Sayer launched his career in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s, and became a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s. His first seven hit singles in the United Kingdom all reached the Top 10 – a feat first registered by his first manager, Adam Faith. His songs have been sung by other notable artists, including Cliff Richard ("Dreamin'").
Unchained Melody
Leo Sayer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've hungered for your touch a long,
lonely time. Time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much.
Are you still mine?
I need your love.
I need your love.
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea,
to the open arms of the sea.
Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me,
wait for me.
I'll be coming home, wait for me.
Oh, my love, my darling,
I've hungered for your touch a long
lonely time. Time, goes by so slowly,
and time can do so much,
Are you still mine?
I need your love.
I need your love.
God speed your love, to me.
Leo Sayer's cover of the classic ballad, Unchained Melody, expresses a deep longing for a love that has been absent for a long time. The lyrics use vivid imagery of a lonely river flowing into the sea and sighing for the singer's return. The opening lines are especially poignant, with the singer addressing their beloved as "my love, my darling," and admitting to hungering for their touch for a "long, lonely time." The repetition of the phrase "Are you still mine?" further emphasizes the singer's fear and uncertainty about the state of their relationship.
The second verse expands on the theme of separation and the distance between the singer and their beloved. The lonely rivers are personified as sighing and waiting for the singer's return, further adding to the feeling of melancholy and longing. The final lines of both verses, "God speed your love to me," express the singer's desperation and desire for their beloved to come back to them.
Overall, the song is a powerful and emotional depiction of the pain of separation and the longing for reconnection. Leo Sayer's expressive vocals and the accompanying music create a haunting and beautiful rendition of this timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my love, my darling,
The singer is addressing their beloved
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time.
The singer has been longing for physical intimacy with their beloved for a considerable amount of time
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Time feels like it's moving slowly, and it has the power to change everything
Are you still mine?
The singer is unsure if their beloved still belongs to them
I need your love.
The singer requires their beloved's affection
God speed your love to me.
The singer is hoping for their beloved to show their love as quickly as possible
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea, to the open arms of the sea.
Rivers carry their loneliness to the sea, which embraces it openly
Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me.
The rivers long for the singer's return
I'll be coming home, wait for me.
The singer promises to come home and requests for the rivers to wait for them
Oh, my love, my darling,
The singer repeats their address to their beloved
I've hungered for your touch a long lonely time.
The singer restates their longing for physical intimacy with their beloved for a considerable amount of time
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
The singer reiterates how time moves slowly and has the power to change things
Are you still mine?
The singer reiterates their lack of certainty about their beloved
I need your love.
The singer reaffirms their need for their beloved's affection
I need your love.
The singer repeats their need for their beloved's affection
God speed your love, to me.
The singer restates their hope for their beloved to show their love as quickly as possible
Contributed by Dylan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stephen Sir
What a heartbreaking rendering by Leo Sayer!!! Straight from the bottom of the soul
Tonithenightowl
This song has a lot of room for innovation. Heard it done fast, slow and now an inbetween version. I like it very much, it's another expression of a timeless classic.
Ray Jones
BRILLIANT. GOOD VERSION OF THE SONG.
grmpfie
One of the versions of unchained melody .. love this one.
Yusuf Karriem
I have been looking for this version a long time. Thank you very much. I think this version is very nice, different but nice
Nur Cholis
Brilliant...with good taste n harmonis...
RodCornholio
Very underrated and underplayed (never).
Theadora Vogels
Beautiful song love Leo Sayer
Wombah 0070
What's the matter with the listeners? Leo Sayer was very talented!!!
Maria Gonzalez
HIS VERSATILITY IS SURREALISTIC..GREETINGS FROM PUERTO RICO..MARIA