Sad Songs...

I just read an interesting blog post by a guy who talked about the Saddest Songs he knows, and it inspired me to compile such a list myself. Music is one of those incredible forms of art that hits everyone's lives - regardless of a particular genre, I have never met anyone who "doesn't like music". You can hate Impressionist painting or Modern Art, but can you really hate music?

Anything capable of evoking an emotional response from a purely subconscious level is pretty extraordinary. For many people, there are works of art that do that - I'm certainly one of those people. VanGogh's "Starry Night" (Sterrennacht) still gives me chills. Many of Imogen Cunningham's photos are just gut wrenching. But it's still music that can render me a broken heap, sobbing on the floor.

So, I'm pleased to present my lineup of sadness-making music:

10) Mozart's Requiem - "Lacrimosa"
There is something so incredibly powerful about his Requiem, the explosive timpani and tenor that just strikes me in the chest. It moves me to tears and energizes me at the same time somehow.



9) Nessun Dorma, from Turandot - Admittedly, the only version that can evoke a misty eye, for me, is Andrea Bocelli singing it. But, well...damn.



8) Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
You know, there are a number of interpretations for the lyrics, but the gist being about the end of a love, and the predictable fall back into misery without them.



7) Hey, Jupiter - Tori Amos
I was a fan of Tori Amos for quite a long time. In recent years I lost track of her music, but this one about heartbreak and the continued invitation for more stays with me.


6) Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley
In reality, this entire list could have been summed up with "anything by Jeff Buckley" and been pretty accurate. I think it's his voice, combined with his tragic story that makes it all the more impactful. This is one of those songs that could certainly be empowering, but for me it will always play in the background every time something has to end for me.

Can't embed the video, but check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm8JoMhgjRw

5) One - U2
There will always be a place in my heart for U2. Any band that can keep it together this long has to be doing something right. And this song in particular always punches me in the gut... a plea for forgiveness, along with an offering of the same.


4) He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones
If you ever feel the need to have your heart stomped on, this little tune about a love taken to the grave will do the job nicely.


3) Ne Me Quitte Pas - Nina Simone
Nina Simone's smoky voice lends a creaking desperation to this Jacque Brel classic. This plead for a lover to stay can tear through the most durable of hearts.


2) Lover, You Should Have Come Over - Jeff Buckley
The embedded video is kinda pointless, but it features the album cut of the song. It's a song that changed in meaning after Jeff Buckley died - almost as though he's singing from beyond the grave. By the time I get to "My body turns and yearns for a sleep that won't ever come"... i'm done.



1) Hurt - Johnny Cash
When I heard that Johnny Cash covered this Nine Inch Nails track, I was a little appalled, to be perfectly honest. I was afraid that he was trying a little schtick, but when I heard his interpretation, you could have knocked me over with a feather. And when I saw the Mark Romanek video, I sobbed. Especially knowing how soon after that he died. The styling maintains a few traces of the Trent Reznor aesthetic, but Johnny Cash makes it his own. Keep a red, bloodshot eye out for June when she appears in the video. It's then that you realize that he's singing his own eulogy.



Now that you're sufficiently bummed out - here's a little mental sorbet to help clean your mental palate and bring the cheery mood back.