#9 Darren Hayes, "Casey"

If you take me away
All the pain will change into a memory
Of when we were amazing

There are so many things I could praise about this song. I could rave about the gorgeous synth backing. I could (try to) wax eloquent about the emotion in it. I could focus on the strings that bring a touch of class and poignancy to a song that already has both of those traits but can only be enhanced by the fleshing out of its musical skeleton with the use of that section of the orchestra that makes any pop song better. I could talk about the melody, the lyrics. What best sums up my relationship with this song, though, is the fact that every time--without fail--"Casey" reaches a certain point about two-thirds into the song and begins to wind down, I always think it's about to end and wish that wasn't going to happen...and then it doesn't, slowly unfolding itself and instead cycling back for another minute of music that, if anything, is even better than the minutes that preceded it. That a year and a half after it debuted "Casey" still enchants me so much that I never want it to end, still captures me in its journey, and still surprises me with its musical twists and turns says more about the enduring power of the song than anything else I could ever write.

Find it on: This Delicate Thing We've Made