I’m in the midst of doing a rewrite as I finish up a manuscript and, as is often the case, I’ve been listening to music to motivate my creativity and/or reflect the moods of my characters.
For better or worse, one of my favorite artists EVER is Miss Helen Folasade Adu, aka Sade…
…a woman with remarkable talent and one of the greatest backing bands ever to assemble (Stuart Matthewman, Andrew Hale, and Paul Spencer Denman…
…who are collectively known as Sweetback when they play without her and are extraordinary in their own right as well). The entire band, with Sade, is also known as simply…Sade.
So for a stretch of time last night, I was working while listening to her hit parade of heartbreak. I skipped all the sappy stuff (nothing against sappy, but I needed to be in a dark mood) and went straight for the gut-wrenchers. I decided I’d share with you what I feel are the top three songs in her wretched, thorny garden of ugly love.*
First up, a live version of Like A Tattoo. The music’s awful pretty, but in classic Sade fashion, it recounts the tale of something pretty awful.
Next up in her reign of pity is what’s arguably the world’s second saddest song (you’ll see why it’s not the first in a minute). It’s a lovely little ditty called Pearls, and it’s so bleak on a lyrical level that it made me never want to go to Somalia, lest I see that woman scraping for shit by the side of the road. This is also a live version, because Sade, if you’ve never seen her live, is beyond awesome. Prepare to be awash in the feeling of wanting to jump off a bridge…
Last up in Sade’s cavalcade of miserable melodies is THE SADDEST SONG EVER WRITTEN. And the line that officially qualifies it as that?
Huh? Shit. That’s a LOTTA tears. Much too much of a burden for anybody.
Anyway, if you care to see the rest of the godforsaken lyrics to that most unhappiest of tunes, click HERE. Otherwise, here’s the video for the aptly titled, King Of Sorrow. I would say “Enjoy,” but it’d sound stupid. So, um, listen and weep like all your hopes and dreams were just ravaged by both Scylla and Charybdis.
*If you survive all these songs without the slightest bit of malaise, congratulations…you’re officially numb. If they make your heart a little heavy, again…sorry. Writers hate to suffer alone.
The Lo Zone 
>lol…how sad. geeez!!
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>I must be 'officially numb.'Just kidding, Darling Lo, what a way to start off the morning! I think I'll get back in bed…
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>Glad I cannot listen to them at work. LOL. Writers don't like to suffer alone. And music is such a stimulator. Hell, I wish I could write songs. Music is an universal thing that affects everyone regardless of language.
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>I love Sade, but that's some sad, sad sh!t. How were you able to write through the tears?
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>PEARLS makes me wanna jump off a building. What kind of sadness has this woman been through to write songs like this?
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>I broke up with a chick once because she listened to too much Sade. I could always tell something was wrong if I came home and heard this miserable bullsh-t playing and it was playing a lot in our house. I can't listen to Sade today for that very reason. Always makes me think about that down in the mouth beeyotch I was with. Sade might be pretty to look at, but her music can make a brotha feel like he ain't about sh-t.
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>Humph…I'm PISSED with Sade. She taking too long to come out with some new music.*waving* HEY LO!
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>funny Lo one of my best memories of you is associated with this talented tortured singer . The time we went to see her in Anahiem. I was on the first date from hell at a love concert and a women whom shall forever remain nameless was taunting me knowing I wanted to be enjoying the jams and soft ballads with her .. now that I look back on it I find that memory to be priceless .. and your wicked grin the whole night was Lociferific… kisses get back to writing ..Holla
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>lol@Cortney….I know I know who it is— *raising hand* mwuahahahahaha….IN ME POWER!!!
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>either i'm numb – or so dayum sad, myself that her tunes actually soothe me…kinda get that cozy feeling that a GOOD bawl gives u – the next best thing to post-coital sleep;-).LOVE me so SADE!! I like her tunes loud, so i can scream & cry at the same time. LOL!thanx….
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>okay please dont drink the bleach!!!
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>Is it a crime?…isn't that a sad song too? Dang…all the joints that she made that I really dig are melancholy.I must be trippin, too. *sigh*
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>i know she is supposed to be so sd but I was so smitten with her ba dunk a dunk i never realized the smile on my face was supposed to be a frown..now is that a crime ? hehehe muahahahahaha
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