Absolutely!
Another: “Sing Me Back Home”, by Merle Haggard.
Ach! How could I forget…
Linda Ronstadt’s Winter Light. The cinematography doesn’t hurt, I’ll admit.
I second your “Ach!” How could I forget too. It’s my favorite Rondstat song.
.
I haven’t gone through every page in this thread, so forgive me if this one’s already been posted: Old Souls, by Jessica Harper.
And the winner is…
Mother Sea by Happy Rhodes!
There are many good ones here
A few by Enya
Only time
[SIZE=“2”]Which was used also in a touching 9/11 memorial video[/SIZE]
Sang beautifully by many, including Chuck. 
there was a popular version sung by a skinny young irish tenor in the 50s, maybe earlier, who’s name I can’t remember.
Please correct sing/sung if you wish.
The day that the BBC Sport team all took masses of hallucinogens and let Mark E Smith read the football results. It’s The Theme From Sparta FC:
It’s not entirely beautiful. “Achingly” on the other hand.
Thanks, now i have a headache. On top of that, i just ate this wierd “bolied egg wrapped in sausage and deep fried” thing. I think something just lodged in my carotid! :eek:
This is a great thread. It inspired me (compelled, actually) to scour my collections for the surprisngly few pieces that I find “achingly” beautiful.
If only for my own obsessive satisfaction, here’s my final complete roster, in no particular order.
Songs:
Ashokan Farewell (Fiddle Fever)
Winter Light (Linda Ronstadt)
Keep Me From Blowing Away (performed by L.R.)
For No One (Beatles)
Can’t Help Falling (Elvis)
Rachel’s Song (Vangelis- Blade Runner ST)
Traces (Dennis Yost/Classics IV)
The Fool On The Hill (Beatles)
Don’t Worry Baby (Brian Wilson)
Caroline, No (BW)
Lady-O (performed by The Turtles)
Got A Feelin’ (Mamas & Papas)
If I Could Be With You (performed by anybody)
I Won’t Stand In Your Way (Brian Setzer)
Sweet Mama Hurry Home (performed by Leon Redbone)
Classical, shorter pieces:
JS Bach- Sheep May Safely Graze ( I especialy like Chris Parkening’s transcription for solo guitar)
Gonoud- (from Faust, Act V- two very short songs) Ouí, c’est toi, Je t’aime and Anges purs)
Ginastera- (from Variaciones Concertantes) Theme for Cello and Harp/Interlude for strings
Classical, longer: not songs, but (whining) a couple of other people did it first
Shostakovitch- Symphony #5, 3rd movement
Khachaturian- Concerto for Flute & Orchestra, 1st movement
Tchaichovsky- Romeo and Juliet
Thank you for your cooperation.
I second Spoons mention of Old Souls
Did I miss anyone mentioning Where’ve you been? by Kathy Mattea
He’ll Have to Go
Jim Reeves.
I can’t believe that anyone, me included, hasn’t yet mentioned “When the River Meets the Sea”.
Borrowing from Nigel Tufnel: these songs are likely in D minor which is the saddest of all keys… people weep instantly when they hear it, and don’t know why…
Wow. Surprised to see so many of my picks already mentioned. There are some universals I guess.
Couple more:
There Is a Time - The Dillards (performing as The Darling Family on The Andy Griffith Show)
Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen (Unfortunately the studio version is not on YouTube. Live performances are too rough to recreate the perfect beauty of the recording.)
Dreaming My Dreams - Waylon Jennings
(Or the really nice cover by Cowboy Junkies)
Four more:
You Are My Flower - Flatt and Scruggs
First Episode at Hienton - Elton John
My Old Friend the Blues - The Proclaimers (covering Steve Earle)
And a forgotten bit of genius:
Blues Run the Game - Jackson C. Frank
One of the lesser-known Evanescence songs from their locally-distributed EP before they made it big with Fallen: