Saddest Songs

[Montecfo]

His last album The Wind is all about end of life stuff. Dirty Life & Times, She's too good for me, Numb as a Statue. I didn't know much of Warren other than Werewolves of London (which I don't especially care for) I imagine Keep me in your heart is a song to his wife. Please stay is a song from his wife to him. As a fairly recent widower this one hits me right in the feels

https://youtu.be/1-UC8eF-YP8?t=3

It's a great album for sure.

 

[Montecfo]

This is a song from Petty,'s just released "Wildflowers-All the Rest". It is both very sad and sweet and so affecting, ar least for me, it stopped me in my tracks.

"The Ballad of Harry Green." Apparently this was an actual.classmate of Petty.

https://youtu.be/DEv2RsXo6qY

 

[FlaGator]

From probably my favourite band The Pogues we have "Misty Morning, Albert Bridge"

"I awoke so cold and lonely
In a faraway place
The sun fell cold upon my face
The cracks in the ceiling spelt hell
Turned to the wall
Pulled the sheets around my head
Tried to sleep, and dream my way
Back to you again"


I also find the Jim Croce song "Time in a Bottle" sad.

"If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with you
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them"

My nominee for a Jim Croce song in this category is Photographs and Memories. Another on practically on a loop after the DW died. Still hard to listen to with anyone around

 

[lesjrp]

Surely many people have mentioned country bumpkin, but I just didn’t see it, so sad.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Country+bumpkin+you+to&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

 

[EastWest Gal]

As others have posted, Clapton's Tears in Heaven, and Cash's cover of Hurt are definitely up there for me.

A very new release by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Dreamsicle, is also a contender:

Tears in Heaven was written after Clapton’s four-year old son fell from a 54-story window. The event behind the song makes it extremely powerful.

 

[mbooth]

Eric Bogle's 'And the band played Waltzing Matilda' - admittedly an Australia/New Zealand centric ditty about WW1 and our nationalistic 'celebration' of it each year via our ANZAC Day commemorations. Akin to the US 'Veterans Day' memorials. As an ex-serviceman, this song really plucks on my heart-strings.

 

[LiveBelowMeans]

Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings

 

[mystang52]

Harry Chapin - The Shortest Story

OMG +1 for sure. I remember so many years ago, when I first heard this after buying the album, I literally cried.

 

[LRDave]

OMG +1 for sure. I remember so many years ago, when I first heard this after buying the album, I literally cried.

Moreso than "Mr. Tanner"? Mr. Tanner gets me more than this song.....

Harry had a bunch of sad ones! "Better Place To Be", "Taxi", Etc.,

 

[mbooth]

This musical movement reminds of the opening episode of the computer game 'Homeworld' where the colonists were massacred by the 'adversaries', very poignant.

 

[Nemo2]

 

[Sue J]

I thought "Kitty Come Home" by the McGarrigle Sisters was sad until I saw this list. Next time I'm having too good of a day I'm coming here to get properly saddened.

Some really great songs listed.

 

[CoolChange]

Woody Guthrie's Deportee Covered by The Highwaymen

This version has an even more wistful sound to me than the original.

 

[r3saving]

When I knew for sure that my husband's illness was terminal and there was no way out, "Please Don't Go" kept running through my head. Still does.

 

[Nemo2]

And then there's this:

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

When I knew for sure that my husband's illness was terminal and there was no way out, "Please Don't Go" kept running through my head. Still does.

Hey, I thought that was the "Sunshine" Band!

Condolences to you, r3.

 

[r3saving]

Hey, I thought that was the "Sunshine" Band!

Condolences to you, r3.

Thank you kindly, Mr Graybeard.

 

[jpjr]

Warren Zevon

Shadows are fallin' and I'm runnin' out of breath
Keep me in your heart for a while
If I leave you it doesn't mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for a while

When you get up in the mornin' and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for a while
There's a train leavin' nightly called "When All is Said and Done"
Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

Sometimes when you're doin' simple things around the house
Maybe you'll think of me and smile
You know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse
Keep me in your heart for a while

Hold me in your thoughts
Take me to your dreams
Touch me as I fall into view
When the winter comes
Keep the fires lit
And I will be right next to you

Engine driver's headed north up to Pleasant Stream
Keep me in your heart for a while
These wheels keep turnin' but they're runnin' out of steam
Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

How about "Alone Again, Naturally" by Gilbert O'Sullivan?

Covid theme song for 2020.

I would have chosen that one as well, but you beat me to it. So I will have to go with "goodbye to love" by the Carpenters. Such a sad song.

 

[gauss]

Okay I have two to offer:

1. NewSong - The Christmas Shoes
2. Bruce Springsteen - Downbound Train (especially the dream sequence verse)

-gauss

 

[unclemick]

Jim Reeves - The Blizzard. Song about a man and his horse.

Heh heh heh -

 

[CoolRich59]

I've listen to this one, it seems like a zillion times, about an old, presumably Jewish, pawnbroker who survived the death camps:

Thanks for this. I am a big Mark Knopfler fan and always enjoy learning the background to his songs.

We went to an event in Detroit a couple of weeks ago. We stayed in Willis, which was not far from this road memorialized in another of this songs.

 

[Nemo2]

I am a big Mark Knopfler fan and always enjoy learning the background to his songs.

The interpretation is a presumption on my part, I haven't read an 'official' explication, but from reading the lyrics.....

I enjoy Mark's take on so many, otherwise mundane, subjects, The Scaffolder's Wife, Secondary Waltz, Punish The Monkey and a zillion others.

 

[CoolRich59]

The interpretation is a presumption on my part, I haven't read an 'official' explication, but from reading the lyrics.....

I enjoy Mark's take on so many, otherwise mundane, subjects, The Scaffolder's Wife, Secondary Waltz, Punish The Monkey and a zillion others.

Absolutely.

I read an article a while back where he discussed the lyrics to his song 'If This is Goodbye'. They were snippets taken from voice mail messages left by workers trapped in the World Trade Center on 9-11.

Your bright shining sun
Would light up the way before me
You were the one
Made me feel I could fly
And I love you
Whatever is waiting for me
If this is goodbye
If this is goodbye

 

[Gumby]

She also mentions having ‘won the game’. Anyway, although it’s sad, I had to laugh at your invitation to kill yourself comment.

It also has a great bossa nova accompaniment.