I wouldn't have imagined you listening to Kerrang! :o

 

Well, when I listen to the radio, I tend to flick through the channels until I get a song that I like. So if I hear a good song on Kerrang!, I will listen to it, but I must say, it's quite a rarity when it happens! :lol: I end up listening to Capital and 1Xtra the most tbh.

 

Also, I don't know why people keep saying ballads are not popular. The best-selling song of last year was a ballad! Heck, the best-selling song of this year, so far, is a ballad!

Well, when I listen to the radio, I tend to flick through the channels until I get a song that I like. So if I hear a good song on Kerrang!, I will listen to it, but I must say, it's quite a rarity when it happens! :lol: I end up listening to Capital and 1Xtra the most tbh.

 

Also, I don't know why people keep saying ballads are not popular. The best-selling song of last year was a ballad! Heck, the best-selling song of this year, so far, is a ballad!

Love The Way You Lie is NOT a ballad. A ballad is specifically a love song. LTWYL is a slow-to-midtempo song but that doesn't make it a ballad when the lyrics are the total opposite of a traditional ballad and actually quite heavy and hard-hitting in terms of subject. Ballads are supposed to be much more lighter and generally 'mushier' than that. Just The Way You Are IS a ballad, however, as is Someone Like You as both are about love and are generally sentimental in subject.

 

bal·lad

   /ˈbæləd/ Show Spelled[bal-uhd] Show IPA

–noun

1.

any light, simple song, especially one of sentimental or romantic character, having two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody.

2.

a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing.

3.

any poem written in similar style.

4.

the music for a ballad.

5.

a sentimental or romantic popular song.

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ballad

 

And ballads have gone way out of fashion compared to how they used to. Look back in the 90s and a large handful of the biggest-selling songs were ballads - Bryan Adams, Wet Wet Wet, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion etc. They're still around but they're just not as popular as they used to be.

Edited February 24, 201114 yr by superbossanova

What, so you're saying Love the Way You Lie isn't a love song? :blink: Just because it's violent in nature, that doesn't mean it's not a song about...love.

 

Instrumentally, it's DEFINITELY a ballad, even following your definitions. It's simple. It's piano, guitar and drums, with some synths in the last 3 hooks. Heck, listen to it's chord progression!! Piano, guitar and drums are actually the three primary instruments in a power ballad.

 

 

 

Lyric-wise, it's definitely a song about love. It's definitely romantic. Yes, it's about a couple in an abusive relationship, but they're in love. That's the whole point.

 

I can't tell you what it really is.

I can only tell you what it feels like.

And right now, there's a steel knife in my windpipe.

I can't breathe, but I still fight while I can fight.

As long as the wrong feels right it's like I'm in flight.

High off her love, drunk from my hate, it's like I'm huffin' paint.

And I love it, the more I suffer, I suffocate.

And right before I'm about to drown, she resuscitates me,

She f***in' hates me, and I love it.

"Wait, where you goin'?"

"I'm leavin' you!"

"No you ain't! Come back!"

We're runnin' right back, here we go again!

It's so insane, cause when it's goin' good, it's goin' great.

I'm Superman with the wind at his back, she's Lois Lane.

But when it's bad it's awful, I feel so ashamed.

I snap, "Who's that dude? I don't even know his name."

I laid hands on her, I'll never stoop so low again.

I guess I don't know my own strength.

 

You ever love somebody so much, you can barely breathe.

When you with 'em you meet, and neither one of you even know what hit 'em.

Got that warm fuzzy feeling, yeah them chills used to get 'em.

Now you're getting f***in' sick of lookin' at 'em.

You swore you'd never hit 'em, never do nothin' to hurt 'em.

Now you're in each other's face, spewin' venom in your words when you spit 'em.

You push pull each other's hair, scratch claw,

Hit 'em, throw 'em down, pin 'em, so lost in the moments when you're in 'em.

It's the rage that's the culprit, controls you both.

So they say it's best to go your separate ways.

Guess that they don't know ya, 'cause today, that was yesterday.

Yesterday is over, it's a different day.

Sound like broken records playin' over,

But you promised her, next time you'll show restraint

You don't get another chance.

Life is no Nintendo game, but you lied again.

Now you get to watch her leave out the window.

Guess that's why they call it window pane.

 

Now I know we said things, did things, that we didn't mean.

And we fall back into the same patterns, same routine.

But your temper's just as bad as mine is, you're the same as me.

When it comes to love you're just as blinded.

Baby please come back! It wasn't you, baby, it was me!

Maybe our relationship isn't as crazy as it seems.

Maybe that's what happens when a tornado meets a volcano.

All I know is I love you too much, to walk away though.

Come inside, pick up the bags off the sidewalk!

Don't you hear sincerity in my voice when I talk?

Told you this is my fault, look me in the eyeball!

Next time I'm pissed I'll aim my fist at the dry wall!

Next time? There won't be no next time!

I apologize, even though I know it's lies!

I'm tired of the games! I just want her back! I know I'm a liar!

If she ever tries to f***in' leave again,

I'ma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire!

 

The song is light, simple (heck, it doesn't even have a bridge!), romantic. Perhaps it just seems weird to people to call a hip hop song a ballad, but lots of hip hop ballads exist. You can find some others listed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rhyt...d_blues_ballads

Edited February 24, 201114 yr by Eric_Blob

What, so you're saying Love the Way You Lie isn't a love song? :blink: Just because it's violent in nature, that doesn't mean it's not a song about...love.

 

Instrumentally, it's DEFINITELY a ballad, even following your definitions. It's simple. It's piano, guitar and drums, with some synths in the last 3 hooks. Heck, listen to it's chord progression!! Piano, guitar and drums are actually the three primary instruments in a power ballad.

 

Lyric-wise, it's definitely a song about love. It's definitely romantic. Yes, it's about a couple in an abusive relationship, but they're in love. That's the whole point.

The song is light, simple (heck, it doesn't even have a bridge!), romantic. Perhaps it just seems weird to people to call a hip hop song a ballad, but lots of hip hop ballads exist. You can find some others listed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rhyt...d_blues_ballads

Of course it isn't a love song. Yes, there's a loose theme of love running through it (in that they entered the relationship, and are still in it, because they think they're in love) but that does not make it a love song when there are other themes more prominent. Most popular songs have some kind of theme of love running through it but for it to be a LOVE SONG it has to have more than that. A love song is a song about falling in love, being happy in love, saying how much you love someone, how much you're missing someone, etc. Basically, the positive side of it (hence the "light" subject matter), not about a couple in a f***ed up relationship staying together because they're apparently in love. Simple as that.

 

Instrumentally, it may be a ballad, but there's more to a ballad than just instruments and the tempo of the song. It's in the lyrics. A song with some of the lyrics in Love The Way You Lie is not a ballad - it's too harsh. A ballad pretty much runs similar lyrics throughout and never strays from the concept of love. Look at the lyrics for songs like Just The Way You Are, I Will Always Love You, Your Song, etc.

 

And when I was talking about light I was talking more in subject matter, not structure. If you seriously think a song about an abusive relationship is LIGHT than f*** knows what you're on. And don't even get me started on your view of it being romantic - that's some twisted concept of romance you've got there.

 

And please don't talk to me like I'm ignorant. I know perfectly well that hip hop ballads exist, but Love The Way You Lie ISN'T one.

Edited February 24, 201114 yr by superbossanova

It's funny how I go on one forum to see people whining about how Eminem has gone all soft and sissy on his most recent album, etc. Then I come on this one and we're having almost the opposite discussion about the same song. :lol: I guess perspective plays a part. I think of Love the Way You Lie as a love song. Yes, it's very tragic and violent, but tragedy often comes paired with love. I think his whole intention was to draw a contrast. Like he says this:

 

"You ever love somebody so much, you can barely breathe.

When you with 'em you meet, and neither one of you even know what hit 'em.

Got that warm fuzzy feeling, yeah them chills used to get 'em."

 

then follows them immediately with this:

 

"Now you're getting f***in' sick of lookin' at 'em.

You swore you'd never hit 'em, never do nothin' to hurt 'em.

Now you're in each other's face, spewin' venom in your words when you spit 'em.

You push pull each other's hair, scratch claw,

Hit 'em, throw 'em down, pin 'em, so lost in the moments when you're in 'em."

 

Domestic violence is the example he uses in this song, and probably the most extreme example that hasn't been covered like million times in other songs (e.g. adultery). I mean, lots of couples say things like "Love the Way You Lie is our song", and such. And you think at first it's a bit worrying that they've chosen a song about domestic violence, but there's parallels you can draw with most relationships. The violence in the song can represent those little everyday arguements between normal couples. I think that's how some people see it.

 

But, if this makes you happy: The third best-selling song of last year is a ballad, and the best-selling song of this year so far is a ballad. :lol:

 

I agree ballads are less popular these days, although they're still not too rare to come across in the charts (although I guess that comes down to how liberal we are about what we consider a ballad).

Will 'Love The Way You Lie' will ever be included on one of those terrible Valentines Day/Mothers Day compilations full of love ballads? I very much doubt it. Will Magic be including it in their "Top 100 Love Songs" along with the likes of 'Kiss From a Rose' and 'Love is All Around'? Again, doubtful!

How non earth is LTWYL anywhere even approaching a ballad? That's just bizarre.

How non earth is LTWYL anywhere even approaching a ballad? That's just bizarre.

 

How on Earth is it "nowhere even approaching a ballad"? Did you listen to the instrumentals? Or the piano version of the song?

 

 

I think "nowhere even approaching" a ballad is a bit extreme. Like a G6 is "nowhere even approaching" a ballad.