If you’re in need of a good cry, “lose it all” by Sam Tompkins might be just what you’re looking for. Gushing with simplistic piano lines, intimate vocals, and heartbreakingly palpable lyricism, this song will tug at thoughts and feelings you often avoid–just for a moment, relinquish yourself to that raw, cathartic place we all need to visit sometimes.
The message comes in hot as Sam chimes, “Tell me why / They say that grown men can’t cry,” over some warm, straightforward piano chords. The words describe, with this unabashed literalness, a devotion for someone paired with a fear of losing them. Often these feelings interact like comorbidities. Sam communicates something we all know deep down–that loving someone comes with the knowledge that it may hurt more to lose them.
The chorus crashes in with the lyric: “I don’t wanna lose it all.” Sam performs these graceful somersaults in his head voice, adding a bit more treble to the previously mid-range melody. He repeats this line twice and then rockets into a secondary melody, this time with significantly more power and rasp. As he pours out these inherently poignant words, you can hear the strain in his voice. The way he says these words is even more effective than the words themselves. It truly reaches your core to hear the struggle in someone’s voice.
All that said, Sam Tompkins is a powerhouse. It goes without saying that “lose it all” is worth your time and energy. Be sure to check out his discography, and to melt into the casual pathos that defines his writing.
Written by Alyce lindberg
