Annie Lennox : 100 BEAUTIFUL SONGS

Number 21 : Big Sky by Annie Lennox from Songs of Mass Destruction in 2007

021 Big Sky Annie Lennox 100 Beautiful Songs bpo

In a review of Songs of Mass Destruction for CompulsiveReader.com, writer Daniel Garrett positive album review gave special marks to “Big Sky.” He wrote: “The song ‘Big Sky,’ embroidered with piano notes, might be about a love affair or the natural environment—or a love seen as important as the sky.

The lyrics strike me as vague, and also mention weeping and wailing—but it is Lennox’s voice that threatens and soothes, and the song’s refrain has a radiance making resistance improbable.”

Top 15 voters

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Big sky
I’m gonna hurt you
Big sky
You’ll remember this
Big sky
Up above the rain
How can I ever put a stop to it?
Look you in the face again

Big sky
I’ll never let you go
Big sky
Baby I told you so
Big sky
Look at this swollen pride
I got so busy lookin’ out for you
When were you by my side?

When I’m breathin’
When I’m sleepin’
I can’t think of nothing else
All my longing’
All my waiting’
All my wailin’
All my standin’ on the shelf
How am I ever gonna get through this
Back to myself again?

Big sky
I never knew you
Big sky
Let me down again
Big sky
I’m givin’ you the blame
How did I ever get stuck in this?
Give me some grace again

Won’t you say it isn’t so?
Watch me fallin’
See me fallin’
I slipped through
The vortex of the sky
Darkness and light
Is what’s inside
Darkness and light
Is what’s inside

Our #21 takes us to track 10 on ‘Songs of Mass Destruction.’ A bigger than life number, finding our muse screaming at the sky, not knowing where else to place the blame, the heartache, the misery, the failures. Juxtaposed to the 11th track, ‘Fingernail Moon,’ “Big Sky” is a furious piece, with Annie, having no other place to turn, but to the sky to release these feelings. Gone are the sad days of looking down at the pavement cracks in tears and heartbreak.

The stronger Annie, pours out the anger, fist to the sky, and then…a reconciliation happens, in which the realization that we are all darkness and light, yin and yang, happy and sad, frail and strong… in that, we find somewhat of a closure after this larger than life masterpiece.

It is so emotionally moving, like a hurricane and the calm before a thunderstorm, it is no wonder there are more dance interpretations of the track than actual cover versions. Oh, and hell, she uses the word “vortex” – that alone gives this beauty a worthy place in the Top 25 in my book.
– Dan Mueller

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