What's your favorite Torch Song?

[Brian Cronin]

I have been listening a lot to Nanci Griffith's excellent collection of torch songs (Ruby's Torch), and man - torch songs can rock!!

What is your favorite torch song?

In case you don't know what a torch song is, wikipedia defines it as:

a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, where one party is either oblivious to the existence of the other, or where one party has moved on.

"Please Call Me Baby" by Tom Waits is one of my faves (it is on the Griffith album).

I am not sure what my FAVORITE is, though...

-Brian

[Reptisaurus!]

Huh.

Mood Indigo (Nina Simone version) or Summertime.

[zuludelta]

I generally enjoy female torch singers more than the male ones (for some reason, unless the guys are rough-cut blues-y types or are above-avergae performers/songwriters, they just come off as whiney wimps).

Of the more recent ones, probably "Tears All Over Town" and "People Used To Dream About The Future" by A Girl Called Eddy.

I guess Rilo Kiley's "Does He Love You" sort of counts as a torch song, even though it's definitely a lot faster-paced than what most would consider a torch song.

Oh, Regina Spektor's "Summer In The City" is an especially disarming and poignant one.

[stealthwise]

That's a pretty broad definition... does it count if the singer likely murdered the other person?

If so, then I'd say Metallica's "Unforgiven II," which gets a bad rap merely for being a sequel song.

[dancj]

From that description I'd guess Bob Dylan's If You See Her Say Hello woud be a torch song. That's one of my favourites

[Brian Cronin]

From that description I'd guess Bob Dylan's If You See Her Say Hello woud be a torch song. That's one of my favourites

Oooh...good pick!!

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

I generally enjoy female torch singers more than the male ones (for some reason, unless the guys are rough-cut blues-y types or are above-avergae performers/songwriters, they just come off as whiney wimps).

I think that's very accurate.

Tom Waits manages to pull off the rough-cut thing, but yeah, I can see how other guys doing it would just seem wimpy.

-Brian

[Shellhead]

As a comic fan, I would have to say Spiderman '79, by Veruca Salt. That singer wants Spider-man in the worst way.

As a music fan, I would have to say Milk, by Garbage. Such exquisite agony, such yearning.

[Dan Apodaca]

"We're Just Friends" by Wilco is the epitomy of a torch song, and spells out unrequited love in an uncommonly straightforward way that admits the fantasy of it all at the same time.

[Ed Cunard]

The aforementioned Tom Waits song, or "In the Wee Small Hours" as done by Frank Sinatra.

I love torch songs. I'll probably buy this album now.

[Pól Rua]

'Martha' by Tom Waits, is a fave.
I'm also incredibly fond of 'She's Too Good For Me' by Warren Zevon.

However, there are two comedy tracks that I love that kinda fit into this one. One is 'Flying Dream' by Bruce McCulloch and the other is Otis Lee Crenshaw's 'He Almost Looks Like You'.
Both are pretty funny, but have a real sting in that last line.

Dang.

[Ed Cunard]

Another one I really like that just popped into my head--"You Don't Know Me" by Ray Charles.

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

Bob Dylan "Tangled Up in Blue" has always been one of my favorites.

[K'Nort]

'Willing to Wait' by Sebadoh strikes me as a torchy song done by a man.

And I like any of them when done by Ute Lemper.

[Shellhead]

My favorite funny torch song is "Liquor, Beer and Wine" by The Reverend Horton Heat. It's a torch song about lost love turned into alcoholism. The tone is sad but also easy-going and humorous.

Best line: "I drink until I can't see, then I wonder where you are."