Maybe part of the song's success had to do with Seal 86'ing his futuristic-cult-leader look in 'Crazy' and rebranding himself as a sex symbol-ripping his shirt off, going bald, and declaring himself worthy of future wife/ex-wife Heidi Klum.īut what is it about 'Kiss from a Rose' that endures? It's a wistful paean to the color gray, with nonsensical lyrics (I always thought he was singing 'a grain tower,' not 'a graying tower,' and 'a kiss from a rose on the grave,' not 'gray.'). The song was so huge, it went on to win three Grammys and hit number one. 'Rose' played incessantly on the radio, becoming the earworm song of the summer and beyond. The movie was a hit, but Schumacher's interpretation generated a lot of fan rancor because it was when the Batman franchise started sucking. Enter director Joel Schumacher, who came along and inserted the song over the end credits of his technicolored film Batman Forever (released June 16, 1995), and included it on the film's soundtrack, a solid set featuring Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, U2, Brandy, and Mazzy Star. 'Kiss from a Rose' was actually released in the UK in 1994 (from Seal II), but it didn't chart well.
Twenty years ago today, Seal descended from the heavens and released a 4:47-length single that would result in a score of parodies to this classic bad-in-a-good-way song.
