Saddest Songs You've Ever Heard

[slain]

Alright, let's make a list of the all time saddest songs. Stuff that makes grown men weep. If you want, you can include the reason why it makes you sad. I'll start the list:

-In Loving Memory by Alter Bridge(It gets me every single time I hear it. It makes me think of my dad)

[Skummy]

It's difficult...obviously some songs are intrinsically "sad" songs, while other's can enduce tears by virtue of just being absolutely beautiful, while others become "sad" from memories attached to them.

A lot of songs I listen to could probably be considered "sad" songs, but genuinely emotional ones for me are....

"Dead Flag Blues" by Godspeed You! Black Emperor...listening to this, middle of the night, pitch black, full volume, through headphones...it's one of the most exquisite pieces of music ever recorded, and has moved me to tears because of that. Whilst plenty of songs give me a mental image when I hear them, it tends to vary every time, whereas every time I listen to this it just heightens my sense of the same image I received first time.

"Famous Blue Raincoat" by Leonard Cohen....Laughing Len is kind of a go-to answer for this kind of question, really, but this one gets me every time. Just beautiful, and has a bit of an emotional resonance through being attached to "a girl".

"Paddy's Gone" by Antony & The Johnsons...so simple, but the repetition of "my wrist hurts, my heart's empty, Paddy's gone...loved that man, scared without him..." for three minutes, minimalist, with layered vocals...hits me right where it counts, for a variety of reasons.

"Angel Eyes" by Frank Sinatra...his "...Sings For Only The Lonely" album is one of the most downbeat, "depressing" records I've ever heard, and this is the highlight. Fantastic stuff. This, and a couple of other tracks on there, really capture the feel of being the jilted lover, telling your story to whoever will listen, doubled over a double whiskey not knowing what to do next.

There's plenty more, but that's a few off the top of my head.

[Nerf]

Jeff Buckley's cover of "Hallelujah" gets me every time.

[ClaRK! Kent]

Jeff Buckley's cover of "Hallelujah" gets me every time.

[YI]

I know a few 'sad' songs, but I generally don't get made 'sad' by music.

However, "Yesterdays" by Pennywise kind of fits the bill. I don't get 'sad' listening to it, never really did, plus it's not even that good of a song. However it got released in the time I started college, and basically shed a hell of a lot of school friends (Who strangely I am now hanging out with again ), as not one person from my school went to the same college as me (Actually...2 did, but 1 came the year after, after a year of doing fuck all and another that went was a freak, so I never socialised with her). basically about missing carefree times and such, missed seeing my friends every day and shit like that...but never made me 'sad'. I'm too hardcore for sadness.

Edited August 9, 2007 by YI

[thatshortguy]

Well, let's see....

...although beautiful and heartfelt, "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie is a song I've seen bring tears to a few people.

...Modest Mouse's "The World At Large" remains one of my favorite songs. It's one of the few songs where the music actually gives off the vibe of a drifter's life.

...arguably my favorite Soundgarden song, "Zero Chance" has some of the more poetically-jarring lyrics you may come across:

"I stumbled on and all the world fell down...and all the sky went silent, cracked like glass and slowly tumbled to the ground."

...continuing on with lyrical sadness, They Might Be Giants' "The End Of The Tour" is actually written about fans who died while following the band on tour.

...this is the obligatory mention of Pearl Jam's "Last Kiss" cover.

...finally, Beck's "Nobody's Fault But My Own" is arguably the most down-trodden song he has written.

[Skummy]

Good call on "Nobody's Fault But My Own". That's one I always tend to forget all about, until it comes on shuffle, and then it's like "blimey, that was pretty full-on".

The entirety of Lou Reed's "Berlin" album, listened to in order in one sitting, is pretty intense stuff too.

Edited August 9, 2007 by Skummy Guðmundsdóttir

[Captain Eo]

Macho Man - Be A Man

why : because it's the death in motion.

But seriously I don't know why but "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston gets me

[Himple]

One Thing by Finger Eleven gets me everytime now, since the tribute video....

Michael Jackson's You Are Not Alone i find a bit depressing aswell.

Edited August 9, 2007 by Himple

[Farmer Reil]

Hammerfall's 'Glory To The Brave'.

That is so being played at my funeral.

[ClaRK! Kent]

I'm having "Whatta Man" by Salt'n'Peppa played at mine.

[Rashid]

A couple I can think of:

Johnny Cash - Hurt

Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

Bonnie Tyler - A Total Eclipse Of The Heart......

Edit:

Meat Loaf - Objects in the Rear View Mirror...

Edited August 10, 2007 by Rashid

[ROC]

"John Wayne Gacy, Jr." from Sufjan Stevens tends to get me. Very well written, a good sense of ambiguity in talking about a scary subject. And the in-song realization is extremely convicting.

[Hobo]

"Keep Me In Your Heart" - Warren Zevon. Such a pretty song. "Sometimes when your doing simple things around the house, maybe you'll think of me and smile, y'know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse, keep me in your heart for a while"

"On The Evening Train" - Johnny Cash. Just because it's about a man at the funeral of his wife, coming off of American V it fits so much.

"Goodbye" - Steve Earle. "I remember holding on to you, all those long and lonley nights I put you though, somewhere in there, I'm sure I made you cry, but I can't remember if we ever said goodbye".It's a short but emotional song.

"Father, Son" - Peter Gabriel. "Remeber the breakwater, down by the waves, I first learned my courage knowing Daddy would save, I could hold back the tide, with my Dad by side". It's touching and beautiful.

"I Wanted So" - Johnny Cash. It's about the death of Cash's father, it's very poignant.

[METALMAN]

Between The Bars by Elliott Smith is very poignant, especially when you think of how his life ended.

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

They Dance Alone - Sting. This one might be a bit unexpected but is a beautiful song. There's a variety of folk instruments such as panpipes in the song which give it an interesting sound.

[Bodom]

"Turquoise Boy" by Sonic Youth

[TheRyno]

Johnny Cash - Hurt: I'll admit, when they played it for the Eddie Guerrero tribute Raw, I cried. And I feel a little weepy every time I hear it now.

Also, I can't remember the name of it but that Placebo song where the chorus goes "Do do do do do doooo dooo dooo".

[SwantonEdge]

Johnny Cash - Hurt: I'll admit, when they played it for the Eddie Guerrero tribute Raw, I cried. And I feel a little weepy every time I hear it now.

[Trey]

Also, I can't remember the name of it but that Placebo song where the chorus goes "Do do do do do doooo dooo dooo".

[Toe]

I don't know if everyone would agree, but "Ride On" by AC/DC is one for me.