“I did my best”: why Cher thinks ‘Song for the Lonely’ and ‘You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me’ are overlooked
Over half a century’s worth of hits and a life of luxury would be a pretty good deal for most, but it seems for Cher, the best isn’t ever going to be good enough. The pop culture icon is in many ways the pinnacle of entertainment—between music, movies, and TV; she’s mastered it all, yet by her standards, what most would consider fairly minor blips in the road over the years are defining markers across her career of the ones that got away.
It’s clear that if she could turn back time—no pun intended—the ‘Goddess of Pop’ would have channelled her magic more into two particular tunes that she wishes had made a bigger mark on her legacy. It’s evidently a painful thorn in her glittering side, as back in 2020, she posted a hilariously ranting message on social media: “Y’know… when I did ‘A Song for the Lonely’ and ‘You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me’ it broke my heart that they weren’t big hits. I did my best… I always do. funny thing… when I sing them, ppl love them.”
Fan favourites though she claims they may be, it’s true that neither song is making it anywhere near the top tunes in Cher’s golden songbook. While the likes of ‘Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves’ or ‘I’ve Got You Babe’ changed the course of the pop canon, less so can be said for ‘Song for the Lonely’ and ‘You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me’ – and it seems the singer is in no mood to let them go.
Although this has all the makings of your classic diva strop, when you delve into the backstory of why Cher thought the songs deserved better, her reasons are more understandable. ‘Song for the Lonely’ was taken from the 2001 album Living Proof and was dedicated as a beacon to “the courageous people of New York” in the wake of 9/11. Cher said the following year: “At the time, we still lived in a world of innocence, and all I knew was that this was perhaps one of the best songs I’ve ever had the opportunity to sing.”
She added, “When I first started to sing that song, I felt like I was taking off on a rocket ship. It just soars”. Yet ironically, soaring was the exact thing it did a lack of, as it only managed to reach 85 in the charts. Moreover, ‘You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me’, taken from the 2010 film Burlesque, endured a similarly stunted mainstream fate, much to its maker’s disappointment as she said the lyrics “had a lot of meaning.”
It was in the sense that “I have to kind of move over,” Cher admitted before rebuffing: “Not that I’m doing it gracefully because you’d have to pull me over kicking and screaming.” Though the song may not have survived her usual chart standards in the respect it didn’t even reach, this was by no means an out-and-out failure – after all, it was still nominated for a Grammy and Golden Globe. But despite this sweep of awards season, it still wasn’t enough to satisfy the star’s iconic yearnings.
Cher’s hits are many, monumental, and massive, but it’s the mark of a true perfectionist that she can’t seem to let go of the times when things haven’t always gone her way. Some may say it’s pedantic, but in other ways, this is the power that has kept her spurning monster tunes all this time.
