Song #730: "I Don't Have The Heart" by James Ingram

Date: Oct 20, 1990
Weeks: 1

In yesterday's review, I mentioned that the singer seemed to be singing to create music, not to show off his vocals. Well, this is the opposite of that. James Ingram is showing off his voice more than he's trying to make a good song. He oversings this song, and draws attention away from the rest of the music.

Of course, even if he sang it better, the song isn't very good to start with. Almost all the music is made with those 80s synth-keyboards, and that really dates the song. Rather than coming across like a product of its era, I'm left feeling like I wish they'd just made it with acoustic instruments. There may be some genuine strings used on this song, but the piano is clearly fake, and there seems to be a very fake harp, too. I know that this kind of sound was expected in this era of popular music, but it was a terrible idea that was rightly abandoned.

Oversung vocals and synthesized instruments create one of the softest, most fakely emotional songs you'll hear. This is supposed to be a song that is slow-danced to at the prom. Or I suppose it's supposed to be a love song, except that the pesky lyrics prevent it from being very good at that.

"I don't have the heart to hurt you... but I don't have the heart to love you." That's not a love song, no matter how tender the music and vocals try to be. But then he says "I care about you, so much about you." So he's not exactly breaking up with you. Apparently he's happy to continue to use you for now, but he's sensitive enough to feel like he has to tell you, as sadly as possible. Is there actually anyone this self-aware and sensitive to say these things? Who is this song meant for? It isn't a breakup song, but it isn't a love song. I wonder if dedicating this song to your significant other on the radio is the most passive-aggressive way to break off a relationship ever, or if there's something worse.

(Oh, right, people who irritate their significant others in order to get dumped, instead of doing the dumping. I suppose that's more passive-aggressive. Not entirely sure that it's worse.)

My verdict: Don't like it. I had forgotten all about this song until it showed up on my list, but as soon as the opening chords picked up I remembered it and felt dread. I hated this song when it was on the pop charts, and time has only made me like it less.