What are the saddest songs you know?

Cafe Society
1

I don’t know if this has been covered recently, but I don’t remember seeing it, so here goes.

In general, I can be a bit of depressed person, so there are certain times in my life where sad songs are the perfect (albeit probably not the healthiest) fit for me. Some of my favorites are:

VNV Nation Forsaken (vocal version)
VNV Nation Left Behind
Anything Box An Ending
Anything Box 65 Million Miles
Portishead Roads
Mesh I Can’t Imagine How It Hurts
The Cure Letter To Elise
Nine Inch Nails A Warm Place
Lestat Vision of Sorrows
Erasure Spiralling (Orchestral Version)
How about yours?

Colin

2

“Honey” - Bobby Goldsboro :smiley:

Seriously:

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” - Gordon Lightfoot (sad, cause it’s true)

“The Streets of Baltimore” - Bobby Bare

“Let It Be” - The Beatles (feels sad anyway)

3

The saddest song ever written is “Cat’s in the cradle” by Harry Chapin.

I will NOT argue about this.

4

My votes:

  1. At Seventeen - Janis Ian
  2. Alone Again Naturally - Gilbert O’Sullivan

Both these songs used to send me into a torrent of tears 'way back when…:frowning:

5

“Tears In Heaven” by Eric Clapton - Written shortly after the death of his son Conor (who accidentally fell through an open window). Sample lyrics:
Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,
'Cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven.

“I’m Going Home” by Hootie & the Blowfish - Off their first album, I believe the song is semi-autobiographical (the lead singer’s mom died when he was young). Sample lyrics:
Mama please don’t go
Won’t you stay here for one more day
I’ve been your boy for so long now
There’s so much I still have to say

“Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)” by Elton John - Written after the murder of John Lennon. Sample lyrics:
And I’ve been knocking but no one answers
And I’ve been knocking most all the day
Oh and I’ve been calling oh hey hey Johnny
Can’t you come out to play

6

“Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon.

How can you not cry when you hear the line:
“I can hardly wait…to see you come of age”.

:frowning:

7

“Morning Dew”- Originally written by Bonnie Dobson, but I can’t find her version any way so I’m going on the Grateful Dead/Allman Bros/Jeff Beck Group versions.

“So Many Roads”- The Grateful Dead

“To Lay me Down”- The Grateful Dead

There are many more Dead songs, and other songs that I can’t think of at the moment, and I’m sure that’s enough Dead for everyone. You have to hear these songs to really feel the sadness especially Morning Dew.

8

Sam Stone - John Prine

Streets of London - Ralph McTell

Joan of Arc - Leonard Cohen

Come to think of it, just say most of Leonard Cohen’s work, and be done with it.

9

“A Soldier’s Things” - Tom Waits

When I was a wee little kid, The Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home” was the saddest thing I had ever heard because I naturally assumed that the girl in the song was the same age as I (five or six). To me, it was a song about a little girl opening her door, going outside, getting lost and never coming home and her parents were soooo sad.:frowning:

When I was twelve, I figured out what it was about.

Tramp.

Oh, and “Wildfire”.

10

She’s Leaving Home, Yesterday, and Two of Us (I think it’s about Paul and John, though Paul insists it’s about him and Linda.) are the saddest Beatles songs.

I agree about Beautiful Boy…it can be painful to listen to.

Sting’s Fragile, Fields of Gold, and I’m So Happy (I can’t stop crying) depress me as well.

11

I will plug Cup of coffee by Garbage once more on this board. It is a beautiful sad song about an ended love affair. I second the choice of Eric Clapton, even tough he did not write the lyrics himself, it is quite moving.

12

The song by P.O.D., “Youth of the Nation” I think is the title.

13

Throw Mama from the Train. a Kiss, a Kiss (Patti Paige)
Hang Down your head, Tom Dooley (Kingston Trio)

14

The Wrong Child - R.E.M.

Come play with me I whispered to my new found friend
Tell me what it’s like to go outside
I’ve never been
Tell me what it’s like to just go outside
I’ve never been
And I never will

Mad World - Gary Jules from Donnie Darko soundtrack

IAll around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tommorow, no tommorow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying
Are the best I’ve ever had

15

Black Eyed Dog - Nick Drake

It’s not even the lyrics, hell, there’s only ten line in the whole song. It’s the sound of Drake singing them.

16

Oldie moldies
Seasons in the Sun-Terry Jacks
Last Song-can’t remember but not Soundgarden even though the remake is really good
Honey-Bobby Goldsborogh
OK, OK, but at the time they were REALLY SAD lol
Green Green Grass of Home- Tom Jones (reminds me of my Scottish dad)

Tears in Heaven is probably the saddest one that has been around in a while-
maybe they just dont get to me like they used to-

17

Oh, Oh, also Philadelphia- by the Bard, Bruce Springsteen-gotta get to anyone who has known someone of any kind of wasting disease, including cancer, aids, really anything that lingers—

18

And an oldie…

Teen Angel
guh-ross!

19

Starting Over also really gets to me.

And although The Cardigans’ Love Fool is an upbeat, peppy song, I find this line very sad:

“I don’t care if you really care, as long as you don’t go.”
Sheri

20

Damn, as soon as I get to the bottom of this thread, “Letter to Elise” comes on. I’ll definitely second that one.

Also:
Nine Inch Nails - “Something I Can Never Have”
R.E.M. - “Try Not to Breathe” & “Nightswimming”
Counting Crows - “Raining In Baltimore”
Radiohead - “Exit Music (For a Film)”