But I hardly know this beauty by my side/
I’ll never forget the way you look tonight.

In “Lady in Red”, Chris De burgh sees his woman looking especially good one night  and it causes him to look at her in a different way. He is reminded how much he loves her. Sure, he doesn’t get into specifics-other than she is dresses in red-but we get the idea. It is interesting how men can be such visual creatures.

As he sees all the men’s heads’ turn as she walks across the dance floor, De burgh gets the feeling that perhaps he may have been taking her for granted. Not in horrible way, he just think to himself “I should be appreciating this more”.

There is a lot going on in the production in “Lady in Red” that one might miss. This song is heavily driven by the rhythm section. First, the bass-line is original and adds a ton to the song. Second the finger snapping. It adds an additional layer of percussion in the chorus. Excellent job by the producer. The synthesizer does create a lot of the distinct sound, however, I think it would sound just as nice (if not better) on a piano. I think this song is a good candidate for a cover.

Lady In Red Lyrics

I’ve never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight
I’ve never seen you shine so bright
I’ve never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
They’re looking for a little romance, given half a chance
And I have never seen that dress you’re wearing
Or the highlights in your hair that catch your eyes
I have been blind

The lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek
There’s nobody here, it’s just you and me
It’s where I want to be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
I’ll never forget the way you look tonight

I’ve never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight
I’ve never seen you shine so bright, you were amazing
I’ve never seen so many people want to be there by your side
And when you turned to me and smiled, it took my breath away
And I have never had such a feeling
Such a feeling of complete and utter love, as I do tonight

The lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek
There’s nobody here, it’s just you and me
It’s where I want to be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
I’ll never forget the way you look tonight

I never will forget the way you look tonight
The lady in red, the lady in red
The lady in red, my lady in red
I love you

Songwriters: Chris De Burgh

What started out this friendship has grown stronger/
I only wish I had the strength to let it show.

Kevin Cronin writes about a beautiful friendship that he wants to turn into something more. With his girl: “she takes me to places alone I’d never find”.  REO Speedwagon’s “I Can’t Fight This Feeling” doesn’t tell us much about the woman, but it tells a lot about how she has changed the narrator and how she makes him feel. It has made him realize that this is the feeling that he has been searching for and he is ready to give up the chase if she’ll have him.

This is the quintessential power ballad from the 80s and I feel it stands the test of time. The singing and the melody are both great. The intro piano which gives rise to the added guitars and guitar solo is formulaic, but it sounds better than comparable songs from this time period. Also, the subject matter is somewhat nuanced. It is a story about the discovery of the feelings he has within himself for this girl and the things he now must do to ensure he communicates his feelings to her.

Can’t Fight This Feeling Lyrics

I can’t fight this feeling any longer,
And yet I’m still afraid to let it flow.
What started out as friendship has grown stronger,
I only wish I had the strength to let it show.

I tell myself that I can’t hold out forever,
I said there is no reason for my fear.
‘Cause I feel so secure when we’re together,
You give my life direction, you make everything so clear.

And even as I wander, I’m keeping you in sight.
You’re a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter’s night.
And I’m getting closer than I ever thought I might.

And I can’t fight this feeling anymore,
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for.
It’s time to bring this ship into the shore,
And throw away the oars, forever.

‘Cause I can’t fight this feeling anymore.
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for.
And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crashing through your door,
Baby, I can’t fight this feeling anymore.

My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you.
I’ve been running round in circles in my mind.
And it always seems that I’m following you, girl,
‘Cause you take me to the places that alone I’d never find.

And even as I wander, I’m keeping you sight,
You’re a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter’s night.
And I’m getting closer than I ever thought I might.

And I can’t fight this feeling anymore,
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for,
It’s time to bring this ship into the shore,
And throw away the oars, forever.

‘Cause I can’t fight this feeling anymore,
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for.
And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crashing through your door
Baby, I can’t fight this feeling anymore.

Songwriters: Kevin Cronin

Every time I tried to tell you the words just came out wrong/
So I have to so I love you in a song.

“I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song” is very meta. I love the fact that Croce just flat out gets to the point of this whole love-song-writing business. He is around a girl that he is in love with and it makes him stumble upon his words. But he has so many feelings that he needs to express: so he wrote this song.

I imagine hearing this must have made the ladies/lady swoon. I feel that this is a common experience among a lot of songwriters. They have feelings that they want to express to their love-interest, but they find it easier to do so in song than in words for whatever reason. Lucky for us.

Croce’s voice always sounds amazing. His sound is very distinct and if you don’t listen closely it sounds like a lot of his songs sound similarly, but I really believe he has a deep catalog that is under-explored. Partially due to the fact that soft-rock doesn’t get the due that other genres do and partially due to his short career.

He was so young when he died. He never had a chance to go through phases and reinvent himself or explore other sides of his genius. Jim Croce is one of the biggest omissions from the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song Lyrics

Well, I know it’s kind of late,
I hope I didn’t wake you.
But what I’ve got to say can’t wait,
I know you’d understand.
‘Cause every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong.
So I’ll have to say “I love you” in a song.

Yeah, I know it’s kind of strange,
Every time I’m near you,
I just run out of things to say,
I know you’d understand.
‘Cause every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong.
So I’ll have to say “I love you” in a song.

‘Cause every time the time was right
All the words just came out wrong.
So I’ll have to say “I love you” (I love you) in a song.

Yeah, I know it’s kind of late, (it’s kind of late)
I hope I didn’t wake you.
But there’s something that I just got to say.
(I know you’d understand)
I know you’d understand.
‘Cause every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong.
So I’ll have to say “I love you” in a song.

Songwriters: Jim Croce