I had to remove Sia’s “Breathe me” from my Sansa player:
Great song, but I just can't take it if it comes on when I'm driving and can't reach it to change it.Warren Zevon’s Keep Me In Your Heart I saw him perform it live on David Letterman just before he died. He sounded terrible and I cried and cried. I still choke up a bit whenever I hear it.
Calling All Angels - Jane Siberry - my Mom wants it played at her funeral
In My Daughter’s Eyes - Martina McBride
You’ll Be in my Heart - Phil Collins
Because I sang both to my daughter and they remind me that her “little” time was and is too short
In My Life - The Beatles
The Farmer’s Song - Murray McLaughlinbecause both were played at my Step-father’s funeral.
IOW- I am a HUGE sap
Randall Knife by Guy Clark gets me every time now that Dad has passed.
Oh yes. That one. I was going to post it. Gets me every single time. Best song ever from the ending of a series.
You had to remind me of the existence of that song. 
I’ll see your Killkelly Ireland and raise you Hush Hush Hush by Paula Cole. It’s about a father comforting his 20-year-old gay son as he dies of AIDS. It’s exactly as depressing as it sounds. If you want to make it even worse, read And the Band Played On first. That shit happened, folks.
Hush hush hush says your Daddy’s touch
Sleep sleep sleep says the hundredth sheep
Peace Peace Peace may you go in peace
I’m pregnant right now so basically every song I hear on the radio makes me cry. It doesn’t have to be sad. I’ll make it sad.
Back when I had dignity, tear-inducing songs included:
- ‘‘Silent All These Years’’ by Tori Amos - (Really we’ll just say the entire album Little Earthquakes is a sobfest. The album is a masterpiece, it’s really too bad listening to it will plunge you into an existentialist hell.)
-‘‘The Cowboy Song’’ by Garth Brooks - A gentle ballad. Probably one of the most realistic songs about what it meant to be a cowboy.
*You worked hot and tired and nasty
Rode your pony’s head too low
And there were all the nights you couldn’t sleep
Cuz it was too damned cold and we sang ‘‘Strawberry Roan’’ and ‘‘Little Joe’’
I whistled out to Bonner, I seen the terror in his eyes
And he rode for all his horse would ride
And I know he done his best
But he crossed over Jordan ridin’ Dunny to his death
And we sang “Bringing in the Sheaves” and “The Rugged Cross”*
And here’s one that’s maybe not so predictable
-‘‘Freedom '90’’ by George Michael. This song was pretty specifically his coming out song, but it has a different meaning to me. It was on the radio as I drove away from the courthouse after being granted a legal emancipation at the age of 17. It’s deep to me.
*All we have to do now is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see is that I don’t belong to you, and you don’t belong to me
Well it looks like the road to heaven, but it feels like the road to hell
I knew which side my bread was buttered, I took the knife as well*
(Also: coolest video ever - Supermodels! Flaming jackets! Exploding guitars! Sexxy George. If you bothered to watch the AIDS song video, cheer yourself up by watching this one.)
The Mountain Goats - Lakeside View Apartments Suite
There’s a lot of powerful emotional stuff in The Mountain Goats, but it’s usually a little more bittersweet or optimistic or wistful or angry. This one one…just so sad. I don’t think I ever get to the line “I don’t even bother trying to read them any more” without tearing up.
Desperado, oh, you ain’t gettin’ no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they’re drivin’ you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that’s just some people talkin’
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Linda Ronstadt doing "Long Long Time, “Love Has No Pride,” and “I Still Miss Someone;” that man has been dead these last twenty years, but he’s still the one that got away, and the one I will always regret and love. Tears every time.
Good one! It might seem clishe to some but that is a really beautiful song.
I’ll add Let it Die by the Foo Fighters.
In too deep and lost in time
Why’d you have to go and let it die?
Beautiful veins and bloodshot eyes
Why’d you have to go and let it die?
About 6 years ago my uncle, who was 30 years old at the time, died of a heroine overdose. Possible suicide. Left behind two children aged 10 and 7. I never got along with him growing up but he was like my shitty older brother, family for better or worse. I heard that song not long after his death and have never been able to hear it since without thinking of him. And man, it just pisses me off.
You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker. It was playing on the radio all the time while my angry, bald mother was dying of cancer.
I want to know when I got so emotionally invested that just about any track from Les Mis can leave me with tears streaming down my face.
Oh and damn me if some of the songs from Frozen (you know the ones) don’t do the same, as well.
Musical Movie nights in our house are a barrel of laughs, I can tell you.
I hate being seriously middle-aged…
Dear god - I got choked up just reading the title!
Walking In Memphis (Marc Cohn) always gets me for some reason.
And for sappy songs that I hate to admit that I love even though they make me cry, Kathy Mattea’s Where’ve You Been? is guaranteed to bring me to floods. Very handy when I need a stress-relief cry.
Dear god, that was so beautiful and so sad.
I’m going to go write to my mother now.
Forgot one - Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt.
It’s even more powerful watching the video:
Bette Midler’s The Rose and Terry Jacks’ Seasons in the Sun for theme, and anything by Miley Cyrus for utter awfulness.
Speaking of "breathing’ songs I really like the melody and the tone of Anna Nalick’s voice, as well as the lyrical sentiment, of her “Breathe.” There’s also a connection to the same reason I’m not telling you why Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” get’s me going. Fine - it was my divorce. Sue me.
Also, not-for-nothing, but I’ve always considered “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” to be the most beautiful and poignant love song I’ve ever heard.
Came in to mention “Green Fields of France”, but the version by Liam Clancy.
Casimir Pulaski Day by Sufjan Stevens.
I test myself on this song periodically for some damned reason. The above lyric is the furthest I can get, on a good day.