What, no votes for anything by Marillion? Sugar Mice, or most of the Misplaced Childhood or Afraid of Sunlight albums, always get me all choked up…
Another vote here for Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
It was popular shortly after my mom died unexpectedly. I still cry when I hear it.
Another one is The Living Years
“I wasn’t there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn’t get to tell him
All the things I had to say”
Another vote here for Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
It was popular shortly after my mom died unexpectedly. I still cry when I hear it.
Another one is The Living Years - Mike & The Mechanics
“I wasn’t there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn’t get to tell him
All the things I had to say”
First of all, when people mention Pink Floyd they think all of their songs were sad or depressing. Most of The Wall was, but the rest of their albums, especially the early ones, were either upbeat or psychadelic. Get it right.
My list:
Don’t Leave Me Now: Pink Floyd
Goodbye Blue Sky: Pink Floyd
Tears From Heaven: Eric Clapton
King of Pain: The Police
Bloody Sunday: U2
I’m So lonesome I Could Cry: Hank Williams
Cat’s in the Cradle: Harry Chapin (I didn’t know who it was until this thread)
Three by Kate Bush:
Moments of Pleasure (from “The Red Shoes,” 1993). It’s about all of the people she’s lost in her life. Lyrics a bit cryptic and full of references only die-hard fans would get.
This Woman’s Work (from “The Sensual World,” 1989). It’s (kind of) about a man in a hospital waiting room while his wife is going through potentially deadly labour. The video is fantastic.
Under the Ivy (only released as a B-side, circa 1985). It’s about retreating to your secret place.
Those three always get to me.
- s.e.
Maybe not the saddest of all time, but Another Auld Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg is pretty sad.
Zev Steinhardt
Millworker by James Taylor (from the Flag album). “So may I work the mills as long as I am able and never meet the man whose name is on the label.”
I know someone said once that our saddest songs are set to the sweetest melodies. Could have been Shakespeare, I don’t know. There’s a difference though, I would have thought between lyrics being sad and being exhortations to suicide. Dust in the Wind is very pretty but what do they mean by this:
[Now] Don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won’t another minute buy
How about Lynyrd Skyryd: “Was I Right or Wrong”
Coming back with a few more suggestions…
James Taylor has one that brought me to tears even before I heard the story behind it… “You can close your eyes.” Mr. Kitty was going to sing it to me at our wedding, but he had terrible laryngitis that day.
Loreena McKennit’s The Highwayman. OOOooog.
And I can’t believe I forgot Dust in the wind.
I don’t suppose you’ll find the rendition of it performed at this site funny, then: http://www.eugenemirman.com/
You can always count on a couple of very depressing songs on any Chapin album. Some that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Mercenaries
They Call Her Easy
Sniper
The Mayor of Candor Lied
Woman Child
My cousin thinks that “Moonlight Sonata” by Beehthoven is sad. I think it just sounds like waiting.
Dante’s Prayer–Loreena Mckennit
Makes me cry…
Two more votes for “Cat’s in the Cradle” and “Tears in Heaven”
I remember that TIH was sung at the memorial service held one week after the Oklahoma city bombing. One young mother, sitting on the front row of mourners, had lost two little boys and clutched their pictures, along with two teddybears, in her lap. When that song was sung the camera passed by her and you could not see her face. She was doubled over into her lap, with long reddish hair hanging down like a waterfall past her knees. That was when I started crying.
Damn, Jurhael, you and I are on the same wavelength! First we have a mutual love of VNV Nation, then we run into each other on AudioGalaxy, and now this! That song is amazing! In fact, the whole cd Book of Secrets is one of my all-time favorites.
Colin
A couple of clips:
From Angels in Waiting by Tammy Cochran (written about her little brothers’ deaths):
They always knew they’d never grow old.
Sometimes the body is weaker than the soul.
In their darkest hour, I made a promise
I will always keep:
I’ll give them life; I’ll let them live through me.
And, If You Get There Before I Do by Collin Raye:
If you get there before I do, don’t give up on me.
I’ll meet you when my chores are through;
I don’t know how long I’ll be.
But I’m not gonna let you down, darling wait and see.
And between now and then, till I see you again,
I’ll be loving you. Love, me.
(Words written by a young girl to her beau, and then re-stated by her husband of many, many years when she dies.)
Across the Universe - Fiona Apple version
Purple Rain - Tori Amos live version - actually a lot of her songs are pretty sad
Pink Moon - Nick Drake - I dont even know what he is saying, but it makes me sad
Midnight Train to GA - Gladys Knight and the Pips
I have a bunch of songs that I “second” in this thread, but I dont feel like writing them out - I am tired.
Rysdad , I guess I never thought of If You Get There Before I Do as a sad song. After all, although the old man misses his wife he knows he will see her again. Sure, I leak a few tears at the song, but that’s because I wish that I could have had a love like theirs.
Alone Again Or – Love (but I much prefer The Damned’s cover)
All By Myself – Eric Carmen/The Raspberries
Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her &
All Of A Sudden (It’s Too Late) – XTC
From A Window &
Nothing Is Wrong – The dB’s
Another vote here for “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt, “Alone Again, Naturally” by Gilbert Sullivan, and “Another Olde Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg
Time – Pink Floyd
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore – The Smiths
A Simple Kind of Life [correct title?] – No Doubt
Love Is Stronger Than Death &
Slow Emotion Replay – The The (both off of Dusk)
The Whisperers &
Soul Catcher – The The (from NakedSelf)
Keeping the Cowboy Junkies banner aloft, I cast my vote for The Last Spike.
Also, Liz Phair’s Go on Ahead.
Another vote here for the following:
Screaming Infidelities- Dashboard Confessions
Sunday, Bloody Sunday- U2
And more for the list that might have been mentioned already:
Stuck in a Moment - U2 It’s got that depressing feeling while still being a beautiful song.
Yesterday- The Beatles - C’mon! Need I explain?
Overcome- Live - The lead singer’s voice is so…hard to explain, but creepily sad. And the timing of the song’s release only added to it’s sadness.
Romeo and Juliet- Dire Straights - The poor guy just wants the girl to love him! Is that so much to ask! (I started listening to this song a lot after my ex broke up with me last year.)