Date: Dec 3, 1994
Weeks: 6
This is a way better song than the last Boyz II Men song I did. While the last song was more interested in showing off the talents of the singers than in making a good song, this song turns that around and judiciously combines their talents in just the right way to produce a pretty good song.
The vocals are the featured element again, but this time they seem to have discovered the strategy that I previously praised Mariah Carey for understanding: that when you want to show off as a singer and embellish a song with vocal flourishes, it's important to keep the song grounded and make sure the song comes out as intended, and then add vocal flourishes around that. And the great thing about a group like Boyz II Men is that one singer can flourish while the others harmonize, and that's how they spend the chorus in this song. It's the best part of the song, and it's quite good. This is how to use a talented band to create a good song.
The music is also better this time. Unlike "End Of The Road," the music in this song isn't delicate and afraid to intrude on the vocals. This time the music is wisely made to be fairly strong, which makes the singers' voices sound that much more powerful to be able to compete with it. The verses are still pretty delicate and not terribly interesting, but at least it's well-suited to the lyrics, which are a fairly delicate love song.
The lyrics are your fairly typical "give our relationship one last chance before you give up on it" love song. The singers perform it well with the right mix of pain and hope. I really like the lyric that starts the chorus, "Can we go back to the days our love was strong?" It's kind of hopeful and sad at the same time. Conversely, the lyric "I'll never walk again until you come back to me" doesn't work. I get that he's "down on bended knee," but he's basically saying he's just going to stay on that knee, down in one place, until he gets taken back. That's a pretty childish way to solve a problem. Will you be holding your breath until you get what you want next?
One comment on the video: What's with the guys with instruments in the background during the clips of the singers singing? I see a trumpet, a saxophone, and a big old sousaphone. I don't hear any trumpet or sousaphone to be sure. If there is a saxophone, it's buried way back in the mix. What are those guys doing there? The sousaphone in particular stands out.
My verdict: Like it. This is the right way to turn the raw talent in Boyz II Men into a good song.
Back to the studio, and GEEZ, train performers NOT to employ legato and melismas constantly. The soloist could sing the lyrics more cleanly and still convey their soulful aspects; I agree that the lyrics are adequate. I admit I have reservations about singers that chew a single syllable until it is unrecognizable.
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