It Ain't Over Til It's Over

This Week Ain't Even Close to Over

It Ain't Over Til It's Over by Lennie Kravitz

Recommended by Michelle

"Today would be my husband's 51st birthday but unfortunately due to crippling addictions, he died a few weeks shy of his 37th birthday. I played this song almost daily for a few years before he died because as sad as it is....it always left me with hope. It still does in a different way even though he's no longer here."

I believe I'm a touch late getting to this, but thank you for sharing your story with me. I'm so sorry for your loss.

This song really does sit right on the line between sadness and hope. Even before those honest, plaintive lyrics come in, the music is already sounding wistful for some reason that I can't place. It's not super slow, and it's not in a minor key. It should just sound relaxed, and yet...

I think it's the tone of the string section. Violins are always sad.

Even the lyrics kind of play with your heart a little bit, but in the opposite way. For me, I listen to the instrumentals and think, "This is pretty upbeat; why am I crying?" But then I hear the lyrics and think, "This is so sad; why do I feel like everything is going to be okay?"

I get the feeling that this guy is spending sleepless nights suffering, trying to save a sinking ship. I get the feeling that this isn't going to end well, and he knows it. 

But I also get the feeling that he's alright. He doesn't regret any of the tears [he's] cried or the pain inside. Sure it hurts, but it would hurt worse to look back and think you could've done more. There's beauty in the determination. There's poetry in the idea of putting everything you have into something you believe in.

If this couple were so in love that it was worth fighting for over several years, then that's pretty amazing, and you can't help but look back at that fondly. Plus, as much as this song is lamenting the end of a relationship, it's also celebrating the love for what it was. 

Or what it is. Because a love like that is never completely gone, even when the relationship is over.

Side note: I was surprised to see that this song came out in 1991. It sounds like it should've been out a decade earlier. Or maybe even earlier. When were the Bee Gees popular? The '70s?

Anyway, thanks again. This is a great song for my collection, and knowing of your connection with it can only increase my appreciation. Isn't it incredible how music can affect our emotions? But how our feelings can also affect our interpretation of music? Truly amazing.

Overview:

Genre:
Soul / Funk

Favorite Lyrics:
All my doubts and fears
Kept me wondering
If I'd always, always be in love.

Verdict:
Never want it to be over.