20 Devastating Songs About Heartbreak

By Ed Nash /

13. If You Have To Go - Geneva

One of the joys of music is discovering something wonderful you've never heard before, and finding a particular song that stays with you. On the face of it, Geneva were one of the unluckiest bands in the world. They were a band who had everything in place €“ songwriting, music and voice? All boxes ticked, but still no breakthrough. There were many reasons for this, chief of which was the decision to release their debut, all big guitars and portentous singing on the same day as 'OK Computer.' There's a time to pick your battles, and they got that one horribly wrong. By the time they released this single from their second album the game was up, which was a crying shame because this song is a lost gem. 'If you have to go' is a song of many themes about love, it's a song of defeat, it's a song of acceptance, but there's also a doomed hope here. The words are wonderful, "And if you get to thinking, the same as I've been dreaming, just let me know, just let me know." The voice is the lead instrument whilst the band plays the tune out with wonderful restraint.