# Looking for Torch Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697 "2001-09-19T23:23:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/1 "2001-09-19T23:23:40Z")
At the moment, I’m reasonably happy. But as that will change, I will need music. I’m defining “torch song” as a song where [list=1] [li] the singer loves someone, is in love with someone, or is obsessed with someone[/li][li] the object of the singer’s affection does not love the singer as much (or how) the singer wants to be loved[/li][li] Opal joins in on the chorus[/li][li] the singer is not happy about the state of affairs[/li][/list=1] Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/2 "2001-09-19T23:47:08Z")
Marlene Dietrich singing “Falling in Love Again” (the classic) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/3 "2001-09-20T00:44:12Z")
_And I Am Telling You_ from Dreamgirls. Jennifer Holliday tears that song up. _Good Morning Heartache_ Billy Holliday. What is it with those Holliday women. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/4 "2001-09-20T00:45:41Z")
Oh and on a different track, Janis Joplin’s \*Piece of My Heart. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/5 "2001-09-20T00:51:55Z")
_Suppertime_ by Irving Berlin ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/6 "2001-09-20T01:36:53Z")
Sinatra: \*\*Where or When One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) In the Wee Small Hours Night & Day\*\* the _slooooow_ version found on “Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music” (1965) ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/7 "2001-09-20T01:43:00Z")
Number 2 is the most debateable point here (though I’d argue that having suicided fulfills not loving back as protagonist desired): Queensryche, “I Don’t Believe in Love” ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/8 "2001-09-20T04:58:19Z")
Morning DJ of WOLD - Harry Chapin and Kayleigh - Marillion come to mind (I do have a broad taste…) ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/9 "2001-09-20T06:32:12Z")
“When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge. Or, from the distaff side, “Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin. ---
**Author:** ![bourbonstew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@bourbonstew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bourbonstew)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/10 "2001-09-20T08:20:09Z")
Don’t know if these satisfy your requirements, but definitely make my ‘torch song’ list(modern) : _Dot Allison_ - ‘Did I Imagine You’ _Cat Power_ - ‘Wild is the Wind’ (Nina Simone) _Ani diFranco_ - ‘Falling is Like This’, ‘When You Were Mine’(Prince), ‘Untouchable Face’ _Everything But The Girl/Tracey Thorn_ - ‘Walking Wounded’, ‘Protection’ _Nina Gordon_ - ‘Tonight and the Rest of my Life’ _Lisa Loeb_ - ‘Stay’ (a bit poppy, but fits) _Beth Orton_ - ‘Stars All Seem to Weep’, ‘She Calls Your Name’ _Poe_ - ‘If You Were Here’ _Portishead_ - ‘Only You’, ‘It Could Be Sweet’, more Guys - _Chris Isaak_ - ‘Wicked Game’ ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/11 "2001-09-20T14:53:50Z")
If you like old standards being sung by a more modern singer, try the album “What’s New” with Linda Ronstadt and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. There’s a lot of torch song classics on that, like “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry” and “What’ll I Do.” Her Greatest Hits album has a nice selection of the more modern type too, like “Long Long Time” and “Love Has No Pride.” ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/12 "2001-09-20T15:26:49Z")
Having already exposed myself as a lover of bad (i.e. trite and sentimental) music, you must remember to take any and all suggestions I may make with that in mind. Without You by Harry Nilsson All By Myself by Eric Carmen I Should Have Never Let You\* Go - Neil Sedaka (\*or HIM go, by Bernadette Peters) Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers Pieces of April by Three Dog Night You Take My Breath Away by Queen (NOT the totally different song by Rex Smith… even _I_ think that’s a bad one) ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/13 "2001-09-20T16:05:10Z")
Try K. D. Lang’s _Absolute Torch and Twang_ or _Shadowland._ Yeah, it’s kinda twangy, and she’s kinda androgonous, (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but what a voice! Otherwise, for my money anyway, ya gotta go back to the classics; Patsy Cline, Peggy Lee, Julie London, et. al. **romansperson,** I have that album (CD actually) great stuff! ---
**Author:** ![caircair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@caircair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caircair)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/14 "2001-09-20T16:33:59Z")
My knee-jerk reaction to this was “The Man That Got Away” by Judy Garland. ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/15 "2001-09-20T22:00:17Z")
I can think of a million, but the one I love best is _(You Made a) Fool Of Me_ by **Me’shell Ndegeocello**. That song has carried me through many a rough moments. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/16 "2001-09-20T22:10:48Z")
_Nan_, by **Ween** ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/17 "2001-09-20T23:12:43Z")
**romansperson** , I like the Linda Ronstadt CD and her version of _Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry_ is good, but Diane Schuur’s version of the same song on her In Tribute CD is great. Oh my God, that woman can sing. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/18 "2001-09-21T00:00:13Z")
Anything on Frank Sinatra’s **Only the Lonely** album would fit the bill. I’m partial to “Only the Lonely,” “Angel Eyes,” “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry,” and “Where or When.” Ella Fitzgerald’s got some good ones, too. “I’ve Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good)” and “Why Was I Born?” come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/19 "2001-09-21T00:55:22Z")
_Perfidia_-Glenn Miller Orchestra _I Can’t Make You Love Me_-Bonnie Rait _This Boy_-the Beatles ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697/20 "2001-09-21T01:54:08Z")
- When The Circus Comes (Los Lobos) - I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You (Tom Waits) - Itta Bena Boy (Paul Cebar) - When A Man Is Wrong (Seal) - Fire And Rain (James Taylor) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-torch-songs/82697.md?page=2)