What songs do you find especially sad or moving?

[TheLobsterClub]

Interested to hear thoughts…

For me there are two that are very personal:

• U2: with or without you - we played it at my dads funeral, I was 13 and he was 41, it has a lot of significance outside of being a sad song generally
• Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart - similar to the above, and made more sad with the fact the lead singer hung aged 23

special mention to Queen - No One But You. A friend sang it in an am dram production recently and I’d never noticed how heartbreaking it was

just interested as could do with a good cry!

I find this song really moving too. I always thought it was about George's mum, who died the year it was released, but apparently not.

Oh my goodness, Bright Eyes! 😭

Although I'm afraid I found MacArthur Park funny. It's the combination of the dramatic orchestra and Richard Harris singing:

Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again, oh no

Followed by a woman wailing, "oh nooooooooooo!"

Space by Biffy Clyro
Little Green by Joni Mitchell
Michael from Mountains sung by Judy Collins

And 'Puff' because I used to sing it with my Dad before my parents split up and he became Dad to other children.

Both Sides Now. Joni Mitchell

Why reminds me of an ex who treated me badly. I remember sitting on the stairs listening to it in tears while he was in bed asleep. It still jars 30 years later.
Also Hurts by Johnny Cash.
And If You Go by Hothouse Flowers, about his brother who was in a coma and subsequently passed away.

I was going to mention this. I am the least sentimental person but seeing my granddaughter dance to this in a show made me well up.

The Fray- how to save a life

Joni Mitchell can write gloriously happy songs… but also very sad ones.

If you could read my mind Gordon Lightfoot

Tears in heaven Eric Clapton
This woman’s work Kate Bush

Also agree with prev pp - I can’t make you love me, Bonnie Rait

Great thread idea OP 😀

Some already mentioned Who wants to live forever, Disturbed’s sound of silence, Wish you were here.
Also,
Zombie - Bad Wolves version
Falling in love with you - Elvis
Goodbye my lover - James Blunt
another PF one, Comfortably Numb
All of me - John Legend
Lots from Marillion.

I’ll stop now 😂

Carry me like a fire in your heart- Chris de burg. My uncle who passed away recently looved this song and i always think of him. Especially because i was super close to him as a child but we became strangers as adults and i mourn that.

Queen- These are the days of our lives. Reminds me of the passing of time and the loss of my youth.

Mike and the Mechanics- The Living years. My step granddad who could not understand English heard it one day when we were little and instantly became emotional. When my sister who was a teenager at the time explained what the lyrics meant he was almost in tears. Remember that moment more than 30 years later.

And definitely Slipping through my fingers by Abba. I was looking at my 10 year old the other day and realised chances are if she moves out at 18 then ive lived with her for longer than i will now.

Emma by Hot Chocolate
Labelled with Love by Squeeze

Where do you go to my lovely Peter starsteadt
Cant listen to it without crying
She used to be mine sara bareilles
Heartbreaking
Take it to the limit the eagles

Voyage, Christy Moore.

The last song in ‘Oh, What a Lovely War!’ (And when they ask us)

Puff - who doesn’t cry when Puff, that mighty dragon, sadly slips into his cave.

Slightly embarrassingly, a Ronan Keating song - If Tomorrow Never Comes. My sister loved it (her taste in music was execrable), and had it played at her funeral. When DH and I were travelling back from the funeral in the car, it came on the radio. If I’m ever in a shop and it comes on, I leave because otherwise I cry.

My Old Dutch.

It seems to be a man describing his wife as the love of his life after 40 years.

And it is a love story but the reason they are parting is that they have to go in to the workhouse which is strictly segregated so they will never see each other again.

Pink, Family Portrait and Dear Mr President - that woman makes me blub.

Prepare to blub all over again.

Lover, Please Stay by Nothing But Thieves. You can feel the pain pouring out of singer.

As soon as someone mentioned Puff, it reminded me of Two Little Boys, another old one that makes me cry.

Annie’s Song. It was played at a funeral this week and I immediately started welling up.

The Living Years. Came out just after my grandad died and when it came on the radio it was the first time I ever saw my dad cry.

Underneath your clothes (Shakira). More of a love song but was out when my mum was seriously ill and it’s very moving for me and makes me cry.

Release (Pearl Jam). I used to plan this at full blast as an angsty teen if I needed to bawl my eyes out about something

Big Star - Thirteen
The Smiths - Please please please let me get what I want
Nick Cope - Grow

There goes the fear - Doves
'close your brown eyes and lay down next to me..'

Reminds me of when did was a tiny baby.

American Tune - Simon and Garfunkel

Concert in Central Park version 1981.

Many Leonard Cohen songs. The Stranger Song where at the end a few tears are falling at the end on his own cheeks.
Sublime

Also Streets of London

😢

George Michael's version of I Can't Make You Love Me.
Anyone who hasn't listened to it - I implore you to. On loud.

Protection by Massive Attack.