Any good musician wakes up in the morning with this thought in his head: "Today, I'm going to write the greatest song in the world." This mantra is what drives anyone in the business.
But, when Seal wakes up in the morning, he says, "Today, I'm going to write the greatest song in the world. Oh, wait, I already did that. I guess I'll have breakfast instead."
The song is "Kiss from a Rose," although the music aficionados reading this didn't have to ask. Once you hear the words "greatest song in the world," you don't need to think. You're overcome with sounds. "Ba da ba da da da ah ya yada ya."
The song opens with melodious, baby-like sounds before transitioning to a chilling first line, "There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea." This phallic image represents the growth of the singer from baby to man. Then, the song transitions to Seal professing his love for the subject of the song. Critics have debated who the subject is, but after listening to the song 342 times (I checked my iTunes play count), I can safely say that "Kiss from a Rose" is about me. For instance, when Seal sings, "My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen," he's talking about my penchant for walking around with a flashlight when it's dark out.
Now, what happened to that graying tower, you ask? No one knows for sure. They tried to find out on an episode of the X-Files (Season 5) but nothing came of it. Like the Grassy Knoll and Semisonic's career, this may be a mystery that never gets solved.
Seal compares my love to a kiss from a rose on a grave, which is a rather haunting image -- one that will stick with you for the rest of your life, if you're lucky. Is the rose leaping off of the grave to kiss Seal? Are zombies coming to life and lifting the rose to Seal's face? Like the best literature, Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" is open to many interpretations.
One thing is certain, though: "Kiss from a Rose" has to be a great song if it can bag Seal someone like Heidi Klum. Although, really, she's just a cover-up for this little thing Seal and I have going on. She'll never receive the kiss from the rose on the grave.
