# Saddest song of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756 "2003-11-23T00:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/1 "2003-11-23T00:32:52Z")
What, in the opinion of the SD masses, is the saddest sogn of all time? My vote goes for The Drugs Don’t Work by The Verve. ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/2 "2003-11-23T01:13:01Z")
I’d say The Shins - New Slang or possibly Beatles - For No One ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/3 "2003-11-23T01:19:55Z")
And So It Goes, by Billy Joel. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/4 "2003-11-23T02:06:10Z")
“Only God Knows Why” - Kid Rock ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/5 "2003-11-23T02:14:33Z")
“Full of Grace”, Sarah McLachlan ---
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/6 "2003-11-23T02:24:05Z")
Johnny Cash’s version of NIN’s “Hurt” ---
**Author:** ![mug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@mug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mug)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/7 "2003-11-23T02:40:19Z")
Okay, I’m showing my age here probably, but it’s got to be “Seasons In The Sun”. Forgot the artist. Gets to me every time. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/8 "2003-11-23T02:42:44Z")
My dad died when I was 6. About that time (1967?) **‘Honey’** by Bobby Goldsboro came out. It’s about a guy who’s wife dies and how he misses her. I remember my mom sitting in her bedroom listening to it and crying. That gets my vote. [http://members.aol.com/deafdude2/lyric/lyrics/honey.htm](http://members.aol.com/deafdude2/lyric/lyrics/honey.htm) ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/9 "2003-11-23T03:36:18Z")
Mr Bojangles-Nity Grity Dirt Band ---
**Author:** ![Mazikeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9a28c/32.png) [@Mazikeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mazikeen)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/10 "2003-11-23T04:06:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Johnny Cash’s version of NIN’s “Hurt” I second that one. That song brings me to tears every time I listen to it. “I Hung My Head” from the same album is also very sad. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/11 "2003-11-23T04:25:46Z")
[**And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda**](http://www.merryploughboys.com/cd_lyrics/3_09_TBPWM.htm) by Eric Bogle does it for me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/12 "2003-11-23T04:31:17Z")
More nominees: “Famous Blue Raincoat” — Leonard cohen “Black Swan” & “Gold Dust” — Tori Amos “School Night” & “I loved You So… What” — AniDifranco “Motion Picture Soundtrack” — Radiohead “Gloomy Sunday” is a song so dark and sad that, supposedly tons of people committed sucide to it, some even leaving notes saying that they had committed sucide _because_ of it. Or so the legend goes, the truth hopefuly isn’t quite so dark. It’s best known in English translation as the Billie Holliday version. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/13 "2003-11-23T04:39:43Z")
Well I don’t think its the saddest song of all time, but after listening to the full version of “Into the West” from Return of the King, I’m sniffling with sadness at the thought of such cool characters coming to an end. Does that still count? ---
**Author:** ![Bandanaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ab097/32.png) [@Bandanaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bandanaman)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/14 "2003-11-23T04:48:55Z")
That was Terry Jacks, **mug** And from around that time, “Shannon”, by Henry Gross. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/15 "2003-11-23T04:55:35Z")
I could list tons of Radiohead songs - but I’ll list a few Walkmen songs that walked along and shattered my heard recently. The Walkmen - Revenge Wears No Wristwatch The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone The Walkmen - Stop Talking ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/16 "2003-11-23T06:15:05Z")
VNV Nation - Forsaken. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/17 "2003-11-23T06:25:22Z")
“Who Wants to Live Forever?”—(Performed, at various times, by Queen, Sarah Brightman, and Seal) “Vesti La Giubba” from “I, Pagliacci” “Un Bel Di Vedremo” from “Madama Butterfly” “Llorando” from the “Mulholland Drive” soundtrack. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones ---
**Author:** ![eli\_the\_fanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ccd318/32.png) [@eli\_the\_fanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eli_the_fanatic)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/18 "2003-11-23T06:28:36Z")
Nobody wrote sad songs better than Hank Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/19 "2003-11-23T06:40:47Z")
“Tears in Heaven”— Eric Clapton. Especially when you know that it’s about the death of his young son. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756/20 "2003-11-23T06:46:10Z")
“The Last Kiss”- Rodney (?) Dove [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-song-of-all-time/214756.md?page=2)