Cover Story: Gabrielle Aplin Finds a Haunting Simplicity in Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Otherworldly “The Power of Love”
A song that rivals Romeo and Juliet’s once in a lifetime love, “The Power of Love” has been explored by different genres and artists over the years. Here are two versions that stand the test of time.
Cover Story highlights what makes cover songs interesting in comparison to their original versions, whether they stay true to the source material or reimagine it entirely.
Written by Jencie Tomasek
Photos courtesy of Brian Griffin and Hanna Hillier
With the end of summer and onset of fall, you might find yourself craving a piano ballad to usher in the new season. Specifically, something that reminds you that amidst change, love is a powerful, satiating constant. Gabrielle Aplin’s “The Power of Love” fits the bill perfectly. Simultaneously providing delicate, passionate lyrical delivery and airy, powerful instrumentals, it’s hard to believe that Aplin’s version is only a cover, as she commands the song as if she were the creator herself.
English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin released “The Power of Love” in 2012 as a chart-topping single for her 2013 debut album English Rain. However, the song first made waves through another U.K. musical act: group Frankie Goes To Hollywood released the original “Power of Love” in 1984, lacing it with key musical elements synonymous with the ‘80s. It’s a testament to Aplin’s abilities in transforming a synth pop, ‘80s soft rock tune into an alternative, indie, folk ballad that could move even Adele to tears.
“I always felt like ‘The Power of Love’ was the record that would save me in this life. There is a biblical aspect to its spirituality and passion; the fact that love is the only thing that matters in the end,” said lead singer of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Holly Johnson.This quote encapsulates the essence of the song, as echoed several times within the song with a chill-inducing hook: “I’m so in love with you / Make love your goal.”This line encapsulates the song and permeates every consonant and punctuation uttered for the remainder of the song. It’s a quiet vulnerability of showcasing all parts of yourself to someone else and the silent hope that they reciprocate such strong emotions.
“The Power of Love” is gracefully ubiquitous by being religious without ties to any specific religion. The love described in the song is the kind of love that transcends an earthly plane, the only explanation being that it’s a gift from above — be that the universe, God, or whoever and whatever else. The love both artists sing about elicits the image of a baptism by fire. It’s a love so powerful, it unveils your true self and cleanses yourself from the lies of superficial love. “The Power of Love / A force from above / Cleaning my soul / Flame on burn desire / Love with tongues of fire / Purge the soul / Make love your goal.”
The crux of the song hinges on the mystifying ideal of love without specifying what kind of love — romantic, platonic, familial. Whatever type of love it is, it’s an “undying, death defying love.” Therefore, the song is grounded in its message that love, in all its forms, is key to the human condition. But, so strong a love is but a dream on this transient earth. The song features lovely gems of this higher idea of love through poetic lines such as, “Love is the light / Scaring darkness away” and “When the chips are down I’ll be around.” A true love goes beyond the superficial niceties of a ‘normal’ love, a higher type of love transcends beyond the mundane and includes the mundane itself. When you’re stripped bare and have nothing to your name but a trail of baggage and general human messiness, finding someone who will stick with you through it all is the true love in discussion. However, the lyrics don’t just touch on the pleasant aspects of love, but also its darker moments: “Love is danger, love is pleasure.”
Frankie Goes To Hollywood first showcased the song to the world in 1983 during a John Peel Sessions performance. It was slower, so the band went back to the drawing board in preparation for the official album release a year later making it what it is today: A steadily beating, quintessential ‘80s pop tune that offers an uplifting and dance-like quality to its future cover counterparts.
Utilizing the guitar and keyboard gives the song a sharp, captivating, and edgy verve. Lead singer Holly Johnson starts the song with a raw and almost guttural “Ay, ay, ay, ay” and reverb. Johnson continues holding out certain words such as “angels” and “away” with an impressive combination of raspiness and strength giving the song an unpolished feel, as if he were singing this to a lover on a whim in an impulsive moment of passion.
The first “Make love your goal” brings in a crescendo of orchestral sounds previously lost among the loudness of the vocals against the much quieter keys in the background. Johnson’s mastery of holding out each line as long as possible without sounding excessive or inflated and the usage of echoes after different phrases give it a choral element, something fitting for organ accompaniment in a church. Giving a breath of fresh air when the drums come in before the start of the second verse, Johnson belts, “Love is like an energy / Rushing in, rushing inside of me, hmmm” — a satisfying combination that tickles the ear pleasantly as if love is stored in an unshakeable and anchored instrumental apparatus like the drums.
Gabrielle Aplin’s version is a complete 180 compared to the original. It’s much gentler and softer both in delivery and instrumentals. Haunting, angelic, and ethereal – especially coupled with the Gothic-esque music video featuring Aplin in an empty house playing the piano. Her breathiness on lines like “Let yourself be beautiful” touches the soul and makes you want to sway in an empty ballroom. The simple piano and light strings without the fanfare of louder instruments make the piece much more moving. With the bare minimum of instruments, it places more focus on the lyrics itself — this song tells a beautiful story of the rewards of loving and being loved. It's much easier to focus on without the flashiness of the original version. The carefully crafted pauses, especially before the final chorus, ring in a bit of drums and a rising orchestral sound as well.
Aplin’s version of the song relies heavily on her vocal prowess, and there’s no doubt she delivers. Compared to Johnson’s singing, her delivery is less pleading and more yearning for the listener of the song. It’s a bit more understated, and without the echoes and reverb, Aplin uses runs while also singing plainly to prove that the powerful message of “The Power of Love” doesn't need frills to make it stand out.
Both versions are unique in and of itself but suggest the idea that each version be interpreted as love seen and felt from the male versus female perspective. Where Johnson takes a louder and more forceful approach, Aplin has a more mellow and almost innocent delivery. Each artist emphasizes different parts of verses and wedges in sharp pauses or dramatic instrumentals to further highlight a certain line or word.
Both artists understand the song’s theme of love being magical, both worth fighting for and worth knowing. This comprehension surpasses the minor stylistic decisions that separate the two versions because each artist, like the rest of society, have different ideas of love, thus presenting ‘love’ as what it means to them. Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s version is more rock heavy, edgy, and passionate — perfect for a visceral love swept up in a headrush. Aplin’s version eases slowly and delicately into this grandiose idea of love, falls fast in the middle, then evens out towards the end — a 21st century accurate illustration of love in the modern world, with highs, lows, and everything in between included. Regardless, both artists paint a reverent view of love, ending “The Power of Love with one last timeless message to their decades-apart listeners: “Make love your goal.”