Skip to content Whats The Meaning Behind The Song Careless Whisper By Wham – George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” is an ’80s affair classic, along with one of the most beautiful and widely known alto saxophone songs of all time.
Written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of British pop duo Wham!, the track appears on the group’s second and final album.
Whats The Meaning Behind The Song Careless Whisper By Wham
In fact, most “Carless Whispers” can only be thanked to George Michael and not to Wham! Who does it technically belong to?
George Michael’s
The track was released as a single in the UK and featured on Wham! With George Michael. In the United States, the song was released under George Michael’s name without any mention of Wham!
Right now, wham! They were in the process of breaking up and George Michael was about to embark on a solo career making music for a more mature audience.
Interestingly, despite Michael receiving recognition, it was one of three singles released by Wham! Ridgeley participated in the songwriting process and is actually credited with the track. Another said “Wham Rap!” And “Club Tropicana” wasn’t as popular as “Careless Whispers.”
Wow! They separated after their final tour in 1986, and Michael continued a successful solo career until his death in 2016 at the age of 53.
Saxophonists, 4 Re Recordings And A £17,000 Haircut… The Tortuous Tale Of George Michael’s Careless Whisper:
When I wrote Careless Whisper I was on my way to DJ in Bel Air. I’ve always written on buses, trains and cars. This always happens on tour… I remember exactly where ‘Careless Whisper’ came from, and where I came up with the saxophone… I wrote it completely in my head. I worked on it in my head for about 3 months. George Michael wrote Careless Whisper
He begins by describing his experience when he was about twelve years old, when he had a crush on a girl named Jane. Jane, along with her sister, got to see the girl at the ice rink on Queensway in London. He didn’t give him the time of day because Jane, who had long blonde hair and was in her early teens with glasses.
But a few years later, at the age of 16, Michael got his first girlfriend. He lost his mind, took off his glasses and suddenly started inviting people to the party.
It started to cool off a little when I found out that the blonde girl from Queensway had moved right around the corner from our school. He walked in right next to where I was standing, waiting for my next door neighbor to take me home from school. Then one day I saw her walking down her street next to me and thought: Now where did she come from? He didn’t know it was me. Years passed and I looked very different. Then I did a school disco with the headmaster and he saw me singing and decided he loved me. At that time she was much older and very bored. Eventually I started observing her. One day he called me while I was waiting for the elevator and I was… in heaven. George Michael explains the story behind “Careless Whispers.”
George Michael ‘had No Idea’ Why Everyone Loved Careless Whisper So Much
It may seem like young George changed his fate, but he got himself into quite a bit of trouble by neglecting to end things with Helen before meeting Jane.
So I dated her for a few months but it didn’t stop her seeing Eleni. I thought I was smart. He went from a total loser to a two year old. And I remember my sisters giving me a hard time when they found out about it because they loved the first girl so much. The whole idea of ”Careless Whisper” was about being the first girl to find herself for the second time. She never did that. But instead of ending my relationship with Jane, I started another relationship with a girl named Alexis. Things got a little complicated. Jane noticed me and got rid of me… The whole time I thought I was cool for these two hours, but there really wasn’t that many emotions involved. I felt guilty about her first girl and I haven’t stopped seeing her since. And her song idea was about her. “Careless Whispers” is what we dance to. Because we dance a lot. And the idea was – we would dance. But she knows. And it’s over. George Michael came up with the concept of “careless whispering.”
As he explains, he wrote A Careless Whisper from the perspective of a man who is discovered by his wife. The lyrics evoke shame about everything and suggest that he has caused irreparable damage to his relationship with this woman.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the lyrics and see what they’re about, starting with the first verse.
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When the music dies down and I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor and something in your eyes reminds you of all the sad farewells to the silver screen and the first verse of George Michael’s ‘Careless Whispers’ I I feel so uncertain.
Then the saxophone comes in and grabs our attention. Michael sings from the perspective of his edgy teenage self as he leads one of his many girlfriends on the dance floor.
The dialogue has an ominous tone, as the music dies down and the look in her eyes announces that the end is near, just like in a movie.
I’ll never dance again Guilty feet have no rhythm It’s easy to pretend but I know you ain’t stupid But you should know better than to fool your friends and waste the opportunities given to us Never dance again George Michael I heard the Way I Dance With You chorus to ‘Careless Whisper’.
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When Michael sings about his “guilty feet,” he means that he knows he has betrayed his partner and is paralyzed by the weight of what he has done. He can’t do happy things like dancing when he’s in the mood, and even suggests he’ll never dance again.
The only thing worse than the betrayal is the fact that he knows it, and now Michael must think about his decision. He has sculpted himself and knows that he will never find another lover who can bring her as much happiness as she does.
Time can never heal the careless whispers in the heart of a good friend, and ignorance is good. There is no comfort in true pain. This is the second verse of George Michael’s “Careless Whispers.”
The lyrics here reveal that Michael’s girlfriend found out about his affair through “a careless whisper from a good friend.”
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Maybe this friend of hers also didn’t know he was seeing her and just mentioned it in passing and she blew up all his plans. Or maybe she was a really good friend and she let me know that her husband was sneaking around.
He then says that he is better off not knowing because knowing the truth about what he did will only bring him pain. In this way, he blames his friend for bringing the pain of the truth to his girlfriend despite her own actions.
After the second verse, the chorus hits again, and that sultry saxophone gives it another helping, before reaching its breaking point in the bridge.
The music is so loud tonight that it makes the crowd want to disperse. Will you dance with me? Stay tuned for George Michael’s Careless Whispers.
Careless Whisper Sheet Music (piano, Voice, Guitar)
Michael suggests that the music is louder than usual and he feels assaulted. But perhaps this is a symptom of his anxiety. Because he expresses that the situation is different and begins to act for another opportunity.
After the bridge, the chorus resumes, followed by one final appearance of the glorious alto saxophone before the song fades away.
Anyone who has heard “Careless Whisper” knows how important the saxophone part is to the song’s success. To think that George Michael came up with this in his head shows the pure talent he possesses when it comes to creating pop songs.
Michael was so strict about the saxophone sounding exactly as he imagined, which created a lot of tension during the song’s initial recording process.
George Michael Careless Whisper Hi Res Stock Photography And Images
He contacted producer Jerry Wexler and brought him a demo tape of the song on which his friend played the saxophone part. They have made several reservations at popular places
