# Most achingly beautiful songs ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584 "2010-08-17T23:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Tassvarg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@Tassvarg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tassvarg)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/341 "2010-09-09T21:40:07Z")
Beauty is indeed in the ear of the belistener;). I tend to appreciate advanced harmonic progression, beautiful melody lines, neat orchestration, and slick arrangements. However I must confess I am sometimes a sucker for Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan, (I have even professionally performed Phil Ochs songs, shows my age, doesn’t it:eek:). Composers in the romantic era, postromantic, or national romantic tradition have created works that are achingly beautiful, when not overwhelmingly bombastic. Someone earlier in this thread asked for classical music, and since I can, I am happy too oblige. Chopin, Liszt, Verdi, Poulenc, Bruckner and Satie have all been mentioned. No one has mentioned Wagner yet, I presume for good reasons, and due to his sheer bombasticity I will not either. There have been examples of Claude Debussy’s music, but I will add the first composition of his that I heard and played. [La valse, La plus que lente.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzF3n6U40Vc) (In this specific recording there is a lot of beauty in this beholders eye) It is said that Debussy and his good friend Maurice Ravel agreed to to write, each one, a parody of a Viennese waltz, so here is Ravels [La Valse](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ONwh2muqk) Also by Ravel, very beautiful. [Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKkeDqJBlK8) Just for fun his probably most known [piece](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5MLNMgpywk), please support those musicians so they can afford a few more instruments. Travelling east we have Sergei Rachmaninov who barely managed to get out of Bolshevik Russia, his piano concerts are famous but here I present [Piano prelude in C sharp minor](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IlDxUyQVB0) Another Russian who didn’t get out but managed a political tightrope act, sometimes prosecuted, sometimes revered and in the forties used by Stalins propaganda, was Dmitri Shostakovich. He did occasionally write music inspired by the Afro-American tradition. This was however shortly **before** the cold war. This [Waltz no 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYhZVqODYsI) from Jazz Suite No 2 was used in a surrealistic movie, but I can’t for my life remember which one. For latin national romanticism we have Verdi, with examples earlier in this thread, from Spain I found Joaquín Rodrigo. The [second movement](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XM9nA6zUpE) of his Concierto de Aranjuez has a lovely theme that’s been borrowed by several serious and not so serious music makers. Well this is an american board, here comes teh 4:th movement of Antonín Dvorak’s [New world symphony](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yctfXIqugXc), Dvorak was Czech, but worked and lived for a while in New York and was fascinated by America. By the way both Rachmaninov and Stravinsky ended up in the United States. George Gershwin however was a genuinly american composer, his ambition was to find a true american music and what he found was ragtime, cakewalk, jazz and other Afroamerican kinds of culture, that was unique, and not too influenced by Europeans. It seems that he didn’t have any contact with American Indian culture. Most known for musicals and popular music he also composed Rhapsody in Blue, three piano preludes and a piano concerto. Porgy and Bess are also considered more of an opera than a musical. Summertime has already been mentioned so I give you: [Piano Concerto in F, 2:nd movement](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kALzvD8JB0Q) and [Three Piano Preludes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4yLMxaqWIM) The second prelude is the most devastatingly beatiful (also the only one my hands still allows me to play). From my own nordic corner: Sweden Wilhelm Peterson-Berger: [Stemning](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e1llgw1Y0U) Lars-Erik Larsson: [Pastoralsvit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py_661PyhNs) Our southwestern neighbours Carl Nielsen:[Taagen letter](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17YFHFN1BNc) (Actually a short journey from Denmark to Sweden) From the oildrenched country to the west (not **that** far west, I’m talking of Norway) Edward Grieg [Våren](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zGRQsYZE7U) And to Finnish it (so to speak) Jan Sibelius [Rakastava](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmGnyH5V4Es) Sorry to get carried away, but I **do** like beautiful music. NOTE: This post is a natural product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and are in no way to be considered flaws or defects ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/342 "2010-09-10T07:53:33Z")
> [@ShallowEnd](#): > > Eric Clapton [Tears in Heaven](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g2IlaDLVLo), I believe I hear real emotion in this one. He wrote that song after the death of his son, I believe, in a swimming pool accidental drowning. The Red Hot chilli peppers city of angels , recorded just after the LA riots was a pretty haunting song in itself, but several weeks ago , a young soldier had died in afganistan and I was at the wake, that was being held at the local bar. Normally thursday is kareoke night, so the soldiers that came out to the wake sang this song among others, it was teary eyed i tell ya. Declan ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/343 "2010-09-10T12:38:55Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > > [@ShallowEnd](#): > > > > Eric Clapton [Tears in Heaven](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g2IlaDLVLo), I believe I hear real emotion in this one. > > He wrote that song after the death of his son, I believe, in a swimming pool accidental drowning. > Declan Kid fell out of a window. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/344 "2010-09-10T13:43:47Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@Declan](#): > > > > He wrote that song after the death of his son, I believe, in a swimming pool accidental drowning. > > Declan > > Kid fell out of a window. Into a pool? ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/345 "2010-09-10T15:43:45Z")
[No Sign of Yesterday](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mQWwZIHc0Y) - Men at Work First song that made me cry. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/346 "2010-09-10T15:55:06Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > > [@kayaker](#): > > > > Kid fell out of a window. > > Into a pool? Nope, roof of an adjacent building. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/347 "2010-09-10T15:55:28Z")
[Look On Down from the Bridge](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6a0e4WxJi0) - Mazzy Star I played this on repeat, and I couldn’t get through the third song without breaking out in tears. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/348 "2010-09-10T16:03:16Z")
Capercaillie - Coisich A Rùin [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2TI42EDqmI) Sarah McLachlan - Angel [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx4RsCfL_fA) Moira Kerr - Maclain of Glencoe [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bjomiY0VOgk/hqdefault.jpg "Moira Kerr - MacIain of Glencoe") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjomiY0VOgk) Eleanor McEvoy - only a woman’s heart [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tjQP9931NhU/hqdefault.jpg "Eleanor McEvoy - only a woman's heart") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQP9931NhU) Christy Moore they Never Came Home [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4pf1JIgooI) Christy Moore - The Voyage [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_surYSjPZQA/hqdefault.jpg "Christy Moore - The Voyage") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_surYSjPZQA) Hilary James & Simon Mayor ‘The Buttermere Waltz’ https://www.youtube.com/embed/hc1I-lklxOs?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=ML ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/349 "2010-09-10T16:10:07Z")
Love [sucks](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiSfTyrvJlg&ob=av2e). ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/350 "2010-09-10T17:28:54Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@Declan](#): > > > > He wrote that song after the death of his son, I believe, in a swimming pool accidental drowning. > > Declan > > Kid fell out of a window. Its been a while, mid nineties when that happened, i wonder if i was confusing that, with some other celeb tragedy around the same time frame. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/351 "2010-09-10T17:46:12Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > > [@kayaker](#): > > > > Kid fell out of a window. > > Its been a while, mid nineties when that happened, i wonder if i was confusing that, with some other celeb tragedy around the same time frame. > > Declan All I can say is that Chet Baker died as a result of a fall out of an Amsterdam hotel window in 1988. [Chet Baker - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Baker) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/352 "2010-09-10T22:57:38Z")
I want to nominate a song called “Haru Yo Koi”, by Japanese enka singer Yumi Matsutoya: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssG_ws5mul8) However, I think the song is even more beautiful as performed by aiko: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_n3grSQ2uz8/hqdefault.jpg "aiko - Haru yo koi(春よ、来い)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n3grSQ2uz8) She slowed it down, and used only a piano accompaniment. I think that, combined with her more plaintive, less-perfect voice, really makes the song “hit harder”, if you will. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/353 "2010-09-10T23:59:38Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Just one more: > > “Happy Trails” Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Hey, speaking of Roy Rogers, how about some stuff from **Sons of the Pioneers**? Some “achingly beautiful” harmonies here: [Tumbling Tumbleweeds](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UiSMyyj-Ac&feature=related) - Sons of the Pioneers [Blue Shadows on the Trail](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-jOOFw-ITA) - Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/354 "2010-09-11T00:01:14Z")
> [@Tassvarg](#): > > [Piano prelude in C sharp minor](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IlDxUyQVB0) I haven’t clicked the rest of the links in your post yet. But that was certainly a treat. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/355 "2010-09-12T13:29:23Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > > [@kayaker](#): > > > > Kid fell out of a window. > > Its been a while, mid nineties when that happened, i wonder if i was confusing that, with some other celeb tragedy around the same time frame. > > Declan Tommy Lee hosted a pool party for his young son and a 4 year old guest accidentally drowned. That was in the early 2000s. [http://www.starswelove.com/scriptsphp/news.php?newsid=342](http://www.starswelove.com/scriptsphp/news.php?newsid=342) ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/356 "2010-09-13T10:16:20Z")
Listen and weep [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BbKbF6UWmtE/hqdefault.jpg "Alex Lloyd - My May Home (Live On Australian Tv Show The Panel)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbKbF6UWmtE) Alex Lloyd live acoustic version of my Way home. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/357 "2010-09-13T10:58:26Z")
I think the most disturbing and bizarrely, achingly, beautiful, loving, eerie (to me singularly) motion picture soundtrack pairing ever was the storming of the arti-organ vault and the highly erotic “barcode surgery” in the motion picture [Repo Men](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1053424/). Respectively, they were Ian Astbury and Unkle with [Burn (My Shadow)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xO3efpD9F0) and Róisín Murphy of Moloko with [Sing It Back](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XziXvjNy_CQ). It freaked me out when I saw it. The score was after my own heart. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/358 "2010-09-13T11:29:50Z")
Here’s one that most people probably haven’t heard. This is called “The Best is Yet to Come”. It’s the ending credits music from Metal Gear Solid. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6miaTf1gF4g/hqdefault.jpg "Metal Gear Solid Soundtrack: The Best Is Yet To Come") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6miaTf1gF4g) I used to play the ending of that game repeatedly just to hear that song. Eventually I was able to order a soundtrack CD from Japan on eBay, and of course it’s on Youtube now. The song was sung by [Aoife Ní Fhearraigh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aoife_(singer)). I’ve looked her up and her other music isn’t the same. I think this song was written by the game’s composer. ---
**Author:** ![Earthbound\_Misfit\_I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Earthbound\_Misfit\_I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthbound_Misfit_I)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/359 "2010-09-14T18:25:04Z")
[You Take My Breath Away](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSzlT5zBXs) - Queen \*Words and music by Freddie Mercury Oooh oooh take it take it all away Oooh ooh take my breath away Oooh ooh yoooo take my breath away Look into my eyes and you’ll see I’m the only one You’ve captured my love stolen my heart Changed my life Every time you make a move you destroy my mind And the way you touch I lose control and shiver deep inside You take my breath away You can reduce me to tears with a single sigh Ev’ry breath that you take Any sound that you make is a whisper in my ear I could give up all my life for just one kiss I would surely die if you dismiss me from your love You take my breath away So please don’t go Don’t leave me here all by myself I get ever so lonely from time to time I will find you anywhere you go I’ll be right behind you Right until the ends of the earth I’ll get no sleep TILL I find you To tell you that you just take my breath away \* More lyrics from the song: [404](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/you-take-my-breath-away-lyrics-queen/dc0e107483dd67e5482568940008afdc) ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584/360 "2010-09-14T19:12:05Z")
For those several who love Danny Boy (as do I), my favorite version’s [Bill Evans’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Daa-Hj84eo). I transcribed it and have played it a few times on the job, but his touch is beyond what I can do, not to mention all those earthy, churchy harmonizations which seem so out of his idiom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-achingly-beautiful-songs-ever/550584.md?page=19)