何故だかわからないけれど、昔聞いた歌が突然思い出されて、夜中に何度も繰り返して聞いてしまう、ってことが時々あります。
今夜は何故かジミー・バーンズのWhen your love is goneが聞きたくなりました。1990年頃の歌です。私は何故か1990年から5年程オーストラリアに住んでいて、その頃あちらでよくかかっていた曲です。ジミー・バーンズは日本では殆ど知られていないんじゃないかと思います。僕も向うに行くまでこんな人知りませんでした。(「ワーキングクラスマン」とか知っている人は知っていたのかもしれませんが。)あちらでは当時、インエクセスと同じくらいの?人気でした。タイプは正反対ですが。
歌詞はありきたりと言えばありきたりです。何故か好きと言えなかった人に、いざ去られてみるとあら大変、そして僕は途方に暮れる、という、歌としても、現実としても、よくありがちな話と言えばよくありがちな話です。
何故突然この歌を思い出したのかと考えてみるに、歌詞がどうこうというのではなく、ジミーバーンズのこのストレートなスタイルが心に残っているのかもしれません。(取りあえず歌詞を貼っておきますが。)日本ではあまり知られていないかもしれませんが、一度聞いただけで心に残る名曲だと思います。
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM5n1UhFA-0"When Your Love Is Gone"
Well, I thought nothing was wrong, nothing was right
I turned to you but you were no where in sight
I left it too late and maybe I hurt your pride
I should have thought of you, now you've changed your mind
And just like a well your love has run dry
Loneliness was falling from the sky
I'm like a man with no heart, I just don't belong
I can't help it when your love is gone
Well, I missed all the signs, never read between lines
And all I can say to you is that my love was blind
It's breaking my heart knowing right from the start
You tried to reach for me, now we had to part
And just like a well your love has run dry
Loneliness was falling from the sky
I'm like a man with no heart, I just don't belong
I can't help it when your love is gone
And it's all I can do to carry on
I can't help it when your love is gone
Well, I'll tell you no lies, you've opened my eyes
Made me feel like a man again
You've walked out that door and you left me alone
I broke down and I cried 'cause I don't think I can make it alone
Oh, listen, I would sail the deepest ocean
Just to be by your side again
And all I want is for you to love me
Just say you love me again, again, again, again
I'm like a man with no heart, I just don't belong
I can't help it when your love is gone
And it's all I can do just to carry on
I can't help it when your love is gone
I'm like a man with no heart, I just don't belong
I can't help it when your love is gone
And it's all I can do just to carry on
I can't help it when your love is gone
I'm like a man with no heart, I just don't belong
I can't help it when your love is gone
And it's all I can do just to carry on
I can't help it when your love is gone
I can't help myself when your love is gone
Your love is gone