This, That, and the Other

For this week’s Thursday Inspiration prompt, Jim Adams has asked us to respond to this challenge by either using the word alone, or going with the above picture, or by means of the song ‘Sexy Eyes’, or by going with another song by Dr. Hook, or with anything else that we think fits.

Before I get too far into my response to this prompt, let me clarify something. Many people associate the word “alone” as being synonymous with the word “lonely.” But I believe these words have very different meanings. Being alone is being by one’s self. Being lonely is feeling abandoned or sad due to isolation. So “alone” refers to a state of solitude, whereas “lonely” refers to an emotion.

That said, the kid in the photo above is definitely alone and I would venture to say that he’s lonely, as well.

Okay, with that out of the way I’m going with a song from Irish singer/songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan, “Alone Again (Naturally).” The song was released in 1971 and it became a worldwide hit featured on his second studio album, Back to Front.

Songfacts has called this song “one of the most depressing songs ever written.” It tells a sad tale of a lonely, suicidal man being left at the altar and then telling the listener about the death of his parents.

The song connected with listeners on various levels: the downtrodden could commiserate with the singer, and the lucky ones who were not in this position were reminded of their good fortune. It sold 2 million copies, spent six weeks at the top of the U.S. charts and earned O’Sullivan three Grammy Award nominations (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year). It was the second best-selling single of the year in America, behind Don McLean’s “American Pie.”

O’Sullivan has denied that this song is autobiographical or about the death of his father when he was 11. He said, “Everyone wants to know if it’s an autobiographical song, based on my father’s early death. Well, the fact of the matter is, I didn’t know my father very well, and he wasn’t a good father anyway. He didn’t treat my mother very well.”