GOSHEN, Ind. – The first thing I noticed about “More Than a Love Song” by the Black Pumas is its length.
Clocking in at 4:47, “More Than a Love Song” immediately runs the danger of dragging on a bit longer than necessary.
But not this song; Black Pumas don’t waste a single moment of that 4:47.
It starts with a simple clap and shaker combo before slowly rising and adding to the instrumentals with light guitar plucking and Eric Burton’s incredible range.
The duo’s rhythm and modern interpretation of soul is on full display in this track with a mixture of choral vocals and messages spread throughout the lyrics.
As the title points out, the main message is that there’s more to life than just love songs, and more than just fantasies.
Structure-wise the song is standard until it takes a sharp left-turn around the 3:15 mark when a solid breakdown occurs. Burton turns to a slow-paced rap style that borders on spoken word, shaking up the tone for the final minute of the song before using the choir-like backing vocals to lift back into a final rendition of the chorus.
As the final fading lyrics state, it’s good to “fly together” and it’s good to remember the reality of situations that anyone can come across.
This song comes across as the Black Pumas asking: what’s the use of a love song unless you do something to give it meaning?
So give it a listen and find your own meaning.
As always, I highly recommend checking out the music video to go along with the song; this one’s delightful.
