by Paula Neal Mooney

Okay, I’ve finally listened to Noel Gourdin’s (and co-writer’s?) “Sorry” lyrics long enough to write them all down.

The not-sorry “Sorry” song and its lyrics are sultry and intoxicating.

No wonder the girl referenced in Noel Gourdin’s “I Hear You Talkin’” lyrics “came back every time.”

Noel sounds like an honest man not afraid to put his heart on his sleeve in this era of over-exaggerated machismo.

The “she really put me on” confession about the girl he cheated with must’ve felt like a knife in the gut to his cheated-upon love, but at least he felt guilt over having creeped.

Other than that, the melodic “Sorry” and its lyrics are lulling but not a standout in an otherwise crowded R & B world.

I’m so glad that the Negro spiritual (as Noel calls it) The River came out first and is hopefully in heavy rotation on XM radio.

“Sorry” doesn’t hold water (get it?) compared to “The River,” other than the outstanding jazzy riff Gourdin does at the end — which really shows the mirror-like vocal quality to D’Angelo, whom I meant to compare Noel Gourdin to more than Maxwell.

Turns out Raphael Saadiq produced both D’Angelo as well as some of Noel Gourdin’s songs, and it seems Noel is already trying to distance himself from being called D’Angelo 2.0:

“I hear the comparison…” Noel says on his MySpace page, “…our voices are similar but you can tell us apart.”

Indeed we can, Noel, indeed we can.

And I love D’Angelo, so here’s plenty of prayers that he comes out of his latest troubles, and that Noel Gourdin never touches that path.

Sorry lyrics by Noel Gourdin

Girl we need to talk
‘Cause I can’t look at you
And keep this to myself

‘Cause every time I see your eyes
The thought comes back to mine
Girl I didn’t want to do it
But I gave into temptation

I couldn’t hold it back
She really put me on

And I swear I never meant to hurt you
But it’s killing me
‘Cause now I’m so afraid

Chorus
‘Cause I don’t want to lose you
Girl I’m sorry
Forgive me
If you just let me explain
Girl I’m sorry
Forgive me

Baby now I understand
If you just want to up and leave
After what I done
‘Cause I don’t deserve you

But if you can only take the time
And think of what we had
If you could just give me a second chance
Baby we can live romance
Baby just me and you
With no one in between us

Oh…now I know I’m asking for too much
But if you still have a heart
Girl that’s all I need

Repeat Chorus

I don’t want you to leave
Because I love you
(Girl, you know that I love you baby)
Girl I can’t see myself living without you
(I can’t see me living without you)
I don’t know what I’d do if I’d lose you

Repeat Chorus Twice

I’m sorry babe
I’m sorry babe
I’m sorry babe

I’m sorry babe
Sorry babe
Sorry baby
Sorry babe

Sorry

Oh! Ooohhhh!

What do you think? Would you forgive Noel Gourdin if he sang the “Sorry” lyrics to you?

Leave me a comment.

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