What Is The Saddest Song You've Ever Heard?

Discussion in 'Entertainment' started by MainerMikeBrown, Feb 16, 2013.

  1. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    There are some great ones mentioned already like This Woman's Work (Kate Bush) and Fast Car (Tracy Chapman), and a couple of different tracks came to mind from Tori Amos' Little Earthquakes album, but hands down the saddest song I personally know is Little Green by Joni Mitchell. She wrote it to/for the child she was forced to give up in adoption, in real life, two years earlier.

     
  2. Historical Science

    Historical Science Contributor Contributor

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    There are a lot but this one hits me every time.

     
  3. Hubardo

    Hubardo Contributor Contributor

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    Gamma Knife is a song about a ghost who can't kill itself because it's already dead. "Dust on the glass, I have nowhere to go today." Love it so bad. Toby Driver had on money so he recorded it with crappy gear in his home studio.



    When he cries "Why is there no one in my life?" -- gets me every time.



    Saddest Mars Volta song ever.

     
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  4. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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  5. DeadMoon

    DeadMoon The light side of the dark side Contributor

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    Maybe it's "Somewhere over the rainbow" IE's version, or "What a wonderful World" sad in the sense that they remind me of happiness that I may never truly feel.
     
  6. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    When I was a little boy it was 'Seasons in the Sun.'

    I asked mother what it was about. She said it was a daddy who had died - talking to his little boy. Years later I found the Jack Brel [sp] original, but really it's not much better in the way of these things. Normally you become all evangelical about authentic version, and I was for a while, but really the Belgian's not my scene.

    Then I heard that Terry Thomas or Jerry Jackson, I can't remember his name exactly, was a jobbing folk musician, didn't really give a toss for death or dads, took all the romance from the song for me. Today it is kind of schmaltz.

    Right Down the Line, Jerry Rafferty, very sad, for same reasons, probably.

     
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  7. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I already posted (and I stand by my Puff the Magic Dragon sorrow) but I actually wrote a novel mostly inspired by another sad song...

    I'm Canadian, raised on The Tragically Hip, but I was in a grocery store a few years ago and 38 Years Old came on the radio and I listened to lyrics for the first time in a long while and I started crying, right there in the store. It was just all so hopeless, and pointless, and fucking tragic.

     
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  8. psychotick

    psychotick Contributor Contributor

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    Hi,

    Got a few myself. Cat Steven's already been mentioned for "Lady D'urbanville" and "Cat's in the Cradle". There's also Elton John's "Daniel". (Oddly I find his "Sad Songs" is quite uplifting - go figure!) Crosby, Stills and Nash's "Southern Cross" is awesome. And fairly much everything from 10CC sounds sad even when it isn't - eg "I'm not in love".

    Cheers, Greg.
     
  9. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    All our songs, across the world, sound identikit. We're suckers.

    I don't mean that :/
     
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  10. psychotick

    psychotick Contributor Contributor

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    Hi,

    Ah, but maybe you do! Maybe we're all such sad sacks that someone should write a song about us!

    Cheers, Greg.
     
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  11. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    I just thought of another: Andy M. Stewart's "They Wounded Old Ireland." Pretty wrenching.
     
  12. Kevin Mackinnon

    Kevin Mackinnon New Member

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    There's a few but "I Hung My Head" written by Sting but performed by Johnny Cash is really deep. It's the way Cash delivers it.
     
  13. JLT

    JLT Contributor Contributor

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    Oh, man. So many songs I can think of:

    Jay Ungar's "Ashokan Farewell"
    Eric Bogle's "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"
    Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on my Mind"
    John Prine's "Sam Stone" and "Donald and Lydia"

    I'll stop now.
     
  14. Oscar Leigh

    Oscar Leigh Contributor Contributor

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    This song makes me cry. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it, but its sounds a lot like it's describing being massively friend-zoned. Plus, it just has that sad voice, rhythm and sound.
    .
     
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  15. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    How about:

     
  16. David Tice

    David Tice Member

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    John Mayer - Daughters really touches me.
     
  17. Rambling Chapter

    Rambling Chapter Member

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    Globus - Terminal



    Elton John - Last Song

     
  18. spacerebel

    spacerebel Member

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    cowboy junkies - sweet jane

    (the only person to love is marijuana? damn)

    sybille baier - tonight

    I don't know, just sounds really melacholy
     
  19. JLT

    JLT Contributor Contributor

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    No, I won't. I just thought of one more: Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds."

    And Eric Bogle's "The Gift of Years." You MUST play this song on Memorial Day. I do.
     
  20. Lilly James Haro

    Lilly James Haro The Grey Warden

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    "The End of the World" by Skeeter Davis never fails to make me feel sad. Her voice is just so emotive and beautiful.
     
  21. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    I'm surprised Keep Me in Your Heart by Warren Zevon hasn't made it up here yet. He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and wrote this for his wife.

     
  22. Malisky

    Malisky Malkatorean Contributor

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    Recalculating...


    Nefelis Tango
    - Music Loreena McKennit, Lyrics Haris Alexiou.

    The golden rag Which Nefeli wore on her hair,

    To differ from everyone else in the vine,

    Two little, little angels came

    And stole it.


    Two little angels,

    That in their dreams they wanted Nefeli,

    (wanted) To feed her pomegranate and honey,

    (for her) to not remember, to forget what she wants,

    Seduced her.


    Hyacinths and Lilies

    Stole her scent and wear it

    And loves (amores), throwing paper planes (insinuations), make fun of her.


    But good Zeus

    Takes the water of adolescence away from her,

    He turns her into a cloud and he scatters her

    So they (the angels) won’t find her.


    Two little angels,

    That in their dreams they wanted Nefeli,

    (wanted) To feed her pomegranate and honey,

    (for her) to not remember, to forget what she wants,

    Seduced her.
     
  23. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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  24. Sal Boxford

    Sal Boxford Senior Member

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    Pet Shop Boys "Your Funny Uncle" kills me...
     
  25. Sal Boxford

    Sal Boxford Senior Member

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    My friend Danny's favourite song in the whole world, that is. (Maybe I should have posted this in 'Useless facts'?)
     

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