“A Sunday Kind Of Love,” Etta James
On January 20th we lost one of the best friends a song ever had. Etta James had an unmistakable capacity for expression that made the songs she sang her own. Although “A Sunday Kind Of Love” is considered a standard, the 1961 James recording represents the pinnacle of its possibility.
The opening line of this song is bewitching. The way James’ voice draws you in is captivating—you can’t not listen to the rest of the story. The sweeping string accompaniment provides a romantic setting that James matches with enthralling conviction. James’ instrument has a richness that is befitting such a beautiful piece of music—the composition itself gives her a lot to work with, but she really makes everything come together. There is something that is just so warm and comforting about her voice; it’s like an intimate embrace.
There are so many tired or trite ways to approach the subject of love, but calling it “a Sunday kind of love” is such an effective metaphor to communicate the elation of a settled match. The song speaks of longing, but the tone is optimistic: “I’m hoping to discover | A certain kind of lover | Who will show me the way!” This song is about all of your life finally coming together around that one person—that Sunday kind of love.
Sunday is a comfortable, family day; this is how you say Etta James sees loving one special person. Her passing is our loss.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Sunday, and I think it so clever how this song works that feeling into the metaphor for a relationship. Thankfully we have Etta James' recordings to keep us "warm when Mondays and Tuesdays grow cold."
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