“Emotion” by Samantha Sang

Friday, May 2nd 2008 by Shanel Yang         Email this article to a friend

The original recording of “Emotion” was done by Samantha Sang in 1978. The background vocals were sung by her friends, The Bee Gees, who also wrote the song. Her record went to No. 3 on the U.S. pop charts. Since then, it has been “covered” by other artists, including The Bees Gees and Destiny’s Child, both in 2001.

Here, we continue our lessons in Pop Music English words and usage by studying the lyrics of a few popular songs from each decade, starting from the 1960s. We began with “Yesterday” and “Hey Jude” by the Beatles and “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison.

Then, we moved to the 1970s with “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain and Tennille, “Dancing Queen” by Abba, and, now, “Emotion” by Samantha Sang.

Next, we will move to the 1980s with “Flashdance, What a Feeling!” by Irene Cara, “True” by Spandau Ballet, and “Holiday” by Madonna. Finally, we will complete this series with the following songs from the 1990s to 2000s: “Vogue” by Madonna; “Get the Party Started” by Pink; and “Pump It” by the Black Eyed Peas.

It’s over and done.
But, the heartache lives on inside.
Oh! And, who’s the one you’re clinging to,
Instead of me tonight?

And, where are you now,
Now that I need you?

EXPLANATION OF PHRASES

1. “It’s over and done. But, the heartache lives on inside.”

From the rest of the song, we can assume that “it” refers to a romantic relationship that recently ended. “The heartache lives on inside” means that, inside of her body, she still feels hurt from the end of that relationship, also called a “breakup.”

2. “Tears on my pillow, wherever you go.”

This sentence doesn’t make much sense. It would if it ended “wherever I go” because she is the one who is sad and crying in her bed about the breakup. However, it probably means something like “I am sad every night at home even though you are someplace else—where exactly, I don’t know.”

3. “I cry me a river that leads to your ocean.”

This is a mysterious sentence that lends itself to many interpretations. As with poetry, some lyrics use words in unusual combinations to create beautiful images, like a dream, that don’t always make much sense. “To cry a river” is a metaphor for “crying a lot” because the image created is one of someone crying so many tears that the tears become a river. But, the part about her river of tears leading to his “ocean,” is confusing. His “ocean” might a metaphor for his heart, and she is hoping her tears reach his heart to make him change his mind and come back to her.

4. “You’ll never see me fall apart.”

“To fall apart” is a slang expression used to mean “to lose control,” especially “to start crying” or “to start acting hysterical.”

5. “In the words of a broken heart, it’s just emotion that’s takin’ me over, tied up in sorrow, lost in my soul.”

These are more beautiful, poetic verses. “In the words of a broken heart” means “from the words of a person who is still suffering pain from her breakup.” The rest of the verse is supposedly what that woman is saying to the world, or to her ex-lover, or even to herself. She is saying that emotion is “taking her over” or “controlling her.” That emotion is also “tied up with sorrow,” or “mingled with sorrow.” The sorrow that is “lost in her soul” is another poetic expression that can have different meanings to different people. The soul of a person is often considered the most meaningful, lasting part of a person. Some use the word “soul” to mean a person’s “deeply-held beliefs,” “mind,” or “heart.”

6. “I’m there at your side. I’m part of all the things you are.”

Since the rest of the song explains that her lover left her and she doesn’t even know where he is, these two sentences don’t seem to make much sense. She might be saying she is “there by his side” in a metaphorical sense, meaning “she still supports him” since “being by someone’s side” means supporting them in their struggles, efforts, or beliefs. Similarly, when she says she is “part of all things he is,” she might mean “she still feels as though she is a part of his life.”

7. “But, you’ve got a part of someone else. You go to find your shining star.”

“You’ve got a part of someone else” might mean she knows her ex-lover “feels as though he is a part of someone else’s life now,” and “your shining star” might be a metaphor for his “big dream of happiness with his new lover.”

CONCLUSION

Even though some love songs are quite sad, we love them anyway for their hauntingly beautiful melodies. I hope you enjoyed learning English with this and the other songs in this Pop Music English series. With or without a romantic relationship, you can always be awesome and strive to be your own hero!

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