But there is one Manilow tune that is absolutely, unequivocably not sap: "Copacabana." This song is a classic, and that's all there is to it. Yes, it's big and over-the-top, but in a theatrical way that transcends sap. How can you not love those lyrics:
"She sits there so refined
And drinks herself half-blind
She lost her youth and she lost her Tony,
Now she's LOST HER MIND!"
I tell you, it's so beautiful it brings a tear to my eye. Well, maybe not, but it's still a great song.
-- SAPster Randi
It's one thing to regret a lost love. "Mandy" takes that feeling to a whole new level. Starting with a simple solo piano melody, the orchestration builds as the singer recounts the loneliness he's felt since he rejected his lover (or perhaps his dog; this is unclear). Soon he is exulting behind a fat arrangement that keeps reaching higher levels. Strings! Drums! Brass! Barry's pipes! When the echo kicks in on the drums, you know you're into a whole new world of self-pity. The chord shifts keep the music spiraling higher and higher until the song passes beyond simple human emotion into the realm of bombast. Yes, this is Bombastic Sap. As it fades to a close, the listener is left wondering just why Mr. Manilow puts all his energy into expressing his regret. Which does he love more: Mandy, or his regret?
-- SAPster Half