Songs that are Very Sad & Very Beautiful

Hello,

Here are some of my favorite very sad/very beautiful songs:

1) So Much Wine - The Handsome Family

2) Sunflower - Low

3) The Last Balloon - XTC

4) Tank Park Salute - Billy Bragg

5) Lead a Normal Life - Peter Gabriel

6) One by One - Wilco/Woody Guthrie

7) Sweet Suite (Beginning at the End) - Wendy & Lisa

How about you?

-E

24 Comments

ickynicy's picture ickynicy said:
June 11th, 2009 at 1:34 am

one I can think of at this late hour is Jacob's Dream- Alison Krauss. I cried the first time i heard it, then listened to it 1000 more times.  :)

Diggitdawn's picture Diggitdawn said:
June 11th, 2009 at 10:57 pm

I would have to say the songs are:

1.  I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt

2.  Diary and Lost Without Your Love - Bread

3.  Somewhere - Barbra Streisand

4.  Stand Tall - Burton Cummings

5.  These Eyes - The Guess Who

6.  It's Too Late - Carole King

7.  Drive - The Cars

8.  Sweet Suite (Beginning At The End) - Wendy and Lisa

9.  Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House

10.  I Go Crazy - Paul Davis

11. Melody for a Memory - Hall & Oates

12. It's Not Over - Daughtry

13. Crying - Don McLean

14. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters

15. All By Myself - Eric Carmen 

16.  Destiny - Gloria Estefan

17. You Won't Be Mine - Matchbox 20

18. Use Me - Bill Withers

19. Hurt So Bad - Linda Ronstadt

20. Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me - Mac Davis

21. This Used To Be My Playground - Madonna

22. Wildfire - Michael Martin Murphy

23. One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey

24. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) - Phil Collins

25. What Hurts The Most - Rascal Flatts

There are many more.    

Colicub's picture Colicub said:
June 12th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

A-Ha - Crying In The Rain

Guillemots - Blue Would Still Be Blue

The Cure - A Letter To Elise

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (obvious, but still)

Eddi Reader - Dear John

All fantastic songs, if you haven't heard them they're worth tracking down (or YouTubing).

There's quite a few of Gloria Estefan's songs that are really quite sad and lovely at the same time. Although I'm pretty sure admitting liking any of her 80s output is basically wearing a sign that says "please point and laugh at me".

ickynicy's picture ickynicy said:
June 14th, 2009 at 6:50 pm

point and laugh at ME. I love gloria, and all her 80's stuff.

Colicub's picture Colicub said:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:44 am

*high five*

What can I say? I'm a sucker for a great powerballad.

rl81's picture rl81 said:
June 14th, 2009 at 4:08 pm

'Why' by Annie Lennox always gets me. W&L's 'All I Wonder' and 'Sweet Suite' are beautiful and haunting also.

TMurphy's picture TMurphy said:
June 14th, 2009 at 7:34 pm

Slow version of 'Wave Of Mutilation' by the Pixies.

Erik's picture Erik said:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:41 pm

Yeah, "Why" by Annie Lennox is just brilliant.

sosgemini's picture sosgemini said:
June 15th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

Toni Childs- Death

luluphooey's picture luluphooey said:
June 15th, 2009 at 2:48 pm

Guillemots - Burnt + little bear + if the world ends

 

 The blue nile - so many tracks, go listen !

 

bat for lashes - Sad Eyes

 

 

sunnyfunny's picture sunnyfunny said:
June 16th, 2009 at 4:40 am

There are just too many to mention ....

 

Good call on Edie Reader ..... Dear John

 

At the moment , this morning Im kinda sleepy

 

Nikka Costa Push and Pull and Prince Silvertongue are my sad beautiful songs of the day

kiddofunk's picture kiddofunk said:
June 16th, 2009 at 7:50 pm

I'm a grown man turning 40 this year, but Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" makes me cry like a baby every time.

"I Want to Live" by This Mortal Coil is achingly beautiful and sad as well.

In W&L world, "The Life" always chokes me up.  Particularly the BRILLIANT line "I scream when I breathe, but this is the life." at the end.

alliasan's picture alliasan said:
June 18th, 2009 at 10:20 am

"Alone Again, Or" - especially the Calexico remake.

"Joy in Repetition" - have to throw the fancy lesbian a bone on that one.

Doyle Bramhall's "Time"

Colicub's picture Colicub said:
June 26th, 2009 at 2:06 pm

Have you heard the Matthew Sweet/Susannah Hoffs version of Alone Again Or? It's brilliant.

oh-oh's picture oh-oh said:
June 18th, 2009 at 1:19 pm

The Queen and the Soldier by Suzanne Vega

We float by PJ Harvey

the Closing of the Door by Ròisìn Murphy

Gloomy Sunday by Heather Nova

Black by Pearl Jam

Sometimes it snows in April

ickynicy's picture ickynicy said:
June 21st, 2009 at 7:49 pm

I really should sit and make a list, but...here is another I heard today.

Into the Ocean- Blue October.

Okay, its not what I would concider a "beautiful" song, but its got a great melody in the chorus. I listen to it all the time and sing along, but this morning I wasn't in the singing mood so I listened to the lyrics, really listened. What a horrible song! So sad. I think its a wonderfully written song, as the desperation really comes through. 

 "I'm treading for my life believe me, how can I keep up this breathing"

Diggitdawn's picture Diggitdawn said:
June 25th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

Another is the Prince of Tides Soundtrack.  Makes me cry everytime.

nukillerstar's picture nukillerstar said:
October 12th, 2009 at 10:45 pm

That song is SO depressing. Blue October is really good at that actually. The lead singer/songwriter has really been battling with depression and a lot of his songs deal with that topic actually, like this one.

 

It's ironic, the other day I was actually just thinking about songs that always make me cry, no matter what. I came up with three of them. Perhaps they aren't "beautifully" written songs but they are sad.

Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here. This song gets me because I've had a really tough time losing friends so I can really relate to this song. It was originally written about Syd who had to leave the band for various issues.

David Bowie, Conversation Piece. This isn't one his well known songs, but it's simply amazing. I love songs that have a dichotomy where they can be interpreted in multiple ways. This song is one of them. I've got two versions and by far the best version is the one that was a bonus for 'Heathen.'

Last but not least is Jonathan by W&L. The pure raw emotion in this song just hits me. Anyone who has ever lost someone would have to be emotionally stunted to not feel anything after hearing this song.

Benjamin Virgo's picture Benjamin Virgo said:
June 29th, 2009 at 1:08 pm

Never Can Say Goodbye           MJ

Don't Walk Away                      MJ

Sometimes It Snows In April      You Know Who

The Life                                  You Know Who

In Her Family                          Pat Metheny Group

Never Felt This Way                  Brian McKnight

If You Go Before Me                Terence Trent D'Arby

Never Thought I'd C The Day    Sade

17                                         Janice Ian

Weekend In New England         Barry Manilow

Erik's picture Erik said:
July 17th, 2009 at 2:58 pm

If I had to pick one piece of music to live with for the rest of my life, it would be this >

http://www.amazon.com/Henryk-Gorecki-Symphony-Sorrowful-Songs/dp/B000005J1C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1247860377&sr=8-1

Henryk Gorecki - Symphony #3

It is, hands down, the most beautiful, transcendent piece of music that I've ever heard.  It's sad. It's beautiful.  And after listening to it, it shifts your foundation a bit so that you're quiet, like when you walk out of an amazing movie or when you finish the last page of a novel that's knocked you off of your tracks.

Has anyone else heard this?

warriorprincess's picture warriorprincess said:
October 5th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

hi there, first proper post! agree with the kate bush track, luv all of her stuff anyway, but dont know about sad, but moving, i rate, mahler (Death in venice), peter gabriel - last temptation of christ, and anything by john barry, out of africa etc.... oh also the saddest pop song ever has to be abba - the day before you came.....

:) ali

Selena's picture Selena said:
October 21st, 2009 at 5:18 am

Anyone familiar with Because I'm a girl by Kiss? It's a Korean song but watching the video helps you understand the story of the song.

Partially Bill Hicks's picture Partially Bill Hicks said:
November 5th, 2009 at 12:56 pm

Surf's Up - The Beach Boys

Tears of Rage - The Band

See You Sometime - Joni Mitchell

Motion Pictures - Neil Young

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

Tonite It Shows - Mercury Rev

The Spiderbite Song - The Flaming Lips

Goin' To Acapulco - Bob Dylan and the Band

Coming Around Again - Carly Simon

I Get Along Without You Very Well - Chet Baker

Some Things Last A Long Time - Daniel Johnston

Cut Dead- The Jesus and Mary Chain

Chelsea Hotel No. 2 - Leonard Cohen

Coney Island Baby - Lou Reed

From the Morning - Nick Drake

These Days - Nico

A Pair of Brown Eyes- The Pogues

Suspicion - R.E.M.

Motion Picture Soundtrack - Radiohead

In Dreams - Roy Orbison

 

*Edit, silly confusion*

Colicub's picture Colicub said:
November 10th, 2009 at 4:54 pm

Song that I'd forgotten about, but is such a lovely yet sad song (and would probably suit a W&L cover) is "Ain't It A Shame" by The B-52's.