OUr first cover SONG- Lyric INsight
Our very first cover song is SWEET LOVE. This Grammy winning mega hit was originally performed by Anita Baker.
We chose SWEET LOVE because of the well written lyrics. In nearly every hit song, the title is the most important lyric. And SWEET LOVE is no exception.
This title, SWEET LOVE, sounds deceptively simple, but the title works on two different levels. Simultaneously. Which is why this title is brilliant.
SWEET LOVE refers to both a lover’s nickname, and the mental concept of Love. Wow!
During the chorus, the singer is praising both her lover, and the very idea of love itself. This means listeners can experience this love story in two different ways. A celebration of a specific lover, or a celebration of love itself. Or both. Which also means this song can appeal to listeners who are in love, as well as those who are not, but who hope to find love some day. And this is one BIG reason why SWEET LOVE became a mega hit for Anita Baker in 1986 and won the Grammy award for Best R&B song.
One thing you may notice about our duet version is how effortlessly the original lyric fits the male and female performances. Why is this? Well, the verses work for our duet because of stereotypical gender roles.
The first verse fits the male perspective because males are generally perceived to not fall in love often but fall hard when they do. And the first verse implies this “struck by lightning” situation.
Whereas the second verse is more compelling from the female perspective. Because the stereotypical female role is that females fall more frequently than males and thus have more experience with love. And the second verse contains lyrical lines which are a reassurance given by the singer to the person she is singing to.
This male / female lyrical split was an unintentional, but beautiful accident on the part of the three original songwriters. They intended for the entire lyric to be performed by a female singer – Anita Baker. But our lyrical insight has allowed us to create a compelling duet for SWEET LOVE and bring a fresh interpretation of this wonderful lyric to our fans.
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Happy Listening!