Tear Jerker / Phyllis Hyman

Last night, I had a dream
You floated down a stream
But I was on the dry land calling
I woke and held you in your sleep
My feelings were so sweet
That I didn't know what to do

Phyllis's discography is probably one of the saddest in the history of R&B.

Many of her songs speak on the topic of love but do not contain a happy ending—the happy ending that she seemed to desire for herself in her personal life.

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General:

• Her untimely death by suicide. From her suicide note:
  I'm tired. I'm tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you.
• She desired to have a family. She did marry but ended up divorced and she never had any children.
• I Refuse to Be Lonely and Forever with You being released after her death.

From each album:

• Phyllis Hyman
  • The album opens with "Loving You—Losing You." Here, Phyllis is in distress from her lover leaving her. Her impassioned vocals at the end of the song really drive the point home.
  • Her cover of "I Don't Want To Lose You."
  • In "Was Yesterday Such a Long Time Ago," Phyllis nurses a heartbreak from a now-deceased romance.
  • In the first verse of "Beautiful Man of Mine," she mentions how uninterested her lover was in her initially. She even mentions that he shoved her down. He may have eventually come around to her but that's certainly not the best start to a relationship.
• Sing a Song / Somewhere in My Lifetime
• You Know How To Love Me
  • In "Some Way," Phyllis is losing her lover to another woman. Her rational mind is telling her to leave, but her heart wants to keep pursuing him. She tries to warn him that his mistress will betray him but he won't listen.
  • "But I Love You" through and through. From the vocals, the instrumentation, to the lyrics. Phyllis explains to her lover that she loves him despite not being able to properly express it.
    • The lyrics at the top of the page are from this song's bridge.
• Can't We Fall In Love Again?
  • "Just Another Face In The Crowd" sees Phyllis mourning the demise of her relationship with a fellow singer. He makes promises of a life together but once his career starts to pick up, he abandons her.
    I'll be just another face in the crowd
    Calling for you to take your bow
    And I'm just another face in the crowd
    Crying inside, cheering out loud
• Goddess of Love
• Living All Alone
  • The title track
  • "Old Friend" is a tearjerker but in a heartwarming way. Here, she reunites with a former flame and they return to the loving bliss they shared together in the past.
  • Her cover of Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love."
• Prime of My Life
  • "Living In Confusion"
  • "Meet Me On The Moon"
  • "Whatever Happened To Our Love"
• I Refuse to Be Lonely
  • Phyllis shuns away loneliness in the title track, affirming herself and standing strong. It's unfortunate this strength didn't translate in her real life.
  • "This Too Shall Pass" serves a bit of unfortunate irony.
  • Phyllis is desiring for a new love but is too guarded from previous heartbreak to try in "Why Not Me."
  • The album closes with "Give Me One Good Reason To Stay." Fed up with her lover, Phyllis tells him that she's leaving.
    • Becomes Harsher in Hindsight when you consider her recent suicide in relation to the album's release.
• Forever with You