voice an almost ethereal quality during this song. It’s not too catchy and pop like her more successful contemporaries. Her songs are something both the younger and older generations can get into. This song will definitely not be something to inspire the casual booty call, but it is one that is definitely one to light up that slow burn romance that’s harder to create and even harder to keep.

We Are One

Didn’t need to ask
Don’t know the reason
Everything that I believe
Is right here

Not thinkin’ bout tomorrow
Couldn’t catch it if I tried
World is spinning too fast
So I’ll wait ’til it comes to me

I am you
You are me
We are one
Take me in your arms
And flow through me
I’ll flow through you

Steal my breath away
Cause I’m so moved by you
Deeper than I ever thought
Was possible, was possible, it’s everything, oh

Difference between me and you
It’s all in where your heart lies
And every day’s another chance
So let’s get it right

I am you
You are me
We are one
Take me in your arms
And flow through me
I’ll flow through you

Did you lose yourself out there
Did you lose faith and give up
Don’t turn away and hide yourself

Cause there’s a friend to make along the way
We are the heartbeat and our souls speak
And all the beauty I have ever dreamed
Is right here in front of me, oh

Is right here in front of me, oh

I am you
And you are me
We are one
Take me in your arms
And flow through me
I’ll flow through you…

Song of the Day: Suteki Da Ne (by Uematsu Nobuo)

Posted on by Arleigh

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The newest Song of the Day is a favorite piece of video game music of mine.

“Suteki Da Ne” is the love theme to Square-Enix’s very popular and long-running rpg series Final Fantasy. The song would mark the point in the game when the lead male and female characters finally realize their love for each other. It’s become a favorite of many game score aficionados and especially those of Japanese game soundtracks. Some consider it one of the best pieces of video game music there is, but that would be going a tad too hyperbolic.

The song is composed by well-renowned game music composer Uematsu Nobuo. He had been instrumental in composing the music for most of the Final Fantasy games until he left Square-Enix in 2004. “Suteki Da Ne” also had other collaborators outside of Uematsu. The lyrics for the song was written by Final Fantasy X scenario writer Nojima Kazushige while the arrangement for the song was done by Hamaguchi Shiro. In the end, most of the credit for the song really belongs to Uematsu-san. He was able to compose a song that worked to not just score a lovely and emotional scene between the two leads in the game but also convey their feelings very clearly through the music.

The lyrics below includes both the original Japanese version as sung by Japanese pop-idol RIKKI and the English translation.

Suteki Da Ne (Isn’t It Wonderful)

Kaze ga yoseta kotoba ni
Oyoida kokoro
Kumo ga hakobu ashita ni
Hazunda koe

(My heart, swimming
In the words the wind has borne
A voice, bouncing
On a tomorrow carried by clouds)

Tsuki ga yureru kagami ni
Furueta kokoro
Hoshi ga nagare, koboreta Yawarakai namida

(A heart, trembling
On a mirror where the moon quivers
A star falls, spills
Gentle teardrops)

Suteki da ne
Futari te o tori aruketa nara
Ikitai yo
Kimi no machi, ie, ude no naka

(Isn’t it wonderful
If we could walk, holding hands
I’d want to go
To your town, your house, into your arms)

Sono mune
Karada azuke
Yoi ni magire
Yume miru

(To your heart
I leave my body
Mixed into the night
I dream)

Kaze wa tomari; kotoba wa
Yasashii maboroshi
Kumo wa yabure; ashita wa
Tooku no koe

(The wind stops; your words
Are a kind illusion
The clouds break apart; tomorrow
Is a distant voice)

Tsuki ga nijimu kagami o
Nagareta kokoro
Hoshi ga yurete, koboreta
Kakusenai namida

(A heart flowing
In a mirror where the moon has seeped in
A star wavers, spills
Tears you can’t hide)

(kurikaeshi)(repeat)

Sono kao
Sotto furete
Asa ni tokeru
Yume miru

(That face
Touch it, just so
And dream a dream
That melts in the morning)

Song of the Day: Can You Stand the Rain (by New Edition)

Posted on by Arleigh

I had to go old-school RnB with my next pick for Song of the Day. Being a child of the 80’s I was a fan of New Edition, but it wasn’t until the start of the 90’s that I really got into them as I was in high school at that time. High school meant girls and girls meant dances, dates, slow dances and everything else in-between and afterwards.

It was hard not to go to high school dance and prom and not have New Edition ballads in the DJ list. While New Edition’s Can You Stand the Rain was released in 1989 it definitely got major airplay in 1990 and beyond. This was the first true ballad from the group with their new member Johnny Gill who had replaced Bobby Brown who had left the group to go solo. To say that I still love this song even 20 years after I first heard it would be an understatement. This is the jam for couple who have hit a rough patch but who endure to stay together.

Just listening and watching the music video sadly reminds me that RnB ballads are not the same now as they have been in the past. To say that they sure don’t make RnB music like this would be an understatement. Y’all youngings can have your Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and all the new RnB upstarts. I say they still can’t hold a candle to New Edition and this song definitely makes my point for me.

Can You Stand the Rain

(Johnny)
On a perfect day I know that I can count on you. When that’s not possible, tell
me can you weather the storm?

(Ralph)
Cause I need some body who will stand by me through the good times and bad
times she will always, always be right there.

Chorus
Sunny days everybody loves them tell me baby can you stand the rain? Storms
will come, this we know for sure(this we know for sure). Can you stand the rain?

(Johnny)
(yeah yeah) Love unconditional I’m not asking just of you. and girl to make it
last I’ll do whatever needs to be done.

(Ralph)
But i need somebody who will stand by me, when it’s tough she won’t run she
will always, be right there for me.

Chorus
Sunny days every body loves them, tell me baby can you stand the rain? Storms
will come (Ricky) I know I know all the days won’t be perfect (this we know for
sure) but tell me can you stand it, can you stand the rain?

Can you stand the rain (4x)

(Rick)No pressure, no pressure from me baby (this we know for sure) cause I want
you and I need you and I love you girl.

(Ralph) Will you be there for me?

(Mike) Come on baby lets go get wet.

Can you stand the rain (10x)

(Ralph)
Can you stand the rain?
Will you be there girl?
Storms will come for sure.
Can you stand the rain?

(Johnny)
Yeah it’s hard but I’ll know I’ll be right there baby yeah yeah yeah.

Song of the Day: Harvest of Sorrow (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

Who would’ve thought that a German power metal band will end up penning and composing one of the best ballad’s dedicated to a story from J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel, Silmarillion. Power metal bands has always been quite adept at using fantasy-related subject matter as inspiration for songs and entire albums. The band Blind Guardian have pretty much made a career out of using J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories and tales as inspiration. They’ve even dedicated an entire full-length album to Middle-Earth: Nightfall in Middle-Earth.

One of the bonus tracks from Nightfall on Middle-Earth is our “Song of the Day.” It is a song based on Tolkien’s tragic tale of  Túrin Turambar as he mourns the loss of his sister Nienor. One would expect Harvest of Sorrow to be full of metal riffs and overdubbed vocals common in metal power ballads, but this is not the case in this Blind Guardian ballad. The band has instead gone renaissance folk-rock in their composition. I will say that their stylistic choice fits the song well. The song has been so popular that there are nine versions of the song. There are the seven recording variants in addition to two live versions. There are two English versions, two versions in Spanish, one in French and another in Italian with another a mix of all versions minus the English acoustic.

So, those who think that metal is all about sturm und drang with screaming and guttural noises will be in for a surprise to know that they can also be quite subtle in the music they make. Harvest of Sorrow is a fine example and quite easy to sing-along to. Just pull up a chair at the table, grab a stein of ale or a horn full of mead and sing-along using the lyrics provided.

Harvest of sorrow

She is gone leaves are falling down
The tear maiden will not return
The seal of oblivion is broken
And a pure love’s been turned into sin

At the dawn of our living time
Hope may cover all cries
Truth lurks hidden in the shadows
Dreams might be filled with lies
Soon there will be night
Pain remains inside

Suddenly (oh) it seemed so clear
All the blindness was taken away
She closed her eyes and she called out my name
She was never ever never ever seen again

Harvest of sorrow, your seed is grown
In a frozen world full of cries
When the ray of light shrinks
Shall cold winter nights begin

She is gone and I fall from grace
No healing charm covers my wounds
Fooled’s the dawn and so I am
Fooled by life and a bitter doom
To bring you the end of the day

At the dawn of our living time
Hope it soon will pass by
Facing a darkness
I stand (alone)

Harvest of sorrow, your seed is grown
In a frozen world full of cries
When the ray of light shrinks
Shall cold winter nights begin