James Blunt

Kimberly Bowling
James Blunt - “Goodbye My Lover”
Critical Two
For my choice of music I decided on a song called “Goodbye My Lover” by a man called James Blunt. The song is four minutes and eighteen seconds long. James Blunt used to be a British Army Officer. He reached the rank of Captain and worked with NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo. James Blunt was born in England in 1974 to a family that also had a long history of military service. Later James Blunt decided to pursue his dream of a pop career and he was successful. He is known for his contemporary soft rock. His big hit was called “Your Beautiful” which was off of his 2005 album “Back to Bedlam” I decided on this song because my gut reaction to it was that it was beautiful and that it has a lovly message that lots of people can relate too. So what is the purpose of James Blunts song “Goodbye My Lover”?
The structure of the song is a verse, the chorus, another verse, the chorus again, and then another verse and then the chorus one last time. The song does not fade out like some songs do it just ends. The only instruments that are included in the song is a piano. I think the melody of the song is very soothing and slow. The harmony is also slow its not very stimulating like a fast song would be. The rhythm is also slow paced. I think the tempo is middle paced because I know of songs that are slower in tempo. This song isn’t really something that can be danced to say in a club. But you could slow dance to it. James Blunt voice is not the typical manly voice that most people expect. It can at times be high pitched. He keeps his vocal tone pretty constant through out the whole song apart from a couple of times that he seems to be singing about something which is important to him.
When I listen to this song I think the first verse is all about James Blunt asking someone (going to assume it is a women) if he disappointed her or if he should feel guilty because, from the very beginning he could see that they were not going to last but, he felt that he had won because he got to be with her anyway. And now even though it is over he is still there for her. He tells her she changed his life and affected his goals. He tells her that he has been addicted to her. The chorus is all about him saying goodbye to her and letting her know that she has been the one for him. The second verse is all about him telling her that she doesn’t break him during the day but she has a hold on his dreams. He want her to remember him as she is moving on through out her life and he tells her that if things would have been different he would be the father of her child right now. And that he would spend his whole life with her. He says that now they are fine and that he still loves her. The third verse tells her that he still holds her hand when he sleeps and that his soul will be filled in time when he is knelling at her feet. But right now he feels empty. What I take away from this is a beautiful but sad love story. But it is something which I can relate to and it is very comforting to know that other people go through the same things.
I think this song is very good. It is beautiful and makes me feel all kind of emotions. I also think that this song is so good because I think a lot of people can relate. I think a lot of people have had that one love that didn’t work out and that one person that you will always think about. I actually thought I had the whole song figured out before I started analyzing it. But as I was listening to it all kinds of questions came into my mind like is the girl dead? Did he know it was going to end because she was ill? Is James Blunt really singing this to someone? So what is the purpose of James Blunts song “Goodbye My Lover” I think it is a song for everyone who had that one person who made them think of the what if questions. That one person they still dream about
.James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover (Album Version)