# Songs for Heartbreak? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462 "2005-01-30T19:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [January 30, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/1 "2005-01-30T19:34:05Z")
What can I say, I’ve just been in a…somber mood lately. So, going over my music library, I’ve come up with a list of a few songs that seem to reflect utter heartbreak pretty well. I was just wondering if anyone else has any recommendations. So far, I’ve come up with… _Blue Moon_ by The Mavericks _Hallelujah_ by Rufus Wainright _He Stopped Loving Her Today_ by George Jones _Hope Has a Place_ by Enya About half a dozen different Patsy Cline songs. At least. _I Can’t Stop Loving You_ by Ray Charles _If I Didn’t Care_ by The Ink Spots (Featured in _The Shawshank Redemption_) _I’ll Be Seeing You_ (I have Rebecca Kilgore’s version) _I Will Wait for You_ by Connie Francis _Tell Me on a Sunday_ by Sarah Brightman _This White Circle_ by Grey deLisle _Vesti la Giubba_ from _I, Pagliacci_ (Natch) _Un Bel Di Vedremo_ by from _Madama Butterfly_ (Ditto) So…anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/2 "2005-01-30T20:02:17Z")
The winner and still cham-peen: **I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry** by Hank Williams Roy Orbison has his share - Only Lonely, Cryin’, etc. Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis My all-time personal fave - different that the Official winner 🙂 mentioned above - is **How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore** by Prince. And it must be his version off the B-Sides collection; Alicia Keys doesn’t do it justice on her first CD… ---
**Author:** ![WilhelmGefallen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9f8e36/32.png) [@WilhelmGefallen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WilhelmGefallen)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/3 "2005-01-30T20:47:13Z")
Dont Speak - No Doubt Cant Rain all the time - Jane Siberry Ballad for Dead Friends - Dashboard Prophets ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/4 "2005-01-30T20:51:01Z")
A few from Led Zeppelin:[ul] [li]“Tangerine”[/li][quote] Measuring a summer’s day Only find it slips away to gray The hours, they bring me pain [/quote] [li]“Ten Years Gone”[/li][quote] On the wings of maybe, down in birds of prey Kind of makes me feel sometimes, didn’t have to grow But as the eagle leaves the nest, it’s got so far to go [/quote] [li]“Tea for One”[/li][quote] How come twenty four hours, baby sometimes seems to slip into days? A minute seems like a lifetime, baby when I feel this way. [/quote] [li]“Since I’ve Been Loving You”[/li][quote] Working from seven to eleven every night, It really makes life a drag, I don’t think that’s right. I’ve really, really been the best of fools, I did what I could. [/quote] [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![sweetfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@sweetfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweetfreak)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/5 "2005-01-30T20:54:21Z")
_My Immortal_ by **Evanescence** ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/6 "2005-01-30T20:55:59Z")
_Blues In The Night_ _One For My Baby_ _Only The Lonely_ All from Frank Sinatra’s album, _For Only The Lonely_. ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/7 "2005-01-30T21:07:04Z")
“Song for the Dumped”, Ben Folds Five _and don’t forget my black t-shirt…_ ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/8 "2005-01-30T21:20:47Z")
No,no. The winner is “Messages” by OMD, courtesy of the most angst-ridden theme this side of The Wall. Perfect for someone who stomps on your heart and goes out of your life, only to pop back in every once in awhile to remind you how bad they hurt you. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/9 "2005-01-30T22:08:06Z")
**Wordman** , I think I love you. Also by Prince: 17 Days and Nothing Compares 2 U Dido: White Flag Gladys Knight: I Wish That It Would Rain Gary Moore: Still Got The Blues Terence Trent D’Arby: Who’s Loving You ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/10 "2005-01-30T22:09:44Z")
Elliott Smith should probably get his own category here… “Miss Misery” and “Waltz #2” strike me as two good examples. Kinda understated in terms of bawling heartbreak, but the sentiment is very palpable in the lyrics and in Elliott’s gracefully sighing delivery. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/11 "2005-01-31T00:01:28Z")
**Devil Got My Woman** (Skip James) **Those Memories of You** (Trio [Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris]) **I Still Miss Someone** (Johnny Cash) **Yesterday** (The Beatles) **Love in Vain** (Robert Johnson) ---
**Author:** ![Mithril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mithril/32/3517_2.png) [@Mithril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithril)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/12 "2005-01-31T00:56:50Z")
It Hurt So Bad by Susan Tedeschi Just about anything from Stabbling Westwards two middle albums: Wither, Blister, Burn and Peel, and Darkest Days ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/13 "2005-01-31T01:51:00Z")
For those moments of truly black despair, the best thing is Evoken’s _Quietus_, played in it’s entirety with the volume up at 11. ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/14 "2005-01-31T01:56:42Z")
**I Don’t Care If Tomorrow Never Comes** by Hank Williams Jr. and George Jones > [@](#): > > If I can’t have you here, I can’t go on my dear. > So I don’t care if tomorrow never comes. ---
**Author:** ![Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hook)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/15 "2005-01-31T12:34:59Z")
**"Flame Trees"** by **Cold Chisel** - full lyrics are here [http://www.coldchisel.com.au/l1\_flametress.html](http://www.coldchisel.com.au/l1_flametress.html) “But Ah! Who needs that sentimental bullshit, anyway Takes more than just a memory to make me cry” ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/16 "2005-01-31T14:01:39Z")
_‘You’re Breaking my Heart’_ by Harry Nilsson once helped me get through a very bad patch. Why? The lyrics go as follows: **You’re breaking my heart You’re tearing me apart So fuck you!** ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/17 "2005-01-31T14:36:45Z")
I’d have to say pretty much all of _Disintergration_ by The Cure. Not a good CD to listen to while depressed. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/18 "2005-01-31T15:10:37Z")
Once you’re past the heartbreak stage, “_Take a Look at My Heart_,” by John Prine always worked for me. It’s the only song I know that puts the singer on the side of his ex’s new lover. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/19 "2005-01-31T16:15:01Z")
Two songs by the incomparable Robbie Fulks: The Buck Starts Here & I Just Want To Meet The Man Powerful stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Phantoms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e36b37/32.png) [@Phantoms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phantoms)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462/20 "2005-01-31T17:52:07Z")
The classic one: Alone Again (naturally) by Gilbert O’Sullivan [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-for-heartbreak/287462.md?page=2)