# Best Breakup Songs Ever. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578 "2002-05-12T02:51:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/21 "2002-05-12T10:31:24Z")
“If So” by Happy Rhodes I ask you, now tell the truth I ask you, was it worth the price you paid? If so… I know you loved me darling But I need to know, did you mean to hurt me so? If so… Go away way very far away, take your leave I’ll never hate you, I’ll never think of you And I’ll never grieve Did you want it all… free love Did it satisfy, was it your intention to deceive? If so… You made me happy, you made me cry You gave me hope, was my happiness a lie? If so… Go away way very far away, take your leave I’ll never hate you, I’ll never think of you And I’ll never grieve I ask you, now tell the truth I ask you, was it worth the price you paid If so… ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/22 "2002-05-12T11:01:50Z")
I just thought of a better one… Shellac’s “Prayer to God” Let’s see if I can clean this one up enough to post here. > [@](#): > > To the one true God above: > here is my prayer - > not the first you’ve heard, but the first I wrote. > (not the first, but the others were a long time ago). > There are two people here, and I want you to kill them. > Her - she can go quietly, by disease or a blow > to the base of her neck, > where her necklaces close, > where her garments come together, > where I used to lay my face… > That’s where you oughta kill her, > in that particular place. > Him - just f_**ing kill him, I don’t care if it hurts. > Yes I do, I want it to, > f**_ing kill him but first > make him cry like a woman, > (no particular woman), > let him hold out, hold back > (someone or other might come and f_**ing kill him). > F**_ing kill him. > Kill him already, kill him. > F_ **ing kill him, f** _ing kill him, > Kill him already, kill him, > Just f\*\*\*ing kill him! > {repeats “death mantra”} Really, I’m not bitter. It’s a good song. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![madcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@madcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madcat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/23 "2002-05-12T11:14:13Z")
Obscure & dusty,but the best EVER “I’m dumpin’ my winter honey cause it’s warm enough now to go out & chase other girls” song:_Summertime’s Callin’ Me_ by the Catalinas. ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/24 "2002-05-12T11:31:03Z")
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division When routine bites hard, and ambitions are low And resentment rides high, but emotions won’t grow And we’re changing our ways, taking different roads Then love, love will tear us apart again – Why is the bedroom so cold? You’ve turned away on your side Is my timing that flawed - our respect run so dry? Yet there’s still this appeal that we’ve kept through our lives Love, love will tear us apart again – You cry out in your sleep - all my failings expose There’s a taste in my mouth, as desperation takes hold Just that something so good just can’t function no more When love, love will tear us apart again – ---
**Author:** ![Iyamity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/96bed5/32.png) [@Iyamity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iyamity)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/25 "2002-05-12T12:03:15Z")
“Smoke Rings in the Dark” by Gary Allen. For those times when you’ve both tried your best to make it work, but it still ain’t working. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/26 "2002-05-12T14:28:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joey P \* > \*\*“Positively Fourth Street” by Bob Dylan. One of the best songs in the world to play about someone that you absolutly hope get’s run over by a truck in the next thirty seconds. Every single line in that song is brilliant. \*\* That’s the one! “I wish that for just one moment you could stand here in my shoes You’d know what a drag it is to see you” (IIRC) ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/27 "2002-05-12T18:59:01Z")
I’m gonna go with **Jets to Brazil** - _Anemone_. Sung from the perspective of a guy lying drunk and almost passed out on the bathroom floor. Beautiful, in a very odd way. [Lyrics here](http://gratuitous.com/~antoine/perso/jets_to_brazil/anemone.html). Also, Kate Bush’s _You’re the one_. And of course, Weird Al’s _One More Minute_ ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/28 "2002-05-12T19:13:40Z")
My boyfriend suggested Type O Negatives, “Unsuccessfully Coping with the Knowledge of Infidelity (I Know You’re F\*\*king Someone Else).” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/29 "2002-05-12T19:37:28Z")
“Hello Walls” by Faron Young. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f0a364/32.png) [@Bad\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Hat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/30 "2002-05-12T19:46:50Z")
Stunningly… I’ve yet to see a vote for Lover You Should Have Come Over" By Jeff Buckley. “Lonely is the room, the bed is made the open window lets the rain in and lying in the corner is the only boy who dreams he had you with him” // "Maybe I’m just too young, to keep good love from going wrong to deaf, dumb, and blind to see the damage I’ve done oh but lover you should’ve come over but its not too late" Or really, if i remember correctly, just about every song on that album. Its a homage to the dumped man. You gotta wonder what kinda woman leaves a guy who looked and sung like him to begin with. RIP CJ ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/31 "2002-05-13T00:08:45Z")
**"Deep Dark Truthful Mirror"** -Elvis Costello; similar themes to “You Oughta Know”. **"It’s All Over Now"** - Rolling Stones **"Out of Time"** - " " **"I’m Free"** - " " **"It Won’t Hurt"** - Dwight Yoakam **"Goodbye"** - Steve Earle (But I recall…all of them nights down in Mexico…) ---
**Author:** ![SuziQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@SuziQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuziQ)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/32 "2002-05-13T00:55:08Z")
“How can you mend a broken heart?” By the Bee Gees How can you stop the rain from falling and let me live again? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/33 "2002-05-13T02:18:15Z")
Oh, and speaking of The Rolling Stones, how could I forget \*\*“No Expectations”: \*Your heart is like a diamond You throw your pearls at swine And as I watch you leaving me You pack my peace of mind So take me to the station And put me on a train I’ve got no expectations To pass through here again\* ---
**Author:** ![Grelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a5b964/32.png) [@Grelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grelby)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/34 "2002-05-13T04:29:55Z")
There’s a whole plethora on the Bob Dylan album _Blood on the Tracks_: **Simple Twist of Fate, You’re a Big Girl Now, You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go, If You See Her Say Hello, Buckets of Rain.** Cheryl Wheeler - **Arrow** Any number of Fleetwood Mac songs particularly off of _Rumours_ or _Tusk_. Especially **Go Your Own Way** Leonard Cohen - **Marianne, Hey That’s No Way to Say Goodbye** That’s all I can come up with for now. Bear in mind, most of these are of the sad but gentle, moving-on type, not the “f_ck 'em, kill 'em, f_ck 'em, kill 'em!” sort. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/35 "2002-05-13T05:02:30Z")
I’m not even sure this _is_ a breakup song: \*How thoughtlessly we dissipate our energies Perhaps we don’t fulfill each other’s fantasies. And so we’ll stand upon the ledges of our lives, With our respective similarities It’s either sadness or euphoria.[/]i - **Summer, Highland Falls** by Billy Joel ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/36 "2002-05-13T07:42:55Z")
Excellent gut-ripper: “I Can’t Make You Love Me” as sung by Bonnie Raitt. Turn down the lights, turn down the bed Turn down these voices inside my head Lay down with me, tell me no lies Just hold me close, don’t patronize - don’t patronize me CHORUS: Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t You can’t make your heart feel something it won’t Here in the dark, in these lonely hours I will lay down my heart and I’ll feel the power But you won’t, no you won’t 'Cause I can’t make you love me, if you don’t I’ll close my eyes, then I won’t see The love you don’t feel when you’re holding me Morning will come and I’ll do what’s right Just give me till then to give up this fight And I will give up this fight CHORUS: Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t You can’t make your heart feel something it won’t Here in the dark, in these lonely hours I will lay down my heart and I’ll feel the power But you won’t, no you won’t 'Cause I can’t make you love me, if you don’t ---
**Author:** ![Jeremy\_s\_Evil\_Twin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Jeremy\_s\_Evil\_Twin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeremy_s_Evil_Twin)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/37 "2002-05-13T09:22:51Z")
34 replies and no one’s mentioned “The Breakup Song” by the Greg Kihn Band? ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/38 "2002-05-13T13:03:49Z")
The song **It’s Too Late** as sung by Carol King started playing on the radio as my girlfriend of seven years and I were discussing how our relationship was failing. As a consequence, this breakup song is forever imprinted on my brain. > [@](#): > > But we just can’t stay together, > don’t you feel it too > Still I’m glad for what we had, > and how I once loved you > But it’s too late, baby, > now it’s too late > Though we really did try to make it > Something inside has died > and I can’t hide > And I just can’t fake it Oh no no ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/39 "2002-05-13T14:23:43Z")
**One Last Cry** - Brian McKnight **Against All Odds** - Phil Collins **End of the Road** - Boyz II Men Listening to these can still bring back some old heartaches. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578/40 "2002-05-13T15:54:56Z")
“Black Coffee in Bed” - Squeeze “You Got Lucky” - Tom Petty “Everyday I Write the Book” and “You’re Not the Only Flame in Town” - Elvis Costello “Heartbreak Hotel” - Elvis Presley and my all-time favorite… “The King Is Gone (and So Are You)” - George Jones _Last night I broke the seal On a Jim Beam decanter that looked like Elvis I soaked the label off a Flintstone jelly bean jar I cleared us off a place On the warm little table that you left us And pulled me up a big old piece of floor I pulled the head off Elvis Filled Fred up to his pelvis Yabba dabba do The King is gone And so are you_ (Gotta love any breakup song that references both Elvis and The Flintstones.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-breakup-songs-ever/108578.md?page=3)