One is Love, Me by Collin Raye. For whatever reason, it makes me think of my paternal grandparents. As far as I know, the story in the song is nothing like the story of my grandparents, but it makes me think of them and makes me cry every time regardless. Maybe it’s just that never-ending love, which my grandparents shared.
The second one is Charlie Anyboy by the Blenders. It’s such a sad song about a young boy - Anyboy - who is playing with a gun a friend brought in to school with disasterous results. The way it’s written, especially… I cry. A lot.
There are a lot more, but these two come to mind immediately.
When Micaela sings to Don Jose’ in the first act of Carmen - giving him a kiss from his mother.
I don’t get choked up about the words (they’re nice, and I used to know them in both French and Italian) and there isn’t any emotional attachment to them - no girlfriends dying or anything, but the music is just so perfect, it gives me shivers, spine chilling, eyes tearing up - EVERY SINGLE TIME. I have listened to it 1,000 times, at least, and it has never failed yet.
So, if someone says music can’t ‘soothe the savage breast’, tell them to come see me.
It’s unusual for me to be moved by the same song more than a few times. If I hear it often enough, I tend to lose that “gut” reaction to it. One exception, though. “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” by Reba McEntire gets to me every time. It perfectly describes the relationship I had with my father.
“The greatest words I never heard
I guess I’ll never hear
The man I thought would never die
S’been dead almost a year
He was good at business
But there was business left to do
He never said he loved me
Guess he thought I knew”
“Hallelujah,” written by Leonard Cohen, remade by Jeff Buckley. Very moving.
“Hash Pipe,” by Weezer, makes me want to get up from whatever I’m doing and agitate for a while. Can’t sit still while it’s on. (Difficult in the car…)
I thought I was going to make it to the end of this thread without a mention of one of my tear-jerker songs listed. But TruePisces beat me to it. Collin Raye’s Love, me never fails to get me choked up.
Other songs that make tears well up:
Daddy’s Hands by Holly Dunn…
Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks
Those three above get to me simply because of the lyrics. I don’t have any special connection or memories associated with them.
However,
Chattahoochie by Alan Jackson has got to be the worst for me.
Picture if you can, the most beautiful woman in you’ve ever seen. Now imagine that her inner beauty outshines her physical looks the way the sun outshines a candle. Got it? This woman taught me how to swing dance (country swing, not zoot soot riot) to Chattahoochie. That night we shared all our deepest thoughts and feelings. That night we would’ve become more than friends had I initiated it. Unfortunately, she was in a serious relationship with a good friend of mine at the time and I couldn’t betray him. Three months later, they broke up, I graduated from college, and we all went our separate ways. I realized then that I was no better off for not persuing her. When I hear that song, it makes me think about what might have been… it reminds me of the biggest mistake I’ve ever made… She’s the only person I’ve even been in love with.
“Father Figure” by George Michael. I lost my virginity to that song to the girl I never got over. She’s dead now.
“In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. Long story, so if you don’t wanna hear it, quit reading this now. I used to be a regular party animal in high school. Going out and getting bombed like every weekend. Me and a few other guys were inseperable. Nick, John, and Rick. Went everywhere together. We were at a party one night, all blasted. We had all ridden together, and they were all ready to leave, and waiting on me. I was drunk, and hitting on this girl. Making progress, too, so I wasn’t ready to go. They left without me. And decided to race a train on the way home. And lost. Later that year, MADD came to my school with their video slideshow about drunk driving. It was set to different songs. Anyway, during Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” they showed Nick’s car. The car I should have been in. Since then, I’ve never been able to listen to that song.
Tearjerker songs: Open Arms Journey Seasons in the Sun The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Gordon Lightfoot (but damn, it’s a good song) Against All Odds Phil Collins While My Guitar Gently Weeps The Beatles
Angry songs: Hair of the Dog Nazareth Unforgiven Metallica You Oughta Know …I forget. Crap
Fun/energizing songs: Octopus’s Garden The Beatles Hell’s Bells, Highway to Hell, Thunderstruck AC/DC
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot. That was a big deal in Michigan. It happened about 100 miles from where I live.
Muzzle by The Smashing Pumpkins. This song has given me chills every single time I’ve heard it since I first bought the Melancholy CD - what - five years ago? It’s happy and sad, resigned and defiant, all at once.
And songs that generally make the adrenaline pump: All Lit Up by Buckcherry Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit Down with the Sickness by Disturbed
Anything off AC/DC’s Back in Black album besides “Shook Me All Night Long,” which radio succesfully played into the ground.
Hope & Defiance: Blue Skies-Willie Nelson I Will Survive-Cake A Country Boy Can Survive-Hank Jr. I’ll Fly Away The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Sadness: Amazing Grace-on the bagpipes Sweetness Follows-R.E.M. Tears in Heaven-Eric Clapton American Pie-Don McLean
Nostalgia: All My Rowdy Friends(Have Settled Down)-Hank, Jr. Daydream Beleiver-Monkees Here Comes the Rain Again-Eurythmics Back to the Basics of Love-Waylon Jennings Good Riddance-Green Day
“Our” Songs: In the Meantime-Space Hog Pride & Joy-Stevie Ray Vaughan Common People-Pulp
Happy: La Grange-ZZ Top Born to be Wild-Steppenwolf Longview-Green Day Santaria-Sublime Radar Love-Moontan
There is a Steve Winwood song, I do not recall the name (“If you see a chance, take it…”) That I do not even like. However, the opening cords put a lump in my throat for no obvious reason. I don’t know why. Also, Peter Gabriel’s “Salisbury Hill” also pulls a string for unknown reasons.
“Blister in the Sun” Violent Femmes
“Brown Eyed Girl” Van Morrison
“Little Red Corvette” Prince
“Gigantic” The Pixies
“Paradise” John Prine
'Ants Marching" Dave Matthews Band
These all remind me of women I learned from.
“Walk” Pantera
“Hell Awaits” Slayer
“Seek and Destroy” Metallica
A few songs and even bands stir very powerful memories for me. Especially at this time of year. It’s very difficult for me to listen to old Depeche Mode or the Violent Femmes in the fall without bringing back a crippling rush of memories.
Lately I have noticed that the song “Babylon” by David Gray triggers a kind of strange emotional response in me. I don’t know why, because I don’t associate anythign with it (other than just plain really liking it) but it grabs at something inside me.
These days, just about any song from my childhood and teen years (late 60s to early 80s) chokes me up, even if it’s a happy song.
I hear those songs, and wish so badly I was that kid again, and not so scared and stressed out, when I was still innocent and the world wasn’t so fucking scary.
Oh, and also - I can NOT listen to any John Lennon music during the month of December. Especially the song “Starting Over.” Guaranteed to bring on the tears.
There are several songs that make me sad when I hear them. “You Were Mine” by the Dixie Chicks always makes me really sad because when I was in high school there was a girl I really, really liked who used to sing it constantly and it always reminds me of her. “The Dance” by Garth Brooks makes me sad because it reminds me of how it didn’t work out with her, but I don’t regret any of the time we spent together and I’d want to do it over again, even if I knew how bad it would turn out. And finally, “Amazing Grace” sung a cappella reminds me of the same girl because she had a great singing voice and used to sing this at anytime she could get it in, including at my class’s graduation.
Anyway, enough of that. Stuff that makes me feel good-
“Big Ball’s in Cowtown” by George Strait and Asleep At The Wheel. It’s a really happy Western Swing song- CANNOT listen to it without smiling! “Man Of Constant Sorrow”(ironically) by Soggy Bottom Boys- really fun, especially if you like good bluegrass. “Act Naturally” and “Tiger By The Tail” by Buck Owens- Buck Owens just has this thing about his music that makes even his sad songs fun.
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling- They sang it at my grandma’s 80th birthday party in August seeing as my grandfather would have sung that to her if he had not passed on almost 2 years ago. My brother, all six foot four and muscles that he is, broke down and wept along with me at that.
Everybody Hurts - R.E.M. - I cannot listen to that song without remembering a damn long involuntary hospitalization long time ago.
Fallin- Alicia Keyes - reminds me of my girlfriend, brings a smile to my face everytime.
Anything by New Order, Pet Shop Boys just gets my gay groove going. So many all nighters dancing my butt off
Sleep- The Smiths - Makes me sad, but morbidity is not always a bad thing.
The list goes on and on and on…just wish that Energizer bunny could keep up with my Discman.
