OK, I just went to Youtube and watched a very sweaty live performance of Tom Jones from the 70s singing “I Who Have Nothing.” You know what blew me away? Two things.
1. Tom just had finished another song, obviously, and was fatigued, sweaty, and feeling proud, the way he was waving his arms as if to thank the crowd for their applause (which was not a part of the vid). So he was NOT in the persona of a humble, poor guy who loves this girl who is way out of his league. Yet then he wipes off his sweat and begins the song. He is immediately transformed into that heartsick, longing lad. Like all magical performers, he BROUGHT the lyrics to life, effortlessly.
Haley did not. Her attempt at emotion during the song was wholly fake.
2. Tom Jones did not scream. He enunciated. So I could actually hear the lyrics, of how he was not the one squiring the lady to fancy places, but that he was outside the window watching the rich guy wine and dine his love.
I heard NONE of those tender lyrics from Haley. Instead, I got a indepth view of the dentist’s work on her veneers. The elderly lyricist was in the audience last night, and she dissed him by not enunciating his heartfelt song at all.
Thanks for sending me to the research lab (YouTube), Netizen.
Now, can you imagine Pia being able to sing it like Jones did? Be able to bring that heart/gut felt ache to the words? lol
I thunk his version was the best, but I did like Jordin’s BUT she didn’t get to do the whole song, so who really knows.