So good ol’ Sam Smith swept the Grammy Awards last night. I guess he must be a heck of a guy. Unless, of course, the “Sam” is short for Samantha? Let me see…
No, he looks like a guy (photo above). And he must be some kind of singer. But I have never heard him sing. Indeed, I have never heard of the guy until now.
(I’ve never heard of the Best Album winner, either. Until now, I thought Beck was just a brand of beer.)
So I looked up the lyrics for Sam’s double winner, “Stay With Me,” and here’s the first verse:
Guess it’s true, I’m not good at a one-night stand
But I still need love ’cause I’m just a man
These nights never seem to go to plan
I don’t want you to leave, will you hold my hand?
Not exactly words to live by. Not exactly poetry. Not exactly the Beatles… Definitely not Paul Simon or Bob Dylan…
And the chorus?
Oh, won’t you stay with me?
‘Cause you’re all I need
This ain’t love it’s clear to see
But darling, stay with me
Are you impressed yet? How about the next verse? Let’s see:
Why am I so emotional?
No it’s not a good look, gain some self control
And deep down I know this never works
But you can lay with me so it doesn’t hurt
No rhyme, no meter, and a pathetically trite message. Yes, ladies, we guys have feelin’s too. (And by the way, “lay” used in the present tense applies to what hens do, Sam.)
How sad that this is the Best New Artist that the land of Shelley, Byron and Keats (not to mention Shakespeare!) can produce.
The melody must really be terrific, I guess.
