I cried when she said
“I don’t feel the same way”.

The Beach Boys’ “The Warmth of the Sun” is actually really sad. It is about losing the love of your life and being able to take comfort in the fact that at least you will be able to feel good about dreaming about holding her while you dream at night.

At least at night—while you are dreaming—you’ll be able to feel the warmth of the sun. This is tragic. Sometimes the beauty of The Beach Boys vocals hides the seriousness of their lyrics. And their vocals are the best in rock—specifically their harmonies. There are so many layers. No band does it better. Period.

The Beach Boys sometimes don’t get put into the same category as The Beatles and The Stones and that is wrong. I think there are two reasons. One, is that their surf and car-song days were slightly longer than the love-song days of The Beatles and The Stones.

Perhaps some people are not able to think of them as more than a surf band, when really, their best work came later. Also, their Full House appearances didn’t do much to help their reputation. It made a generation think of them as shtick rather than the legends they are.

Lyrics The Warmth of the Sun

What good is the dawn
That grows into day
The sunset at night
Or living this way

For I have the warmth of the sun
(Warmth of the sun)
Within me at night
(Within me at night)

The love of my life
She left me one day
I cried when she said
“I don’t feel the same way”

Still I have the warmth of the sun
(Warmth of the sun)
Within me tonight
(Within me tonight)

I’ll dreams of her arms
And though they’re not real
Just like she’s still there
The way that I feel

My love’s like the warmth of the sun
(Warmth of the sun)
It won’t ever die
(It won’t ever die)

Songwriters: Michael Love / Brian Wilson

I loved you with a fire red,
Now it’s turnin’ blue.

The relationship in “Apologize” has run its course. From the man’s perspective, he has been hanging by a thread, walking on eggshells around her. Where he once felt he couldn’t breathe if he didn’t have her, his patience has worn thin of her antics. What antics? We don’t know. So, she is very surprised when he breaks up with her. He tells her there is no need to apologize anymore, we’re done. He sounds happy.

“Apologize is well-produced by Timbaland. It has the right combination of electronic effects and real instruments. The piano and strings help balance the effects and drum loops. The vocal helps sell this as a traditional pop song. We can hear that the lead singer is fed up, and his emotion carries the song. The beat is strong as well. This might be one of the more “hip” songs on this list.

Apologize Lyrics

I’m holding on your rope
Got me ten feet off the ground
And I’m hearing what you say, but I just can’t make a sound
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down, but wait
You tell me that you’re sorry
Didn’t think I’d turn around, and say

That it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late

I’d take another chance, take a fall
Take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat
But it’s nothing new, yeah, yeah
I loved you with a fire red
Now it’s turning blue, and you say
Sorry like the angel heaven let me think was you
But I’m afraid

It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late, whoa
It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, yeah
I said it’s too late to apologize, yeah
I’m holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground

Songwriters: Ryan Tedder

What have I done?
I broke the sweetest heart of the only man/
That’s ever loved me.

In “What Have I Done?”, LeAnn Rimes has remorse for breaking the heart of her first love. It is a different take on the “lost love” theme in that it is clear that she is the one who broke his heart, but she is the one who is expressing the angst. Great concept.

Rimes believes she made the right decision, but still she is in pain. She says she hopes he will look back on her with happy feelings someday because “I loved you enough to let you go”.

At the same time, she says she wants to smash the mirrors in her house because she can’t stand to see her face because she is unhappy with herself for causing him pain. Can you feel you are making the right decision in leaving someone yet still hate yourself for doing it? Rimes thinks so.

Leann RimesRimes vocals on “What Have I Done” are strong and clear and accompanied by the standard country arsenal: banjo, slide guitar, bass and in a twist: a shaker rather than a drum for percussion! That gives the song a unique, mellow sound. This is Leann Rimes’ best song. It is also some of her more recent work, so perhaps there is more songs like this to come.

There are a couple country songs on this list. If a song is great, I don’t care what genre it is, it will make this list (except classical…I left those off this list. That seems like a list for another day. They don’t seem comparable.)

What Have I Done? Lyrics

Oh my love what have I done?
Oh my love what have I done?
I shot an arrow in your heart that
I can’t take back.
When I said, “You were my first love
But you are not my last”.

For far too long I hid my face,
I fed off your forgiving grace.
Well I know your pride it must’ve
Took a beating,
When I used your love to rob your freedom,
What have I done?

Oh what have I done?
What have I done?
There’s a hurt in me I don’t understand.
What have I done?
What have I done?
I broke the sweetest heart of the only man
That’s ever loved me.

I don’t know what I’ve become.
I need to get back to where I’m from.
I’m gonna smash every mirror in this empty house,
‘Cause like you I don’t wanna see myself.

Oh what have I done?
What have I done?

There’s a hurt in me I don’t understand.
What have I done?
What have I done?
I broke the sweetest heart of the only man
That’s ever loved me.

I hope you find someone new,
Someone who’s worthy of you.
Oh when you look back and I know you will
I hope you find a little good in me still,
‘Cause I loved you enough to let you go,
I’ll always regret,
I hope you know,
What I have done?

Oh what have I done?
What have I done?
There’s a hurt in me I don’t understand,
What have I done?
What have I done?
I broke the sweetest heart of the only one
That’s ever loved me.

Oh my love what have I done?
Oh my love what have I done?

Songwriters: Darrell R Brown / Leann Rimes / David Francis Baerwald