August’s Best Top 40 Song is a tribute to actor Paul Walker who died in a car crash last year. “See You Again” is a surprisingly emotional song that becomes a universal song about loss and confidence about reuniting in the afterlife. (Photo courtesy Universal)
There may be no more emotional chorus in a Top 40 song this year than the one in “See You Again”:
“It’s been a long day without you, my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.
We’ve come a long way from where we began
Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again.”
The combination of this chorus sung by Charlie Huth and the rap by Wiz Khalifa in the verses makes for a moving song about a spiritual connection made in friendship that survives death.
Death isn’t a popular topic in Top 40 songs these days.
The Top 40 is much like it was during the 1970s disco craze. There are lots of songs about partying and casual sex —just much more explicit than during the disco years.
Defying a formulaic Top 40
Charlie Huth, left, and Wiz Khalifa, right, have a monster hit song with “See You Again.” This signifies that the spiritual themes in the song are resonating with many people. (Photo courtesy Atlantic)
There are still some Top 40 songs that can be considered about romance along with the occasional “I Will Survive This Breakup” song. But the Top 40 had largely been redefined as party songs supplemented by some rap songs — with the usual posturing about scoring women, bragging about material possessions, and being oh so much better than mere mortals because they’re famous.
Because of the lingering economic problems, which the mainstream media doesn’t recognize, there seems to be a frantic desire to escape. Or a longing for a fantasy life where money, sex, and materialism can be found in abundance.
So death is the last topic that should come up in this Top 40 era of party songs and braggy rap songs. It’s just too heavy of a topic in an arena that’s now largely been redefined as escapism and hedonism.
Covering universal themes
The reason I think this song about death and a belief in an afterlife is so successful is because it’s a tribute to a movie star (Paul Walker) of a well-known film franchise (The Fast and the Furious). The death of a celebrity is something the media will make time and space to recognize.
Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” is the rare Top 40 rap song that has some spiritual depth. (Photo courtesy Atlantic)
But the song avoids being an overt song about a celebrity. It’s a universal song about mourning, loss and hope for reuniting in the afterlife.
Wiz Khalifa raps about a friendship about two friends who grew up together, from crazy younger days to maturity. (Friendship is also another subject not often covered in Top 40 songs).
“Everything I went through you were standing there by my side,” Khalifa says. He has nostalgia for those times (“those were the days”) but has faith that “I see you in a better place.” This is a song that has a belief in the afterlife.
In another verse Khalifa raps from what appears to be the perspective of the friend who died. He reassures him that the friendship is a bond that can’t be broken and that “the love will never get lost.” He tells his friend to “remember me when I’m gone.”
Another chorus uses more religious imagery. “Let the light guide your way” and “every road you take will always lead you home.”
This is a rare Top 40 song that’s spiritual and recognizes an afterlife. The mass success of the song shows people are interested in spirituality. There aren’t enough Paul Walker fans to take this song to this level of popularity. The universal spiritual themes are connecting with people.
Here’s the music video for “See You Again”:
