The song is a poignant reflection on the enduring pain of a love that has been lost.
There are songs that simply pass through the air, and then there are those that find a way to burrow deep into the soul, a constant, low thrum of memory and emotion. “It’s A Tragedy” by Chris Norman is one such song, a haunting echo of heartache that resonates just as powerfully today as it did when it first surfaced in the mid-1980s. Released on his landmark solo album, Some Hearts Are Diamonds, in 1986, the song didn’t achieve the same commercial chart success as the album’s title track or the immense hit “Midnight Lady,” which reached number one in Germany and other European countries. Nevertheless, it became a quiet staple for those who found solace in its raw, unfiltered sorrow. While the album itself was a chart success, peaking at #14 in Germany and #9 in both Norway and Switzerland, “It’s A Tragedy” remains an understated gem, a testament to Norman’s ability to convey profound emotion with his distinctively raspy, soulful voice.
The story behind the song is one of collaboration and creative synergy. Written by Chris Norman himself alongside his long-time bandmate from Smokie, Pete Spencer, “It’s A Tragedy” is a deeply personal and reflective piece. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a man grappling with the aftermath of a devastating breakup. He’s been “burned before,” and yet, the current loss is so profound that it feels like a tragedy. The song doesn’t shy away from the visceral pain of a broken heart. “There’s an aching in my heart,” the chorus repeats, a simple yet powerful phrase that captures the physical and emotional toll of grief. It’s a feeling many of us, particularly those who have lived a little longer and loved a little more, can understand intimately.
The song’s meaning is multifaceted, but at its core, it is an elegy for a lost connection. The line, “Dancing in the dark, love’s abandoned me,” evokes a sense of loneliness and desolation. It’s the feeling of being in a familiar place, a dance floor, perhaps, but one where the music has stopped and the light has gone out. It’s about a love that has not just ended but has actively left, a conscious departure that leaves a void. The sentiment is that this kind of heartbreak is a silent, unseen tragedy. “No one can see” the pain, a feeling that resonates with anyone who has had to put on a brave face while their world is crumbling inside. The raw honesty of the lyrics, combined with the melancholic melody and Norman’s signature vocal delivery, creates a timeless and relatable masterpiece of heartbreak. It’s a song that doesn’t offer a path to recovery, but rather, a shared space for sorrow, a moment to acknowledge the depth of the ache.
For those of us who grew up with Chris Norman‘s music, from the soft-rock hits of Smokie to his solo career, this song is more than just a track on an album. It’s a time machine. It takes us back to a different era—a time of quiet contemplation, of mixtapes carefully curated to match our moods, of feelings that felt bigger than the world. It’s a memory of a slower time, a more deliberate kind of sorrow that had its own soundtrack. “It’s A Tragedy” is a song that invites you to sit with your feelings, to remember a time when a broken heart felt like the end of the world, and to find a strange comfort in the shared experience of that pain.