Song #277: "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan

Date: July 29, 1972
Weeks: 6

Well, there's a depressing song. And it's also light and not at all catchy. Why is this song on the top of the charts? Knocking off the genuine classic "Lean On Me" (#276)? And staying on top for six weeks?

To start with, the lyrics are just plain depressing. The guy plans a suicide attempt, remembers being left at the altar, takes a brief moment to lament the suffering of people besides himself, recalls the death of his parents, and ends every verse on the cheery thought that not only is he alone, but he deserves to be alone. There is no hope for the future and no sense that things can get better for him. Cheerful.

The lyrics also contain plenty of bad writing. My favorite example is early in the song. "I promise myself to treat myself."  You can't repeat words like that! The rhyme scheme seems to be pretty limerick-y, which I guess is why the writer felt the need to write that line. But you can't rhyme a word with itself to introduce the limerick rhyme scheme. And then he can't even stick to the limerick pattern very well, and he sticks those sorts of short rhyming couplets next to each other in several odd places. The rhyme scheme is a big mess.

Now, there are plenty of pop songs out there that have depressing lyrics, but most of them try to mask depressing lyrics with a happy tune. That is not what's happening here. Piano, drums, and a very sad flute add up to a really hollow, light, and sad tune. It's appropriate for the lyrics, I suppose, but that doesn't make it a good pop song. And this music isn't good by any standard.

Then the singer, Gillbert O'Sullivan, whose name I am happy to learn is a stage name that is an intentional play on Gilbert and Sullivan, has a whiny, sad voice. He's not some super-talented singer making me feel an emotion via his artistry. He's just a whiny sad sack.

All of this adds up to possibly the most depressing song on this list. I hope I'm not wrong about that. I would hate to think there's another No. 1 song out there more depressing than this.

My verdict: Don't like it. I don't understand how a depressing song that is musically unimpressive could not only reach the top of the list, but stay there for so long.