Famed 1990s vocalist and songwriter Duncan Sheik is one of the few artists who supervised to become booming not just in the mainstream euphony industry but also Broadway. With a couple of Grammy and Tony Awards below his belt, Sheik can be taken as one of the few artists who happened upon indispensable and bad succeeder in both Melodic areas. And as well it should'as a mainstream song author for popular songs such as "Barely Breathing," his songs fountain to life with moving words and problematic euphony; and as an creative person taken on the theater, his lyrics and music are elating and simply amazing.

"Barely Breathing" is Sheik's first individual, and the song that realise him mainstream acclaim. This break hit was the Hot 100's fourth longest-running hit during that time'a rare feat for an artist like Sheik who isn't even an all-pop singer. The lyrics of "Barely Breathing," however, has what no other pop vocal has during that time'a hook that's difficult sufficiency while persisting true to echt persuasion that doesn't reek of syrupy sweetness which was common of words during that time. Mark the lyrics of "Barely Breathing," and note how the sensitive sentiment is checked to avoid being too common: "'Cause I am barely breathing / And I can't find the air / Don't know who I'm kidding / Imagining you care / And I could stand here waiting / A fool for another day / I don't suppose it's worth the price, worth the price / The price that I would pay." Nor surprisingly, the penning and construction of his earlier lyrics can still be detected in his later works, particularly in his work in the theater.

Another well-known song with music and words by Sheik is "Wishful Thinking," which was used in the 1998 movie Great Expectations. As with earlier individual, "Wishful Thinking" has the same bruising lyrics, lyrics that do not outcry or directly state its purposes and meaning. For a pop-rock artist, Sheik's lyrics are full of surprising metaphors and turn of phrases, alluding to various favorite characters and symbolisation that add deepness to his vocals. Note this part of the lyrics of "Wishful Thinking," and note the import it seeks to involve: "Feel the blades of grass / How it brings you back / it will always be / Only as green as you can see."

But mayhap the meridian of his fanciful career is his amour in the Braodway Melodious fountain Awakening. Winning the Tony Award for Best Melodious during its first run, Sheik's pieces are artful and poetic, even if the topics and the theme of the play are provocative, to say the least. For instance, the lyrics of one of the Lyrical's showstoppers, "I Don't Do Sadness," shamelessly use purple gimmicks. Try lyric poems: "Awful sweet to be a little butterfly / Just wingin' over things And nothing deep inside. / Nothing goin', goin' wild in you, you know. / You're slowing by the riverside, / Or floatin' high and blue."