Seal broke into pop culture with a smash song that stirred us; we were, in fact, all a little bit Crazy. Soon he followed that crowd-pleaser up with another giant which was married to the Batman film franchise, making it one of the most played songs of 1994: Kiss From A Rose. But as amazing as both songs were, it was his one of Seal’s subsequent releases that drew me in and still makes me swoon to this day. Don’t Cry explodes with harmonies and a piano and a subtle bass with his silken voice overarching the entire thing. Listening to it now is like a master-class lesson in what post-grunge nineties music was all about - beautiful vocals that spoke of hope and security in an uncertain time. The years prior to October 1997 are hard to describe for me because I don’t think I really lived yet before then. I existed but I was a shadow of what I’d eventually become. I was a follower, a lemming. But I guess the part of my soul that would awaken through music was always there; this song feels like that last moment before Mary died and my entire life changed. Its message, 'don’t cry, you are not alone… don’t cry, you’ll always be loved…' are words I know she’s always been saying, alive or elsewhere in the universe.
From the historical writing archive. Original date: December 4, 2018. Recovered from local source material; editorial review is still in progress.