"Emma" is a 1974 song by the British

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

band

Hot Chocolate Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...

. Written by band members

Errol Brown Lester Errol Brown MBE (12 November 1943 – 6 May 2015) was a British-Jamaican singer and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the soul and funk band Hot Chocolate. In 2004, Brown received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contributi ...

(vocals) and

Tony Wilson Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was a British record label owner, radio and television presenter, nightclub manager, impresario and a journalist for Granada Television, the BBC and Channel 4. As a co-founder o ...

(music), the song address themes of suicide, early death and lost childhood. Brown's lyrics celebrate his recently passed mother. Their rawness was developed after the producer Mickie Most asked him for further "depth and darkness". ''Emma'' reached number 3 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and number 8 in the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.

Lyrics

The song details the love of the (nameless) singer and a girl called Emmalene from the age of five, through a wedding at 17 until her suicide at an unspecified later date. Emma it seems wanted to be a "movie queen" but could never find the breaks and eventually kills herself because "I just can't keep on living on dreams no more."

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Cover versions

* Earth Quake recorded a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

for their 1977 album, ''Leveled''. *

The Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is an English rock band, formed in 1980 in Leeds. After achieving early underground fame there, the band had their commercial breakthrough in the mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasi ...

started performing the song live in 1983. The studio version was released on the b-side of the 12" version of their 1988 single, "

Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 192 ...

", and on the 2006 re-release of the album, '' Floodland''. A much-bootlegged alternate version from a 1984 John Peel radio session was officially released in 2021 on the "BBC Sessions 1982–1984" compilation. *

Urge Overkill Urge Overkill is an American alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, consisting of Nathan Kaatrud, who took the stage name Nash Kato (vocals/guitar), and Eddie "King" Roeser (vocals/guitar/bass guitar). They are widely ...

recorded a version for 1990 Touch and Go Records release, ''

The Supersonic Storybook ''The Supersonic Storybook'' is the third album by American alternative rock group Urge Overkill. It was released on March 15, 1991 on Touch and Go Records, and was produced by Steve Albini, a former roommate of the band. The album was named by Mat ...

''.

References

External links

The Sisters of Mercy: Emma (Peel Session)
{{authority control Hot Chocolate (band) songs 1974 songs 1974 singles 1975 singles Songs about suicide Songs written by Errol Brown Song recordings produced by Mickie Most The Sisters of Mercy songs Urge Overkill songs Big Tree Records singles RAK Records singles Teenage tragedy songs Songs written by Tony Wilson (musician)