Listen to the Song
Song DNA
Genre
Pop
Era
90s
Mood
Uplifting
Tempo
Mid-tempo
Key
Modal
Texture
Orchestral
Sound
Vocal-focused
Feel
Straight
Seal
Seal (1994)
Seal
Written by Seal in 1987 but not recorded until his second album in 1994, 'Kiss from a Rose' is a masterclass in modal harmony and vocal power. Its re-release on the Batman Forever soundtrack propelled it to global number-one status and three Grammy Awards, cementing Seal's place in pop history with one of the decade's most recognizable melodies.
The harmony of 'Kiss from a Rose' is remarkably sophisticated for a pop hit. Its defining characteristic is the fluid movement between G minor and G major — the parallel major-minor relationship gives the song its emotional duality of yearning and hope. The bo…
Seal wrote 'Kiss from a Rose' in 1987, years before his debut album. After composing it, he felt embarrassed by the song and threw the demo tape in the corner, where it remained forgotten for years. He did not present it to producer Trevor Horn until the recor…
“Seal was initially embarrassed by the song and almost never recorded it”
The harmony of 'Kiss from a Rose' is remarkably sophisticated for a pop hit. Its defining characteristic is the fluid movement between G minor and G major — the parallel major-minor relationship gives the song its emotional duality of yearning and hope. The borrowed bVI and bVII chords from the natural minor scale create a modal flavor uncommon in mainstream pop, while the rising bVI-bVII-I cadence provides an almost cinematic sense of resolution. This harmonic ambiguity is central to why the song feels simultaneously melancholic and uplifting.
Seal wrote 'Kiss from a Rose' in 1987, years before his debut album. After composing it, he felt embarrassed by the song and threw the demo tape in the corner, where it remained forgotten for years. He did not present it to producer Trevor Horn until the recording sessions for his second album, Seal II, in the early 1990s.
Written by Seal in 1987 but not recorded until his second album in 1994, 'Kiss from a Rose' is a masterclass in modal harmony and vocal power. Its re-release on the Batman Forever soundtrack propelled it to global number-one status and three Grammy Awards, cementing Seal's place in pop history with one of the decade's most recognizable melodies.
Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song.
Genre
Pop
Era
90s
Mood
Uplifting
Tempo
Mid-tempo
Key
Modal
Texture
Orchestral
Sound
Vocal-focused
Feel
Straight
7.5M
Plays
1.1M
Listeners
3.1M
Genius Views
13
Annotations
100%
Popularity
4:47
Duration
4/4
Time
From the album Seal
Chorus
Verse
Chords G Eb ✕ ✕ F Gm 3 Bb ✕ G Eb F Gm Bb Harmony The harmony of 'Kiss from a Rose' is remarkably sophisticated for a pop hit. Its defining characteristic is the fluid movement between G minor and G major — the parallel major-minor relationship gives the song its emotional duality of yearning and hope. The borrowed bVI and bVII chords from the natural minor scale create a modal flavor uncommon in mainstream pop, while the rising bVI-bVII-I cadence provides an almost cinematic sense of resolution. This harmonic ambiguity is central to why the song feels simultaneously melancholic and uplifting. Deep Analysis Available Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song. Notify me when it's ready Request Full Analysis
Composition Seal wrote 'Kiss from a Rose' in 1987, years before his debut album. After composing it, he felt embarrassed by the song and threw the demo tape in the corner, where it remained forgotten for years. He did not present it to producer Trevor Horn until the recording sessions for his second album, Seal II, in the early 1990s. Inspiration: Seal has kept the song's lyrical inspiration deliberately ambiguous, with interpretations ranging from a love song to a meditation on addiction and devotion. The rose metaphor suggests beauty intertwined with pain. Recording Producer: Trevor Horn, Richard Lowe Seal was initially embarrassed by the song and almost never recorded it Trevor Horn's production transformed a simple demo into a sweeping orchestral arrangement
Chord Sheet Transpose 0 Capo 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Auto-scroll Print Reset Chords Used Hide functions Gm i T Eb bVI T F bVII D G I T Progression by Section Chorus G I T Eb bVI F bVII T G I T Verse Gm i T Eb VI Bb III F VII T Chord Diagrams G Eb ✕ ✕ F Gm 3 Bb ✕ Harmony Analysis The harmony of 'Kiss from a Rose' is remarkably sophisticated for a pop hit. Its defining characteristic is the fluid movement between G minor and G major — the parallel major-minor relationship gives the song its emotional duality of yearning and hope. The borrowed bVI and bVII chords from the natural minor scale create a modal flavor uncommon in mainstream pop, while the rising bVI-bVII-I cadence provides an almost cinematic sense of resolution. This harmonic ambiguity is central to why the song feels simultaneously melancholic and uplifting. Find Tabs & Chords Songsterr Interactive tabs Ultimate Guitar Chords & tabs Cifra Club Chords
🎶 Similar Tracks Crazy Seal Truly Madly Deeply Savage Garden It Ain't Over 'til It's Over Lenny Kravitz Torn Natalie Imbruglia Right Here Waiting Richard Marx Wicked Game Chris Isaak 🎤 More by Seal Kiss from a Rose 7.5M plays Crazy 2.3M plays Love's Divine 784K plays Fly Like An Eagle 600K plays Prayer for the Dying 456K plays Killer 423K plays View all Seal songs → Lyrics View Lyrics on Genius
CrazySealTruly Madly DeeplySavage GardenIt Ain't Over 'til It's OverLenny KravitzTornNatalie ImbrugliaRight Here WaitingRichard MarxWicked GameChris IsaakKiss from a Rose7.5M playsCrazy2.3M playsLove's Divine784K playsFly Like An Eagle600K playsPrayer for the Dying456K playsKiller423K playsView all Seal songs →