Percy Sledge - "Out of Left Field"

Despite all appearances, "Out of Left Field" is a happy song. The unpredictable occurrence of the title is the appearance of love in Sledge's life, and so unexpected was it that the singer seems to have been unable to adjust his miserable disposition before writing a song about it. Sledge sounds broken down and desperate, wailing (about how happy he is) over his band's mournful music. Near the end of the song, he sings, "She was a lover and a friend," giving the first and only clue that the love story is now over. It would almost justify the song's tone, but then comes the final lyric: "Everything is alright." Ultimately, "Out of Left Field" is less about a particular woman than it is about the serendipitous timing of her arrival on the scene -- or, especially, the possibility of serendipitous arrivals on scenes in general. Sledge is sustained, it seems, by the notion that, no matter how miserable the situation, something might always be lurking in the shadows beyond third base.

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