Oh the randomness that is me. For reasons beyond even my understanding I decided to make a list of some of my favorite sad songs. These are not the saddest songs of all time or anything, I mean I think the oldest on my list is from 2003 or something.
While doing this I found that some songs I thought would be on this list aren’t because when you listen to the lyrics they are kind of hopeful (like Sara Bareilles’s “The Light”). Other songs didn’t make it because they have sad lyrics but sound peppy (think any 1 out of every 3 Rocket Summer Songs). Songs on this list sound sad and have lyrics to match. Also, no artist could have more than one song on the list (if they could A Fine Frenzy, Regina Spektor and Ben Folds would have taken the whole list… Side note: Why is Ben Folds so dang sad?)
With all that being said here are my top 11 sad songs. Kind of in order of sadness, kind of in order of how much I like them.
Enjoy… or something. ;)
11. “The Boy Who Never” – Landon Pigg
“The Boy Who Never” is about a boy and the things he never did because he was worried about failure. This song is sad to me because I can relate. I’m not always like this, but I think we all can get to the place sometimes where we don’t even try because we are afraid of how things will turn out. “He taught himself how not to lose. By never really trying to win.” Ouch.
10. "Telescope Eyes"- Eisley
Okay, like many Eisley songs this one kind of crosses from sad to creepy. I don’t think I even have to explain why it is sad, “Oh, you humor me today, calling me out to play with your telescope eyes, metal teeth I can't be seen with you (you freak).”*punch in the stomach* The thing is though, even while describing someone too embarrassing to be seen with the singer confesses that they are “Just like you, you know”. Yeah, depressing.
9. "Because of You"- Kelly Clarkson
When I first heard this song I thought Kelly was singing about an ex-lover and the song didn’t really make sense to me. However, then I heard she is actually singing to her parents who apparently split up or had an rough marriage and I was like, “Holy crud, this song is sad” and instantly loved it… because I’m strange. Also the music video here is heartrending. “I watched you die, I heard you cry, every night in your sleep. I was so young you should have known better than to lean on me.”
PS This song is also sad to me because it reminds me of when Kelly Clarkson use to be good. *sigh*
8. "Title and Registration" - Death Cab for Cutie
Like many others, I went through a huge Death Cab for Cutie phase. I think I listened to only them, Eisley and the sound track from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” one summer. However, the only song of theirs that really sticks out to me now is what I call the “glove compartment song”. A song about a guy who finds old pictures in his glove compartment that reminds him of “better times”. “I was searching for some legal document, as the rain beat down on the hood. When I stumbled upon pictures I tried to forget, and that's how this idea was drilled into my head.”
7. "Brick" - Ben Folds Five
Someone told me this song was about an abortion, and while I haven’t asked Ben Folds about this personally, I believe it. To me it is one of the most hopeless songs in this list. I can only listen to it every once in awhile, however, with that being said it is an amazing song and am interesting perspective. “As weeks went by, it showed that she was not fine. They told me, ‘Son it's time to tell the truth.’ She broke down and I broke down, cause I was tired of lying.”
6. "Keep Breathing" - Ingrid Michaelson
Oh how I LOVE Ingrid. She has some of the saddest peppy songs ever. Ingrid and Lenka, they may sound upbeat, but not so much. However this song has a beautiful and sad melody that matches the lyrics. “The storm is coming but I don't mind. People are dying, I close my blinds. All that I know is I'm breathing now. I want to change the world... instead I sleep. I want to believe in more than you and me.” For more sad Ingrid wonderfulness also listen to “Breakable”, sooooo good.
5. "All I have" - The Rocket Summer
When I first got it I think I listened to The Rocket Summer’s album “Do You Feel” about 85.3 times in a row. I can be obsessive. However it wasn’t until about listen number 32 I realized that thought most of the songs have a peppy almost punk/big band sound to them the lyrics are actually deep and a little gloomy sometimes. I can be a little dense. One of my favorites of his sad-ish songs is “All I Have” because to me it is saying okay things can be stormy, what are we going to do about it? “And all I have is all of me. And it's all that I can give. Our disappointed hearts will heal. Our hearts will spill. Over you, over me, over this.”
4. "Beacon"- A Fine Fenzy
“You say your time has come, you're tired of waking up. Don't be obscene, I can't conceive of living without you.” Nice disheartening opening to a song. This song is melodic and beautiful. While it opens with someone who feels they can go on it is actually a little encouraging, telling that person that even though they can see it they are needed by so many people. I often put this one on repeat. “Burning beacon in the night. Can't feel its heat, or see its light. That single solitary guide, it must get lonely there sometimes.”
3. "Tears of the Saints"- Leeland
This song is actually somewhat hopeful, but I love it so very much that is had to make the list. “Tears of the Saints” is all about the lost and unsaved people that we as saints (Christians) should be crying out to “come back home”. The most convicting line to me is, “There are schools full of hatred. Even churches have forsaken, love and mercy. May we see this generation in a state of desperation for Your glory.” Enough said really.
2. "Chemo Limo" - Regina Spektor
Okay if this had a music video it would be #1 on this list, but as it is, it crept down to #2. “Chemo Limo” is a song about a woman dealing with cancer and how it isn’t just killing her it is bleeding her dry financially. I love the word picture of “Crispy Benjamin Franklin” representing money and how she’d rather spend money on a limo then chemo, so she does. A lot of this song it up to interpretation, but for me the most poignant part is when she sings about her four children and ends with, “and Barbara, she looks just like my mom.” It makes me think that the character in the story lost her own mother the way she fears her children are going to. “Oh my god, Barbara, she looks so much just like my mom.” Regina’s voice is so heartbreaking here it gets me every time.
1) "Gravity" - Sara Bareilles
Sara, Sara, Sara… I can’t explain how wonderful she it. “Gravity” is from her first album “Little Voice” and is one of the songs that really sold me on her. Sara says it is about losing her first true love and how she didn’t feel like she could move on from it. The lyrics are sad and tender but it is the melody and the way Sara sings it that makes it so good. I mean even in the music video she seems like she’s about to cry.“You hold me without touch. You keep me without chains. I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.”
Okay, if you read this far I'm surprised and well, leave a comment with your favorite sad song. TIme to go listen to some happy music now!
While doing this I found that some songs I thought would be on this list aren’t because when you listen to the lyrics they are kind of hopeful (like Sara Bareilles’s “The Light”). Other songs didn’t make it because they have sad lyrics but sound peppy (think any 1 out of every 3 Rocket Summer Songs). Songs on this list sound sad and have lyrics to match. Also, no artist could have more than one song on the list (if they could A Fine Frenzy, Regina Spektor and Ben Folds would have taken the whole list… Side note: Why is Ben Folds so dang sad?)
With all that being said here are my top 11 sad songs. Kind of in order of sadness, kind of in order of how much I like them.
Enjoy… or something. ;)
11. “The Boy Who Never” – Landon Pigg
“The Boy Who Never” is about a boy and the things he never did because he was worried about failure. This song is sad to me because I can relate. I’m not always like this, but I think we all can get to the place sometimes where we don’t even try because we are afraid of how things will turn out. “He taught himself how not to lose. By never really trying to win.” Ouch.
10. "Telescope Eyes"- Eisley
Okay, like many Eisley songs this one kind of crosses from sad to creepy. I don’t think I even have to explain why it is sad, “Oh, you humor me today, calling me out to play with your telescope eyes, metal teeth I can't be seen with you (you freak).”*punch in the stomach* The thing is though, even while describing someone too embarrassing to be seen with the singer confesses that they are “Just like you, you know”. Yeah, depressing.
9. "Because of You"- Kelly Clarkson
When I first heard this song I thought Kelly was singing about an ex-lover and the song didn’t really make sense to me. However, then I heard she is actually singing to her parents who apparently split up or had an rough marriage and I was like, “Holy crud, this song is sad” and instantly loved it… because I’m strange. Also the music video here is heartrending. “I watched you die, I heard you cry, every night in your sleep. I was so young you should have known better than to lean on me.”
PS This song is also sad to me because it reminds me of when Kelly Clarkson use to be good. *sigh*
8. "Title and Registration" - Death Cab for Cutie
Like many others, I went through a huge Death Cab for Cutie phase. I think I listened to only them, Eisley and the sound track from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” one summer. However, the only song of theirs that really sticks out to me now is what I call the “glove compartment song”. A song about a guy who finds old pictures in his glove compartment that reminds him of “better times”. “I was searching for some legal document, as the rain beat down on the hood. When I stumbled upon pictures I tried to forget, and that's how this idea was drilled into my head.”
7. "Brick" - Ben Folds Five
Someone told me this song was about an abortion, and while I haven’t asked Ben Folds about this personally, I believe it. To me it is one of the most hopeless songs in this list. I can only listen to it every once in awhile, however, with that being said it is an amazing song and am interesting perspective. “As weeks went by, it showed that she was not fine. They told me, ‘Son it's time to tell the truth.’ She broke down and I broke down, cause I was tired of lying.”
6. "Keep Breathing" - Ingrid Michaelson
Oh how I LOVE Ingrid. She has some of the saddest peppy songs ever. Ingrid and Lenka, they may sound upbeat, but not so much. However this song has a beautiful and sad melody that matches the lyrics. “The storm is coming but I don't mind. People are dying, I close my blinds. All that I know is I'm breathing now. I want to change the world... instead I sleep. I want to believe in more than you and me.” For more sad Ingrid wonderfulness also listen to “Breakable”, sooooo good.
5. "All I have" - The Rocket Summer
When I first got it I think I listened to The Rocket Summer’s album “Do You Feel” about 85.3 times in a row. I can be obsessive. However it wasn’t until about listen number 32 I realized that thought most of the songs have a peppy almost punk/big band sound to them the lyrics are actually deep and a little gloomy sometimes. I can be a little dense. One of my favorites of his sad-ish songs is “All I Have” because to me it is saying okay things can be stormy, what are we going to do about it? “And all I have is all of me. And it's all that I can give. Our disappointed hearts will heal. Our hearts will spill. Over you, over me, over this.”
4. "Beacon"- A Fine Fenzy
“You say your time has come, you're tired of waking up. Don't be obscene, I can't conceive of living without you.” Nice disheartening opening to a song. This song is melodic and beautiful. While it opens with someone who feels they can go on it is actually a little encouraging, telling that person that even though they can see it they are needed by so many people. I often put this one on repeat. “Burning beacon in the night. Can't feel its heat, or see its light. That single solitary guide, it must get lonely there sometimes.”
3. "Tears of the Saints"- Leeland
This song is actually somewhat hopeful, but I love it so very much that is had to make the list. “Tears of the Saints” is all about the lost and unsaved people that we as saints (Christians) should be crying out to “come back home”. The most convicting line to me is, “There are schools full of hatred. Even churches have forsaken, love and mercy. May we see this generation in a state of desperation for Your glory.” Enough said really.
2. "Chemo Limo" - Regina Spektor
Okay if this had a music video it would be #1 on this list, but as it is, it crept down to #2. “Chemo Limo” is a song about a woman dealing with cancer and how it isn’t just killing her it is bleeding her dry financially. I love the word picture of “Crispy Benjamin Franklin” representing money and how she’d rather spend money on a limo then chemo, so she does. A lot of this song it up to interpretation, but for me the most poignant part is when she sings about her four children and ends with, “and Barbara, she looks just like my mom.” It makes me think that the character in the story lost her own mother the way she fears her children are going to. “Oh my god, Barbara, she looks so much just like my mom.” Regina’s voice is so heartbreaking here it gets me every time.
1) "Gravity" - Sara Bareilles
Sara, Sara, Sara… I can’t explain how wonderful she it. “Gravity” is from her first album “Little Voice” and is one of the songs that really sold me on her. Sara says it is about losing her first true love and how she didn’t feel like she could move on from it. The lyrics are sad and tender but it is the melody and the way Sara sings it that makes it so good. I mean even in the music video she seems like she’s about to cry.“You hold me without touch. You keep me without chains. I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.”
Okay, if you read this far I'm surprised and well, leave a comment with your favorite sad song. TIme to go listen to some happy music now!
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