# The Most Maudlin Song Award goes to... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935 "2013-03-03T19:19:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/21 "2013-03-03T22:36:14Z")
[“Rocky” by Austin Roberts](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flOcEFXrsTQ) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/22 "2013-03-03T22:52:43Z")
Most of Barry Manilow, but especially especially especially “Mandy.” ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/23 "2013-03-04T00:40:12Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Since the OP has already crossed the line by nominating a “song” with no singing: > > [Jimmy Dean. IOU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayUJy3fHcYM) > > Thread over. I remember that one. When he tells the part about how there were two pieces of apple pie for three hungry people, “Mama remembered she really didn’t like apple pie anyway.” Why didn’t they just recut the two pieces twice more so that there would be six pieces? Everybody could have two. Pfft. Dumbasses. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/24 "2013-03-04T00:46:27Z")
The MASH movie theme song/lyrics wasn’t exactly uplifting. Nor was China Beaches. What was wrong with those producers? ---
**Author:** ![anontanijat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@anontanijat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anontanijat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/25 "2013-03-04T04:11:38Z")
Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle :gag: ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/26 "2013-03-04T04:30:59Z")
A rather depressing short tune. The few notes at the end of the Incredible Hulk TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/27 "2013-03-04T04:35:02Z")
I’m a big softie. I kinda like a lot of these. I need to follow them up with “War Pigs,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Break on Through,” and the like though… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/28 "2013-03-04T04:55:32Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > [All By Myself](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3j_fdSpkmE) > > Making Love Out of Nothing At All by Air Supply > > [Total Eclipse of the Heart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOxhH8N3Bo) (also winner in the category of Most Over the Top 80s-est of 1980s Music Videos) > > It hasn’t escaped my notice that all three of these songs has basically the same piano opening: staccato hammering away at the same note or notes. Is there any sight like “TV Tropes” for pop music clches? This would certainly belong to it - the slow hammering away at one or two piano notes to denote Big! Melodrama! Song!!! Well, the last two are the inimitable Jim Steinman – see also much of Meat Loaf’s work. Roy Bittan from the E Street Band being the pianist on the Bat Out of Hell album. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/29 "2013-03-04T04:59:57Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/30 "2013-03-04T05:14:52Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > [Honey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59BZxgohr9g) by Bobby Goldsboro. > > \<\\> WARNING: Clicking on the above link may cause user to behave in a violent manner or entertain thoughts of suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/31 "2013-03-04T05:58:19Z")
Surely it is [He Stopped Loving Her Today](http://youtu.be/CYQViYm92hg) by **George Jones**. George’s own comment as they wrapped up the recording session: “Nobody’ll buy that morbid son of a bitch.” ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/32 "2013-03-04T07:31:46Z")
I thought I was on the money with “asleep” by the Smiths, a little ditty about suicide, but after reading some of the other suggestions I’d humbly submit that perhaps Morrrisey was onto something and was merely suggesting a way of not having to listen to any of the other songs mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/33 "2013-03-04T08:52:42Z")
Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton Whiskey Lullaby - Alison Krauss Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers Hurting Each Other - Carpenters ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/34 "2013-03-04T10:24:00Z")
Nik Kershaw - Wouldn’t it be Good [Lyrics](http://www.elyrics.net/read/n/nik-kershaw-lyrics/wouldn_t-it-be-good-lyrics.html) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/35 "2013-03-04T10:41:08Z")
The various versions of “Blue Moon” must be contenders here. I like the Cowboy Junkies version: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vJ6EGsZdxpE/hqdefault.jpg "Cowboy Junkies - Blue Moon Revisited") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ6EGsZdxpE) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/36 "2013-03-04T11:02:26Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Seasons in the Sun My pick, though Most Maudlin Christmas Song is the loathesome “Christmas Shoes”. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/37 "2013-03-04T11:14:44Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > My pick, though Most Maudlin Christmas Song is the loathesome “Christmas Shoes”. “Christmas Shoes” should be the Godwin’s law of bad/maudlin music. “As an online discussion of bad songs grows longer, the probability mentioning ‘Christmas Shoes’ approaches 1.” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/38 "2013-03-04T12:43:14Z")
> [@Barking\_Dog](#): > > I can’t believe no one has yet mentioned _Gloomy Sunday_, a song supposedly so depressing, people have killed themselves after listening to it. Including its author. _Gloomy Sunday_ is the gold standard for depressing songs; it almost has to be excluded in order to talk about other songs. But I’ll throw _Kathleen_ by Townes Van Zandt into the mix. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/39 "2013-03-04T13:47:32Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > [_Siliva’s Mother_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPrixYOTNHw) by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. “Sylvia’s Mother” is satire. It’s a hilarious song – deliberately so. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935/40 "2013-03-04T14:36:51Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > But I gotta admit my dirty secret. I actually kinda like _Honey_. “Oh, the shame of it!” (puts paper bag over head like Sylvester Jr.) I’m not afraid to say I love **Honey** , **Seasons in the Sun** , **Wildfire** … My nom for the thread is one I can’t remember the name of but it’s a country song about a guy and he gets a letter from his woman but he’s mad and doesn’t open it. Weeks later he finally reads it and it says she would wait for him at the train (?) and if he doesn’t show she would go kill herself. Oops. Harry Chapin’s \*\*Corey’s Coming \*\*and **Flowers Are Red** are others I roll around in when I’m feeling maudlin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-maudlin-song-award-goes-to/651935.md?page=3)