“I Will Always Love You” (1992) Whitney Houston
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 11/28/1992.
Summary: Despite the title seemingly referring to an endless love, Whitney sings that she is holding her lover back and must leave them behind, despite that she feels she will love them forever. “Bittersweet memories, That is all I’m taking with me, So good-bye, Please don’t cry.” It is the end of their relationship, but her love will persist.
“End Of The Road” (1992) Boyz II Men
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 8/14/1992.
Summary: In this song, the members of Boyz II Men ache over lost love. The first verses are addressed to the former lover, telling her that they belong together and said they would be together forever. In the chorus, the group sings “Although we’ve come to the end of the road, Still I can’t let go,” signifying that they are having a difficult time being without the person.
“The Sign” (1993) Ace Of Base
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 3/12/1994.
Summary: The song does not elaborate on what exactly the “sign” was, but the singer proclaims “I saw the sign and it opened up my mind! And I am happy now living without you.” It represents a realization that a significant other no longer makes them happy and choosing to end their relationship.
“Nobody Knows” (1995) The Tony Rich Project
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #2 on 3/23/1996.
Summary: In this song, Tony Rich sings about the pain he is suffering that “nobody knows” about. He wishes that he was honest about how he felt for the person and regrets not doing enough to ensure the survival of their love.
“Un-Break My Heart” (1996) Toni Braxton
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 12/7/1996.
Summary: In begging for her lover to come back, Toni sings that her pain can only be healed by her former lover. She describes the nights without him as “unkind” and her life as “cruel.”
“Foolish Games” (1997) Jewel
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #2 on 4/19/1997.
Summary: Jewel sings of the things she used to love about this person: he used to do crazy things like stand out in the rain, dress fashionably but pretend not to care, and had brilliant “philosophies on art.” The verses that tell of the amazing characteristics about this person are juxtaposed with how he is now breaking her heart: “This is my heart bleeding before you, This is me down on my knees.”
“Foolish” (2002) Ashanti
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 4/20/2002.
Summary: Ashanti describes leaving a toxic relationship in “Foolish.” She misses her lover when she is without him, but he treats her poorly and the emotional abuse is wearing her down. She hates herself for loving him because she knows he will never change.
“Burn” (2004) Usher
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 5/22/2004.
Summary: In this song, Usher tells himself that is best to leave his relationship behind and “let it burn.” He tells that deep down moving on is the right decision, but the love that he still has for the person is holding him back. By referring to himself as “you,” he is having a conversation with himself.
“We Belong Together” (2005) Mariah Carey
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 6/4/2005.
Summary: In this song, Mariah expresses regret for the rude things she said to her former lover and cannot believe that she is alone. She cannot escape her thoughts about the person and believe that they are destined to be together. She sings that “Baby, when you left, I lost a part of me.”
“Irreplaceable” (2006) Beyonce
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 12/16/2006.
Summary: Despite the song title, Beyoncé is actually telling her lover how replaceable he is. She tells him to pack his bags and kicks him out of her house because he was unfaithful to her and she knows that she deserves better.
“Apologize” (2006) Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #2 on 11/10/2007.
Summary: In the song, Ryan Tedder sings of being so deeply in love with a person that constantly mistreats him: “You tell me that you need me, then you go and cut me down.” He finally decides to stopforgiving her and refuses to accept her apology, with the chorus telling the person that “It’s too late to apologize.”
“Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal)” (2007) Fergie
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 9/8/2007.
Summary: In this song, Fergie sings that she is committing to working on herself, so she must choose to be alone. She is still going to miss her former lover, but she decides that is in her best interest to let him go: “I’m gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket but I’ve got to get a move on with my life.”
“Need You Now” (2009) Lady Antebellum
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #2 on 3/20/2010.
Summary: In this country ballad, the Lady Antebellum vocalists miss their former lovers and decide to drunkenly call them late at night: “It’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you now.” The song is a desperate cry out to a former lover.
“Love The Way You Lie” (2010) Eminem feat. Rihanna
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 7/31/2010.
Summary: The rap song explicitly details a toxic, abusive relationship that neither party will leave. Rihanna asks her lover, “Just gonna stand there and hear me cry?” She then accepts the mistreatment: “Well, that’s alright because I love the way you lie.”
“Rolling In The Deep” (2010) Adele
Song found here. Lyrics found here. Chart history: Peaked at #1 on 5/21/2011.
Summary: In this anthem, Adele exclaims that her and her lover “could’ve had it all,” but he ruined their relationship. She warns him of the revenge she plans to pursue: “You’re gonna wish you never had met me.”
THE HISTORY OF EMOTIONS AND SENSES 