Emma (song)


"Emma", also known as "Emma, Emmalene" or "Emmelene", is a song by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson released as a single by British soul band Hot Chocolate in 1974. It reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart and number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. After being asked by producer Mickie Most to add "depth and darkness" to his compositions, Brown wrote the song about the death of his mother.

Lyrics

The song details the love of the singer and a girl called Emmalene from the age of five, through a wedding at 17 until her suicide at an unspecified later date. Emma it seems wanted to be a "movie queen" but could never find the breaks and eventually kills herself because "I just can't keep on living on dreams no more."

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Cover versions