# The saddest song in the world **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793 "2002-09-03T12:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/61 "2002-09-05T08:01:57Z")
_Is That All There Is?_: Peggy Lee. Not merely sad, but downright depressing. It was popular around 1970, and it put me in a really dark mood whenever it was played. I second _Danny Boy_. A lot of classical music moves me to tears, but not necessarily out of sadness. The third movement to Tchaikowsky’s Sixth Symphony is positively gut-wrenching. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/62 "2002-09-05T10:49:18Z")
Kindertotenlieder (Songs of dead children) by Gustav Mahler, especially when Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau sings them. ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/63 "2002-09-05T11:15:46Z")
_All the Way from America_[sub]1[/sub] -Joan Armatrading _The Partisan and Who by Fire_[sub]2[/sub] -Leonard Cohen _Way to Blue_[sub]3[/sub] -Nick Drake _Small Town Boy_[sub]4[/sub] -The Bronski Beat 1. Anyone who has ever had a long distance relationship, or has one now, will cry at this song. 2. The lyrics of the first song, “The Partisan” are partially in French. The ‘mood’ of these songs can make me cry. 3. Makes me think of the sadness in a young musical genius’ heart that drove him to take his own life. 4. The theme song for the ‘Angry Young Man’ circa 1985, when I knew a particular Angry Young Man who also considered it. ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/64 "2002-09-05T11:16:48Z")
Sorry, make that 198 **4**. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/65 "2002-09-05T11:26:24Z")
Glad Nick Drake made an appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/66 "2002-09-05T11:35:37Z")
Oh man, this is easy. The Saddest Song in the World[sup]TM[/sup] is _The Ballad of John Henry_ by **Johnny Cash**. That song does something to me that I can’t even describe. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/67 "2002-09-05T11:42:15Z")
Tom Trouberts Blues (4 sheets to the wind in Copenhagen) by Tom Waits. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/68 "2002-09-05T12:27:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by longjohn \* > **I always listen to later Queen albums wondering, did Freddie know he was dying when he wrote songs like “who wants to live forever” and “the show must go on”.** When Queen recorded _Innuendo_ (1990/1991), Mercury was in the last stages of his decline. I don’t think his illness was known in 1986, when _A Kind of Magic_ was released. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Intaglio_ > **2 - “Honey” - I’m not sure who sings it.** **Bobby Goldsboro** , and… ye GADS. What a horrible song. Not sad, just… ick. 🙂 My own suggestions. **The Pogues** version of _And the band played Waltzing Matilda_ has to top the list. A good runner up is **Pink Floyd** with _The Gunners Dream_. Not mentioned before in this thread: _41 Shots (American Skin)_ by **Bruce Springsteen**. Of course, there’s a ton of songs by the latter that fit the bill, like _The River_ and _One Step Up_. But _41 Shots_, especially off the “Live in New York City” CD? I **dare** you to listen to it without choking up. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/69 "2002-09-05T12:35:52Z")
All these posts and no one’s mentioned: Alone Again, Naturally by Gilbert O’ Sullivan or Long Black Veil (many artists recorded this, don’t know who first) ?!? ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/70 "2002-09-05T14:42:47Z")
**Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas** is terribly melancholy, I think. And _Beth Neilson Chapman’s_ **Sand and Water** is very sad. StG ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/71 "2002-09-05T17:41:48Z")
Eric Clapton’s _Tears in Heaven_. ---
**Author:** ![welby1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@welby1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/72 "2002-09-05T18:30:16Z")
Taps. Not for any specific reason, but it sounds so mournful. ---
**Author:** ![SillyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@SillyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SillyGirl)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/73 "2002-09-05T19:23:41Z")
China - Tori Amos A Little Fall of Rain - from Les Miserables (oh god… it gets me just thinking about it) AND Operator by Eddie From Ohio, a folk band from the Washington, D.C. area, is THE saddest song EVER. That new song by Emimum about his mother… makes me sad. It is an angry song… but it makes me sad about what passes for popular music. ---
**Author:** ![Zweistein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/54ee81/32.png) [@Zweistein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zweistein)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/74 "2002-09-05T20:04:40Z")
Requiem: Gyorgy Ligety Requiem: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, especially Lacrimosa ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/75 "2002-09-05T22:11:39Z")
I think this thread needs a **Reader Advisory:** _Contains Deeply Melancholy Lyrics._ I only know a few of these songs, but reading through the lists is like: "Ohh I know that one… " ☹_sniffle_… “And that one too…” ☹ _sniffle… sniffle…_ And then I made the mistake of looking up the Lyrics for _And the band played Waltzing Matilda_… dear god, somone just pass me a razor. 🙂 My own personal picks have been covered… and I was very pleased to see someone else loves (?) _When the Tigers Broke Free_. I didn’t see _Amazing Grace_ on the list so far – not technicaly a sad song… but I guess when you play it at every funeral in the family it’s likely to acquire a little baggage. 🙂 Ohh… and **An Arky** ’s comment reminded me: _The Foggy Dew_. (I have the Chieftains _The Long Black Veil_ disc which has both tunes on it). ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/76 "2002-09-05T22:54:35Z")
The songs that always get me, for various reasons, are: **High Hopes** by Pink Floyd. I can’t listen to this song when anybody’s around because it always makes me cry. **Oh Life (There Must Be More)** by Alan Parsons. Same thing. It’s based on a true story about a woman who committed suicide. **Brother Up In Heaven** by Alan Parsons **Run for the Roses** by Dan Fogelberg. I don’t even know _why_ this one makes me cry, but it never fails. **Pussy Willow** by Jethro Tull. **Roses for Mama** by C. W. McCall. Glad to hear I’m not the only one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/77 "2002-09-05T23:13:00Z")
Padriac My Prince by Bright Eyes. The song of a distraught mother who is contemplating suicide on the anniversary of her little child’s death…Sung tragically from the POV of the deceased infant’s brother. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/78 "2002-09-05T23:48:08Z")
Bill Evans, _Some Other Time_ Very melancholy. You wouldn’t think one man and a piano could be that expressive. No lyrics required. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/79 "2002-09-06T01:07:07Z")
Speaking of which… _Some Other Time_ from ON THE TOWN, the Bernstein and Comden and Green musical. Inexplicably cut from the film version along with almost all the other decent songs. "Twenty-four hours can go so fast, You look around, the day has passed. When you’re in love, Time is precious stuff; Even a lifetime isn’t enough. Where has the time all gone to? Haven’t done half the things we want to. Oh, well, we’ll catch up Some other time…" Avoid the film soundtrack and get the OCR with Nancy Walker et al, or the 1992 reconstruction with Frederica Von Stade, Thomas Hampson, David Garrison, and Tyne Daly. All the more melancholy in the original, which opened the day after Christmas, 1944. These boys may indeed have been spending their last carefree day of their lives, as they were sailing the next morning to Lord knows where. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/80 "2002-09-06T07:45:44Z")
Add _Softly, As I Leave You_, sung by Frank Sinatra. That one really brings me down. _Me And Bobby McGee_, sung by Janis Joplin can make me at least nostalgic, if not sad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793.md?page=5)