The 1980s were so dramatic! The decade was like a friend who goes out for a school play—everything is either the end of the world or the greatest thing to ever happen. The swelling highs and lows can be almost too much at times!
But like your friend, we love the decade just the same. Here below, we wanted to highlight three songs from back then that both showcase the era’s sense for drama and its ability to use language in a lovely way. Indeed, these are three dramatic one-hit wonders from the 1980s that sound more like poetry.
Videos by American Songwriter
“(I Just) Died In Your Arms” by Cutting Crew from ‘Broadcast’ (1986)
Was there any song more dramatic in the 1980s than this one from Cutting Crew? Singing about dying in the arms of your lover is pretty much the definition of drama. Let’s just highlight two lyrical snippets from this track that make it sound way over the top. In one, the band’s Nick Van Eede sings, “I keep lookin’ for somethin’ I can’t get / Broken hearts lie all around me / And I don’t see an easy way to get out of this.” It’s a vivid image but way too serious. And he continues, “Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight / It must’ve been something you said.” Jeez, get this guy a Jim Carrey DVD! He needs to laugh!
“Toy Soldiers” by Martika from ‘Martika’ (1989)
This supremely catchy track from the end of the 1980s offers both a keen sense of drama and a knack for poetic lyrics. Indeed, the subject matter of this song is pretty heavy. Addiction, drugs, and bad decisions have taken the lives of many people, sadly. And that’s what Martika sings about here, offering, “It wasn’t my intention to mislead you / It never should have been this way / What can I say? /
It’s true / I did extend the invitation / I never knew how long you’d stay / When you hear temptation call / It’s your heart that takes / Takes the fall.” Powerful stuff.
“Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush from ‘Hounds Of Love’ (1985)
Kate Bush. What’s left to say? The talented songwriter and compelling artist has enjoyed several peaks of popularity in her career. First it was in the 1980s, and then later it came more recently thanks to the inclusion of her hit “Running Up That Hill” in the Netflix series Stranger Things. But there is a reason that song is so particularly beloved throughout the decades. It sounds like wanting, and that’s what the lyrics offer fans, too. Indeed, on the track, Bush sings succinctly, “And if I only could / I’d make a deal with God / And I’d get Him to swap our places.“
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