English songwriter sings of heartbreak and loneliness
Photos courtesy of AFP and Reuters
In his latest single, “Lay Me Down”, Sam Smith is missing his love and remembering how good life used to be when they were together.
This week’s Karaoke Korner takes a look at the vocabulary used in the lyrics.
ABOUT SAM SMITH
Name: Samuel Frederick Sam Smith
Nationality: English
Style: Pop, R&B
Label: Capitol
Albums: In the Lonely Hour (2014)
In brief: Born in Bishops Stortford, England, this 22-year-old singer-songwriter grew up in London. Sam started taking music lessons in primary school. He became widely known after he was featured on Disclosure’s single “Latch” in 2012. He then rose to international fame after being featured on Naughty Boy’s hit “La La La,”, which reached No.1 on the UK Singles chart in May 2013. Sam released his debut EP, Nirvana, in October that same year. His debut album, In the Lonely Hour, was released last May. The No.1 album features the smash hits “Money on My Mind”, “I’m Not the Only One”, Stay With Me” and “Lay Me Down”. Sam recently won four Grammys, including Record of the Year for “Stay with Me”, Song of the Year for “Stay With Me”, Best Pop Vocal Album for “In the Lonely Hour” and Best New Artist.
If you like Sam Smith, check out: Pharrell Williams, Olly Murs and Ed Sheeran.
Website: www.samsmithworld.com
“Lay Me Down”
By Sam Smith
Yes, I do, I believe
That one day I will be
Where I was right there
Right next to you
And it's hard
The days just seem so dark
The moon, the stars
Are nothing without you
Your touch, your skin
Where do I begin?
No words can explain
The way I'm missing you
Deny this emptiness
This hole that I'm inside
These tears
They tell their own story
You told me not to cry
When you were gone
But the feeling's overwhelming
It's much too strong
Chorus
Can I lay by your side?
Next to you, you
And make sure you're alright
I'll take care of you
I don't want to be here
If I can't be with you tonight
I'm reaching out to you
Can you hear my call?
This hurt that I've been through
I'm missing you
Missing you like crazy
Chorus
Lay me down tonight
Lay me by your side
Can I lay by your side?
Next to you, you
Exercises
Find synonyms of the following words used in the lyrics.
1. contact ………………
2. hollowness ………………
3. weep ………………
4. pain ………………
Vocabulary
- overwhelming (adj): very great or very strong; so powerful that you cannot resist it or decide how to react
fame (n): the state of being known and talked about by many people
