torch song
2
7.0
- noun
- /tɔrtʃ sɔŋ/
- Archaic
:
balada melancólica
- On the rare occasions when Bennett sings a torch song, as in his intense performance of The Man That Got Away, one hears with surprise what is missing from his normally sunny output.
- sing a torch song
Examples
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And now the band slides in, in classic torch song style as Tina sings "Checks Appeal."
Fiction book (1994) -
What happened to all your bloody torch song rubbish!?
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Uh, Mary Ann, how would you feel if I asked you to sing a torch song with a gospel feel to it?
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The doubts and the fears The stormy weather Hearts and flowers All those torch songs after hours
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A torch song.
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She belted out torch songs.
Fiction book (2002) -
She poured her heart out in a torch song that resonated with everyone who had loved and lost.
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His latest album features several classic torch songs that beautifully capture the pain of unrequited love.
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The movie's soundtrack is filled with touching torch songs that evoke feelings of nostalgia and longing.
Synonyms
17
6.1
A sad song, poem, or cry that shows grief
How Sad
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'a sentimental song about disappointment or unrequited love' does not follow from the literal meanings of 'torch' (a handheld light) and 'song' — there is no obvious compositional link. Understanding this MWE requires knowledge of the idiomatic metaphorical use of 'torch' (e.g. 'to carry a torch' for someone), so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not reliably infer the meaning.
Etymology
Torch song comes from the image of a burning torch and the old idea 'to carry a torch' for someone, which means to keep a secret, burning love. Singers used these songs to show deep, often 'unreturned love', so today a torch song means a sad, emotional song about 'longing' or 'unreturned love'.