Released: 2016
If you think melancholy can’t be wrapped in melodic bliss, let James Arthur’s “Let Me Love the Lonely” tell you otherwise. This song is a hymn of solace, a melody that echoes a promise to shoulder another’s loneliness, to ease their pain, and in doing so, find salvation within.
The opening lines, “You laugh at all the jokes/Even the ones you know/Funny I’m doing that, too” set the stage for a connection between two people who wear the same masks to navigate through societal expectations. The laughter at jokes, even the ones already known, indicates their shared struggle to fit into the busy world they inhabit. It’s the universal feeling of sometimes being on the outside looking in, pretending to be part of it all.
Then when Arthur croons, “Let me love the lonely out of you/Let me love the pain you’re going through/I think I’ve saved myself by saving you”, we get the crux of the narrative. It’s a clarion call to nurture the solitary parts of each other. His urge to heal and be healed speaks to the reciprocal nature of vulnerability in relationships, where in helping others, we often find our own redemption.
Moving to the verses “Lighthouse without the lights/You smile without your eyes”, Arthur brilliantly uses metaphors to capture the essence of loneliness. Just as a lighthouse without lights fails to serve its purpose, a smile without the eyes is merely a facade, hinting at the internal struggle the person is facing. It’s like saying, “I see you, even when you don’t think anyone else does.”
The subsequent lines again carry the same poignant refrain, cementing the theme of shared loneliness and the desire to overcome it together. As he sings “We can light a fire to moments”, it can be assumed that he wishes to ignite their shared moments with warmth and companionship, combatting the biting cold of solitude.
James Arthur’s “Let Me Love the Lonely” is a lyrical masterpiece that doesn’t shy away from exposing the unglamorous facets of loneliness, yet it beautifully conveys the power of compassion and shared understanding to remedy it. It’s a strong commentary on the human condition, emphasizing that in the midst of our individual battles, shared struggles can be a beacon of hope and a roadmap to reciprocal healing.
