# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/121 "2002-09-11T18:50:40Z")
“Against All Odds” by Phil Collins. ---
**Author:** ![elsa32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@elsa32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elsa32)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/122 "2002-09-11T22:22:11Z")
another lonely day - ben harper you had time - ani difranco after all - dar williams fast car - tracy chapman (the first time i heard it i was in the 6th grade and i just laid there and cried) ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/123 "2002-09-11T23:17:05Z")
Not really a sad song, but U2’s “All I want is you” moves me to tears every time. ---
**Author:** ![musicguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@musicguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/musicguy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/124 "2002-09-12T05:22:06Z")
Welcome to the boards, **elsa32** , ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/125 "2002-09-12T07:29:11Z")
“Watermelon in Easter Hay” by Frank Zappa. The Kronos Quartet version of “El Llorar.” Jimi Hendrix’s “Burning of the Midnight Lamp.” Probably also some Beatles ones, but there are so many that it’s tough to decide. ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/126 "2002-09-12T13:56:14Z")
Cmon now, everyone knows that “Patience” by **Guns-n-Roses** is the saddest song of all-time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![moonchilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@moonchilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonchilde)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/127 "2002-09-13T19:07:03Z")
What a GREAT thread! Thank you all for sharing! Lots of thoughts ran thru while thinking on this. For just melody that moves to tears, I’d have to second “Taps” and third (or fourth or fifth) “Danny Boy”. For lyrics that don’t pertain to memories of my own (towards incidents or relationships,etc) I’d have to mention a Harry Chapin song not yet mentioned “Mr. Tanner” (tho “A Better Place to Be” is way up there as well). From my early past/teenage angst years I have a couple offerings from the pre-disco BeeGees: “I Started a Joke” and “1941 Mining Disaster”. Also, James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain”, (God, I’m sounding old again.) and the previously mentioned “Suzanne”. For tears not necessarily all sad, but evoked nonetheless, I offer the live version of “Free Bird” turned up VERY loud with three lead guitars screaming in pain. (Side note…Nope, that wasn’t me on air guitar. nope nope nope 🙂 ) And while I find a LOT of music from Broadway to be powerful (“Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha, for one), ANYTHING from Les Miserables will work. If i had to pick just one, I can’t. The two that come to mind are Fantine’s “I Dreamed a Dream”, and “Come to me”. Both have me weeping just thinking about them. Again, thanks for all the musical suggestions. I hope some of mine might pass muster. Moonchilde ---
**Author:** ![Rockford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Rockford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rockford)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/128 "2002-09-13T22:20:26Z")
**In Metal** - Low **Dead Flag Blues** - Godspeed You Black Emperor! **Song for a Blue Guitar** -Red House Painters \*\* Mining for Gold \*\*- Cowboy Junkies \*\* Weakerthans \*\*- None of the Above ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/129 "2002-09-14T06:19:20Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, **moonchilde**. Did you bring a hamster? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/130 "2002-09-14T06:30:25Z")
I can’t believe I mentioned **Gloomy Sunday** [sub]way back on page one[/sub], and somehow forgot to mention **Strange Fruit** also by Billie Holliday. ---
**Author:** ![TSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e8c25b/32.png) [@TSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSO)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/131 "2002-09-14T07:33:24Z")
EVERY… stinking… song… from the musical review “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” Brel was a “beat poet” from Belgium, who lived in Paris and the US in the 60’s. His most melancholy bits were set to music for this review premiered off-Broadway in 1968. He must have been the most morose, tragic, despair filled person ever to walk the earth - or else he unloaded it all in his writing. The lyrics lose something without the unbelievably poignant melodies and accompaniment, but they are still powerful. If you are a melancholy type, or you just like sad music, this recording is your Sistine Chapel of sadness, your Mona Lisa of melancholy, your…well you get the picture. The complete lyrics can be found here - [http://libretto.musicals.ru/text.php?textid=176&language=1](http://libretto.musicals.ru/text.php?textid=176&language=1) Of special note is "The Desperate Ones”, of which I will pique your interest here with a few lines– its about those who have utterly despaired, literally lost their minds and are suicidal, after having lost at love too many times - AND its about our lack of concern for them when we come upon them in their moment of extremis… …And underneath the bridge The waters sweet and deep, There is the journey’s end The land of endless sleep. They cry to us for help We think it’s all in fun - They cry without a sound, The Desperate Ones. Let he who threw the stone at them Stand up and take a bow, He knows the verb to love But he’ll never know how. And On the bridge of nevermore They disappear one by one - Disappear without a sound The Desperate Ones… Others of note at the above-mentioned site – “Alone” “My Death” “The Old Folks” “Fanette” "No, Love, you’re Not Alone” “Next” “If we Only have love” ---
**Author:** ![stolatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@stolatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolatt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/132 "2002-09-14T11:48:16Z")
This is going to sound warped, but “Fred Bear” by Ted Nugent. OUr friend passed away and he wanted that played at his funeral. I would have loved to hear Terrible Ted echoing through the Catholic church and watching the priest try not to wince. I second U2’s “So Cruel”. And for pure cheese, I always get sniffly over “When you wish upon a star” from Pinnochio. ---
**Author:** ![Lala\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9adbd/32.png) [@Lala\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lala_S)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/133 "2002-09-14T13:24:46Z")
“Boulder to Birmingham” - a song Emmylou Harris wrote in tribute to Gram Parsons - always makes me cry. ---
**Author:** ![JohnW77707](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@JohnW77707](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnW77707)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/134 "2002-09-15T01:09:41Z")
“These Days” – Jackson Browne ---
**Author:** ![Sparrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sparrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparrow)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/135 "2002-09-15T13:16:29Z")
Another vote here for Danny Boy. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/136 "2002-09-15T13:31:21Z")
Ani DiFranco’s _Hello Birmingham_. Not only sad, but shocking and horrifying. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/137 "2002-09-15T13:38:47Z")
Ani DiFranco’s _Hello Birmingham_. Not only sad, but shocking and horrifying. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/138 "2002-09-15T14:21:39Z")
When I first heard [Cold Missouri Waters](http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/c/coldmiss.html) (written by James Keelaghan and covered by [Cry Cry Cry](http://www.rambles.net/crycrycry.html) ), I felt a cold shudder go through my body from head to toe. Every time I listen to it since, I get teary eyed. You can listen to a recording of the song in RA format [here](http://www.wksu.org/folk/festival97/tracks.html) The story is a true account of one of the fire jumpers from 1949 who saves himself by lighting a “ring of fire” around himself…while his jump mates perish. The song is based on the book [Young Men & Fire](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0226500624/104-8471765-5775950) by Norman MacLean (of River Runs Through It fame) The entire Cry Cry Cry album is a tear jerker (hence the name, natch)…always worth a good listen. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/139 "2002-09-15T18:04:30Z")
Jeremy - Pearl Jam Alone - I have a verson by Tool and the singer from Creed. Both have such heart-wrenching voices. DAnny Boy - of course I watched “We were soldiers” last night, and I cannot blieve the saddness and power in the song “Sgt. MacKenzie” by Joseph Kilna MacKenzie. Such a sad, sad song! There are more, I know there are, but right now thats all that comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![B\_Williams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@B\_Williams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B_Williams)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793/140 "2002-09-15T19:53:21Z")
He stopped loving her today by George Jones has got to be one of the saddest ever [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-song-in-the-world/126793.md?page=8)