Among the stories of Great Romances, there are always those tragic tales of great love that never was.

The song “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt is an ode to just such a tale. Woven into the delicate melody is the deep melancholy of a man who has fallen in love at first sight with a woman he cannot hope to have as his own. He begins almost hopefully, perhaps caught up in those first few moments of heart-stopping attraction:

My life is brilliant
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I’m sure.
She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won’t lose no sleep on that,
‘Cause I’ve got a plan.

But the true nature of the situation soon invades his thinking and reason pushes aside those blinding moments when the heart soars.

You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful, it’s true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don’t know what to do,
‘Cause I’ll never be
with you.

It’s a brilliant stroke that the song leaves us never sure if the singer is simply recalling an event or if this was a deep fantasy of an unbalanced man.

Yes, she caught my eye,
As we walked on by.
She could see from my face that I was,
Flying high,
And I don’t think that I’ll see her again,
But we shared a moment that will last ’till the end.

The video clears any doubts as to the depth of his feelings about this woman he has seen only in a passing moment. As he sings the last verse, he removes his shirt and shoes, empties his pockets and lines them up in front of him in a methodical and orderly fashion.

You’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful, it’s true.
I saw your face in
a crowded place,
And I don’t know what to do,
‘Cause I’ll never be with you.

As the realization of the futility of this love takes over his consciousness, the singer leaps from a high wall into the sea and the last few lines of despair ring out as he hits the water.

You’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful, it’s true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,
When she thought up that I should be with you.
But it’s time to face the truth,
I will never be with you.

You’re Beautiful Video - James Blunt