# Songs that always make you cry **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419 "2006-01-31T22:32:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/41 "2006-02-01T05:30:59Z")
> [@Kiminy](#): > > The one song that _always_ makes me cry is Will Smith’s version of _The Two of Us_. > > Cat Stevens’ _Seasons in the Sun_ also rips me up, but it doesn’t get much airplay anymore. Terry Jacks recorded _Seasons in the Sun_. I’m not positive that Cat Stevens didn’t but I have my doubts. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/42 "2006-02-01T05:45:55Z")
Puff the Magic Dragon - I remember being told that my grandmother had died. It was the day before my 13th birthday. I went out and sat on the swingset and sang Puff and didn’t cry, then. Thirty-three years ago _today_. Jeez. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/43 "2006-02-01T06:53:13Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > _What a Wonderful World_ by Louis Armstrong - obviously not an inherently sad song but I’ve always seen it as such since it was used to great ironic effect in the movie _12 Monkeys_. Good call. It has the same effect on me for pretty much the same reason. Warren Zevon’s last album has several songs that hit pretty hard, the two strongest being _Please Stay_ and _Keep Me in Your Heart_. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/44 "2006-02-01T07:02:08Z")
Oh, dear me. _Love, Me_ absolutely makes me bawl. I also cry at other country songs, _Wish You Were Here_ by Mark Wills. And _Whiskey Lullaby_ by Brad Paisley. I am a perfect target for country songs. Even the sad ones I hate still make me cry. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/45 "2006-02-01T07:03:47Z")
> [@Feydeau](#): > > Terry Jacks recorded _Seasons in the Sun_. I’m not positive that Cat Stevens didn’t but I have my doubts. [ > [@](#): > > “Seasons in the Sun” had been written in French in 1961 under the title of “Le Moribond” (The Dying Man), by Belgian poet-composer Jacques Brel. In 1964, it was translated into English by Rod McKuen and recorded by Bob Shane of the Kingston Trio. ](["Seasons In The Sun" - Terry Jacks](http://www.superseventies.com/1974_3singles.html))2HopefullyInvisibleCharacters ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/46 "2006-02-01T07:21:04Z")
I’m not really a sap. Really! But two that always bring me to tears are Cat’s in the Cradle and (gawd) Tim McGraw’s Don’t Take the Girl. But I’ll never forget the day I was driving down the road and Colin Rae’s “Somebody’s Little Girl” came on and I just burst, completely unexpectedly, into sobbing tears. I get a teensy bit misty eyed every time I hear it now, just in memory of that one day. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/47 "2006-02-01T07:22:05Z")
Oh, and how could I forget Red Sovine’s Teddy Bear? Boo hoo city. ---
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/48 "2006-02-01T07:49:35Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > [“Seasons in the Sun” had been written in French in 1961 under the title of “Le Moribond” (The Dying Man), by Belgian poet-composer Jacques Brel. In 1964, it was translated into English by Rod McKuen and recorded by Bob Shane of the Kingston Trio.](http://www.superseventies.com/1974_3singles.html) Well, yes; I didn’t say that Terry Jacks recorded it _first_ – just that he did, in fact, record it. (…passage of time…) Okay, I’ve looked online for at least twenty minutes and I can’t find anything pointing to Cat Stevens recording other than several lyric listings that mention his name; ISTM that this is a bit of dis-information that has spread due to the proclivities of the internet. (I’m still not saying that Stevens _didn’t_ record it, just that I see no evidence of such yet.) ---
**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:** [February 1, 2006, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/49 "2006-02-01T08:57:43Z")
Connie Francis’ _I Will Wait for You_ god damn it… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/50 "2006-02-01T09:42:14Z")
> [@Feydeau](#): > > …Okay, I’ve looked online for at least twenty minutes and I can’t find anything pointing to Cat Stevens recording other than several lyric listings that mention his name… And his [website](http://catstevens.com/search.html?search=Seasons+in+the+Sun&Submit=Search&articles=Y&albums=Y&songs=Y&miscpages=Y&faq=Y&bios=Y) search says no too. I didn’t know any of the songs history till I looked it up! Child of the 70’s that I am, I only knew about the Terry Jacks version. When I heard Cat Stevens mentioned, I had a WTF moment “am I remembering this all wrong?”. My tear bringer, Don McLean’s, [Vincent](http://www.don-mclean.com/articles/vincent.asp) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/51 "2006-02-01T10:57:01Z")
Usually make me tear up, but only fellow South Africans probably get why : _Asimbonanga_ and _December African Rain_ - Johnny Clegg _Weeping_ - Bright Blue _Biko_ - Peter Gabriel Usually make me tear up, and I think anyone could get why: _Don’t Give Up_ - Kate Bush & Peter Gabriel _And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda_ - Pogues _Red Army Blues_ - Waterboys _Century Flower_ and\* Silent Day\* - Shelleyan Orphan _Fragile_ and _They Dance Alone_ - Sting _3 Babies_ - Sinead O’Connor but always, _always_ makes me tear up: _Atmosphere_ - Joy Division. Poor Ian ☹ ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/52 "2006-02-01T11:20:44Z")
[How To Make Gravy](http://www.paulkelly.com.au/lyrics/how-to-make-gravy.html) by Paul Kelly. He writes from jail to his brother on December 21 to talk about Christmas and as he begins to feel the loneliness blurts out: _And later in the evening, I can just imagine, You’ll put on Junior Murvin and push the tables back And you’ll dance with Rita, I know you really like her, Just don’t hold her too close, oh brother please don’t stab me in the back I didn’t mean to say that, it’s just my mind it plays up, Multiplies each matter, turns imagination into fact_ ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/53 "2006-02-01T11:30:26Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Total agreement on all three. > About that last one: I have not heard Wainwright’s version, but Jeff Buckley’s did me in. It’s… um… it’s on the Shrek soundtrack. I hadn’t heard the song before, but I was so struck by the bit of the song that I heard in the film that I went out and got the song, and it was so much more dark and sad. Oh, and seconding Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush on “Don’t Give Up.” ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/54 "2006-02-01T11:32:52Z")
I’ve been known to get weepy over _Jolene_ by Dolly Parton. She also does a song called _I still miss someone_ on the recent album The Grass is Blue and that’ll do it too. A lot of Townes van Zandt songs will make me cry, especially (\*Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria \* which is not sad but very touching. I hardly ever get through any Patty Griffin album without crying my eyes out. It’s something in her voice that really gets to me. The worst are _Making Pies_, _The Long Ride Home_, _Tony_ and especially _Useless Desires_. Any sentimental Italian thing, be it traditional or opera. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/55 "2006-02-01T13:18:14Z")
_How Can I Help You To Say Goodbye_ by Patty Loveless. I’ve _never_ made it through that one without tears. (I know better than to try singing it at the karaoke bar!) I’ll be singing along, doing just fine through the first two verses, won’t even feel a lump in my throat, then comes this verse: _Sittin’ with Mama, alone in her bedroom She opened her eyes, and then squeezed my hand She said, “I have to go now, my time here is over.” And with her final words she tried to help me understand. Mama whispered softly, “Time will ease your pain. Life’s about changin’, nothin’ ever stays the same.”_ Crap, I’m crying just typing this. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/56 "2006-02-01T13:33:41Z")
Some songs usually make me teary-eyed (notoriously, the return of the theme in Hey You from The Wall,) but only one, so far makes me actually drip tears from my eyes: _Somewhere Only We Know_ by Keane. Most of the songs that do this have the same reaching epic sound to them, and those two are no exception. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/57 "2006-02-01T13:47:15Z")
The first song that comes into my head whenever I hear this question is “Watch TV” by Rasputina. Then my throat closes up thinking about it. It makes me so sad I actually haven’t listened to it in many years, and I couldn’t begin to articulate why. The next one is Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and, as has been mentioned, particularly Jeff Buckley’s cover of it. Then I think of “Fog” by Radiohead, which doesn’t actually make me cry (really, no song does unless I’m drunk) but does invoke a very strange state I can only describe as ‘delightful melancholy’, a phrase which it now occurs to me could be applied to a few Radiohead songs. Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” was Our Song with my first love and it makes me sad today, but in a way I can handle. Ditto “As She Moved Through the Fair”, though a little more crazy sad. “Wish You Were Here” is pretty hard these days, because it makes me think of an ex who committed suicide. But I think the song is so deeply imprinted into my brain that I could never fully shake its power to make me a little bit happy, though very bittersweetly so. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/58 "2006-02-01T13:49:30Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > “Forever Young” by Alphaville(?) Yep, that’s by Alphaville. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/59 "2006-02-01T14:01:48Z")
- Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World\* the version by Israel Kamakawiwo Ole’ gets me EVERY time… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419/60 "2006-02-01T15:06:01Z")
**Lightning Crashes** by Live, specifically the verse “…an old mother dies. Her intentions fall to the floor. The angel closes her eyes…” From the very first time I heard those lines, I would get a vivid image of my own mother in a hospital bed, dying. It always seemed odd that I would have such a dramatic reaction over a theme that is universally sad and not particularly profound. Movies, poems, other songs about dying mothers never affected me, but this one would cause me to well up every time. Eleven years after it’s release I was called home to CA to say goodbye to my own mother, who, as she lay brain dead in a hospital bed, looked exactly as I pictured her every time I heard that song ☹ Oiy, now I’m all verklempt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-always-make-you-cry/342419.md?page=4)