Song #626: "(I Just) Died In Your Arms" by Cutting Crew

Date: May 2, 1987
Weeks: 2

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This is almost a demonstration piece of some of the worst tropes of 1980s music. And they all combine in a way that isn't awful, but isn't very appealing, either.

The song opens with that ill-advised synthesizer bit. This is one of the worst ways possible to use a synthesizer. It's so quiet and weak. I think it's trying to be subtle, and that's just the worst possible way to use your synthesizer. A good synthesizer needs to be bold and obvious. This one sounds like it's trying to pass as a woodwind chorus, and it's just painful.

Then there's that 80s poundy drum. Why was this so pervasive in the 80s, and why haven't I heard it in any other era? Did it just get better-integrated into music after the 80s? It's really starting to bug me.

Next up is a blaring, rambling lead guitar. It lacks both tight musicianship and the energy that comes from improvised performance. I do like the boldness of the guitar, and it fills space nicely during some of the transitions.

Then there's the lead singer's super-gravelly, almost toneless voice. Are gravelly-voiced singers a 1980s trope, or do they transcend the era? I feel like I know more singers like that from the 80s, but perhaps they just stood out more. Gravelly voices aren't very interesting, so it's critical when they are used for the music to be interesting. And when the music is this bland, it just doesn't work right.

What are the lyrics? "Her diary sits on a bedside table. The curtains are closed, the cats in the cradle." Oh no, it's random poetry. There's really no story, and if there is any meaning I'm not going to figure it out. Thank goodness, Songfacts has tracked down an admission from the lead singer that he wrote the song about getting back together for a one-night stand with an ex, and the confusing emotions it caused. I can see that. "I keep looking for something I can't get" actually means something in that context. So I suppose some credit is due the song for successfully confusing me.

My verdict: Don't like it. It's dark, poorly orchestrated, and feels derivative of other 80s music, using the tropes but not knowing how to use them right.