Precious – Annie specifically talked about the genesis of this Diva single during promotion for The Annie Lennox Collection. She said, “It is a very personal, sweet song. I lost my first baby, and when you lose a child you have to carry on in life without them being a continuing part of it. It changes the entire way you see everything. Further on down the line, my daughter was safely brought into the world, and I wrote this song for her, because I was just so profoundly grateful for her existence. Now I have two daughters, and the dedication extends to both my girls, so now the title is plural because I love them both equally with the passion of a mother.” In addition to Diva, the song was also included on the Melrose Place soundtrack.

Our #12 track in our countdown is the bassy, blusey, thumping “Precious,” from 1992’s ‘Diva.’ An ethereal track, worthy enough to be released as the 2nd single from the debut album, and a track that is often thought to be Annie’s lullaby to Lola, (and by extension, Tali as well).

According to SongFacts, (with no citation)…
“In a blog promoting her 2009 greatest hits album, The Annie Lennox Collection: Limited Edition, Lennox wrote: “It is a very personal, sweet song. I lost my first baby, and when you lose a child you have to carry on in life without them being a continuing part of it. It changes the entire way you see everything. Further on down the line, my daughter was safely brought into the world, and I wrote this song for her, because I was just so profoundly grateful for her existence. Now I have two daughters, and the dedication extends to both my girls, so now the title is plural because I love them both equally with the passion of a mother.” (https://www.songfacts.com/facts/annie-lennox/precious)

Other theories, especially based on the dark and forboding video, take a completely different twist on the song. According to the website ‘Conspirazzi.com’ “Precious” is Annie’s ‘Song to Lucifer,’ with references to the Illuminati, and symbolism of something much more sinister, than the love between a mother and her daughters. “The great war of the angels has been settled and I and the other demons have been cast into hell on Earth. I am lamenting my loss and beginning to realize that I will be in hell for a very long time.

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.” (Full article here: https://www.conspirazzi.com/precious-annie-lennox-song-to-lucifer/)

Whatever the meaning behind this soulful single, it certainly proves itself a high quality gem in Annie’s vault, being ranked #12 in our Poll. As with much of Annie’s vast catalogue, with and without Dave, the songs mean drastically different things, to an extremely diverse group of people, fans and casual listeners alike. I find it exhilarating that in a song that on the surface seems so innocent, and sweet, there are those that find a darker side, which, as us fans know, does exist in much of Annie’s music. And I find that quite ‘precious.’

– Dan Mueller

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