I came to post “Adagio for Strings”.
Also “Eli’s Theme” from the film “Let the Right One In”. But I think when we associate the sad qualities of the movie with the music that makes it easier for the music to be judged as sad. That’s certainly the case with me and “Eli’s Theme”.
“Adagio…” is sad to me without any other reference point but the notes being played and, of course, how they are being played.
I can’t believe that nobody has posted this one yet: Cavatina , better known as the theme to the movie “The Deer Hunter” is, for my money, every bit as heartwrenching as Ashoken Farewell. This link sets the theme to a slideshow from the movie, which was IMHO the saddest and most poignant Viet Nam film of them all.
I’m really not a big country music fan, but it’s my “go-to” genre when I really need a good, cathartic cry. Two of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard are George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” and Johnny Cash’s version of NIN’s “Cry.” If those don’t trigger tears, then adding a dose of Zevon’s “Keep Me in Your Heart” will certainly finish the job. “Waltzing Matilda,” “Vincent,” and “Danny Boy” are also wrenching. Throw in Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven,” and I’m apt to collapse from dehydration or NaCl deficiency…
And, because I’m a ridiculous history geek, the circumstances of Beethoven’s naming of his Eroica symphony make the piece very poignant to me.
Or her version of “Fields of Gold”.
In high school Toad the Wet Sprocket was my favorite band. I never thought of that song as particularly sad though, even if it’s not happy. They have quite a few good haunting/sad songs, especially on their first two albums, and the singer Glen Phillips has some good solo songs along those lines as well.
I always really liked Crowing from that same album.
Now you have me reminiscing about Toad. I kind of want to listen to them again, but I’m afraid I might not like them as much as I used to.
Quoting myself, only because I’m too big a moron to proofread. Obviously, I meant “Hurt,” not “Cry.”
But while I’m editing myself, I’ll add a few songs I forgot earlier:
Sunday Morning Coming Down - Kris Kristofferson (and several others, but I love this particular recording.)
Behind Blue Eyes - The Who
Long December - Counting Crows
The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen - various recordings
(In the Arms of the) Angel - Sarah McLaughlin (sp?)
At Seventeen - Janis Ian
Daniel - Elton John
Brick - Ben Folds Five
All Alone - Beth Nielson Chapman
Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain - Willie Nelson
Gayane’s Adagio by Aram Khachaturian, although, similar to that coincidental mashup “Phantom of the Opera/School Days” I keep hearing Connie Francis’ “Who’s Sorry Now?” in it.
You know, you and I would agree on virtually nothing…except this. These represent my “goodbye” to far too many friends. Well played, Rand.
Steve Earle - My old friend the blues
The Ending Theme to the Incredible Hulktv show. I didn’t know the name of the song was “The Lonely Man” til I looked it up on youtube. I’d always just thought of it as that-sad-walking-away song.
I’ve listened to a few versions of Hallelujah, and nobody does it better than Jeff Buckley, IMHO. I’ll have to look up the Kris Kristofferson version of Sunday Morning Coming Down; I’ve only heard the Johnny Cash version.
A year before Hurrican Katrina, The Veils released Valleys of New Orleans. Now it makes me tear up every time I hear it.
*Pavanne for a Dead Princess *by Maurice Ravel
I heard Louisiana, 1927 by Randy Newman, on the radio a week after Hurricane Katrina and it blew me away.
“Out of the Deep,” from John Rutter’s Requiem. I used to have a tape of his requiem that got stuck in my car’s tape player. I never got tired of it. It finally broke.
Clair de Lune, by Debussy. It’s my favorite thing to play on the piano, though I haven’t played lately.
“Out of Tears,” by the Stones gets me every time.
If it’s about the lyrics, I’d give you John Doe No. 24 by Mary Chapin Carpenter (health warning: do NOT watch this in the office, unless you want to explain red eyes and a runny nose), or Spancil Hill.
If it’s about the tune alone:
I was going to post this, and The Lonesome Boatman.
There’s something about the treatment given to music by Irish musicians that can even make a song in a major key unutterably sad: qv. Sonny’s Dream (originally a Scandinavian song) or Song for Ireland (by a Scotsman) sung by the late Luke Kelly.
Samuel Barber rewrote Adagio for Strings into a choral Agnus Dei that I came in to post. The voices have a haunting quality that, to me, the strings lack, and it rips my heart out every time I hear it.
Nunc Dimittis, the closing music from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFS6lO6WaaM&feature=related
(sorry for the slightly poor quality)
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt can put me in an instant funk.