Soul music has a long history of emotional love songs. Feel-good tunes to remind us how it feels when relationships are going well. Of course, many relationships fail. And that’s when we look to classic songs to commiserate in the fallout from a bad romance. So, if you require sympathy for the devilish, soul-crushing misery, look no further than these heartbreaking soul songs from the 1960s. Because love hurts.
“I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James
In a breakup, one person is finished and feeling a sense of freedom in leaving the other. However, the one left behind remains in despair, disregarded, unwanted. In this heartbreaking classic, Etta James would rather endure blindness than see her ex in a new relationship. James recorded the track at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. With a session band transforming this slow-dance ballad into a funeral song. Darkness where the light used to be. It’s the perfect setting for the massive range of one of America’s greatest voices.
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“These Arms Of Mine” by Otis Redding
Loneliness is a condition, but also a form of grief. And when it arrives, it comes with a physical sting akin to a punch. Otis Redding’s pleading tune speaks as much to want as to the fear of being alone. He describes how his arms burn “from wanting you.” But our arms also burn when we carry a heavy load for too long. And isolation comes with a kind of density. The longer it stays, the more we ache. Redding’s powerful voice is subdued until the end of the track, when his croon gives way to a howl, like he’s on the verge of breaking down.
“Since I Lost My Baby” by The Temptations
Grief often becomes heavier in the light of day. Stepping outside the heartache to see the rest of the world moving on about its business. It’s another reminder of feeling left behind. “Since I Lost My Baby” follows an ex who sees happiness everywhere around him but cannot find joy. David Ruffin sings about lost inspiration and a lack of motivation to do much of anything, following a breakup. His soaring vocals are echoed by Melvin Franklin’s throaty bass, a booming voice to reiterate the deep pain. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs sad strings while The Funk Brothers keep the groove steady, like the reliable progression of life moving forward with or without you.
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