Sad songs...

[Zan]

This may or may not be Styx-related, depending on what songs come to mind, but I thought maybe some music talk might actually calm the waters of the Styx river for a minute or two. (If I'm not being too optimistic)

What are some songs you consider to be the saddest of all-time? You can elborate or not, it's up to you. It can be Styx or not, it's up to you.

Some of mine would be:

Cats in the Cradle
Hell is for Children
Vincent

[froy]

This may or may not be Styx-related, depending on what songs come to mind, but I thought maybe some music talk might actually calm the waters of the Styx river for a minute or two. (If I'm not being too optimistic)

What are some songs you consider to be the saddest of all-time? You can elborate or not, it's up to you. It can be Styx or not, it's up to you.

Some of mine would be:

Cats in the Cradle
Hell is for Children
Vincent

Too me its got to be
Imagine John Lennon
Very sad to hear this great song thinking about John when I hear it,

Its funny you mentioned Cats In The Cradle
Everytime I hear it I think of how much of a jerk that guy is never around for his kid

[Guest]

Sad songs they say so much.

[swwskj]

ooh la la la ooh la la la...


Seriously, there is a song by Kenny Marks (I'm sure no one here has ever heard of him) called "white dress".

The song is about a father who abandons his baby girl (white infant dress) and then follows the girl throughout her life wearing different color dresses to various events that mark the milestones of her life. All the while feeling that she had done something to cause her father to leave. The song ends with her wedding day (another white dress) and her father showing up for the first time since he abandoned her as a child. His present to her is a rainbow dress of all the colors she had worn during those milestones since he had been in fact watching from a distance all the while.

Scott

[Zan]

Its funny you mentioned Cats In The Cradle
Everytime I hear it I think of how much of a jerk that guy is never around for his kid

Yeah, but for me, one of the saddest things in life is regret, and that song is the perfect illustration of how time moves so much more quickly than we think it will, and things you wish you could do take back or change but can't.

[DarrenUK]

Forever Autumn from Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds is a sad song about the narrator losing his love Carrie who escaped on a boat.......anyone heard it by Justin Heywood ?.....but the saddest song must be on Asia's Aura CD A song called Ready To Go Home about a man who has grown tired of his illness and accepts his time on this planet is over if you get the chance please give it a listen........some might say its perfect funeral music in an emotional way of thinking.....Its A masterpiece written by the writing team of 10cc Graham Goldman and Andrew Gold.

[classicstyxfan]

I thought Mr Roboto was pretty Sad........ but I dont think that's what Zan had in mind here. ( sorry, but I couldnt resist ! )


Golden Lark is a very sad song in a way. The Lyrics to Goodbye to Roseland are a little sad too.

Holdin' on to Yesterday by Ambrosia also has a very sad lyric, and a violin part that really drives it home.

[bugsymalone]

Zan, I agree about Cat's in the Cradle.

Goodbye Roseland is a sad, longing, song.

Neil Diamond's I Am I Said has a sad feel to it.

Two songs that always give me a pang are Same Old Lang Syne and Run for the Roses by Dan Fogelberg.

Bugsy

[ek88]

Lost Horizons by the Gin Blossoms is a very sad song, especially in the context that its writer, Doug Hopkins, committed suicide a few years after writing it. It pretty much sums up the hopelessness of an alcoholic who hates himself. The last line is: "I never thought I'd still be here today." Pretty eerie.

Living Years by Mike and The Mechanics is sad for me because it chillingly reminds me of the regrets I had when my father unexpectedly passed away.

Dust In The Wind by Kansas and Suicide Is Painless by Johnny Mandel (?) really put things in perspective for me, but I'm not sure that I necessarily consider them sad.

The last verse of Don't Take The Girl by ???? has a high sadness rating, IMO.

I consider Downbound Train by Bruce Springsteen to be one of the saddest stories he's ever written. The River gets high marks, as well.

I'm sure I'll think of some more Or should that be

[classicstyxfan]

Hey Bugs,

Interesting you should cite 2 songs by Fogelberg. He's got some songs in his catalog that ( IMO ) make the 2 you cited seem like happy songs !

Not sure how familiar you are with his body of work, but his CD "Exiles"
was written as he was going through a Divorce, several candidates on there. Others.....

" The Last Nail" off Captured Angel
"Tuscon Arizona Gazette" off Windows and Walls...come to think of it, the title track is VERY sad too.
"The River" off of Home Free has perhaps the saddest single line/verse ever...


"My life was not but a river
Rolling through my brain
Made of so many teardrops
Made of so much Pa(aaaaa ay ay ayyyyyy ay ay a)in.............."

this was written by an 18 year old D.F. ! hadnt even had his heart broken properly yet....

[bugsymalone]

Classic:

Those two Fogelberg songs just hit a nerve with me. Not so much sad as giving me a tug on the old heartstrings. I have not heard the ones you listed.

I thought of another one that I really like -- The Dance sung by Garth Brooks. A lot of people DO use that one for funerals. It is a beautiful song, IMO.

Bugsy

[swwskj]

Goodbye Roseland and Living Years are both great ones.

I know this may sound a little corny, but the song "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2 was sad as hell. I kid you not I got the sniffles with that one. If you have kids and saw the movie, you'll know how the song ends-the Cowgirl thinks her little girl is finally going to take her out to play again, but ends up putting her in the goodwill deposit bin.

Scott

[styxfanNH]

For a "Styx" song I would definitely go with Goodbye Roseland. And in some ways it is really a Dennis song more than a Styx song. It seems as if it was written after Dennis knew there was a split between him and the others. Try replacing "Roseland" with "Styx Fans"...it'll break your heart.

Living Years is also a good choice.

Last Words by Billy Joel is sad for me because it was the end of his recording career since it was released.

[classicstyxfan]

An example of a song that is sad in more than one way:

"Billy, don't be a hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Hayseeds

Very sad indeed !

[Zan]

An example of a song that is sad in more than one way:

"Billy, don't be a hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Hayseeds

Very sad indeed !

Here are a couple of those:

Honey
Seasons in the Sun

Great songs, everyone. Neil Diamond (If You Go Away is a good one) has a few really sad ones, thanks for mentioning him, as well as Fogelberg.

As far as Styx goes, I always thought "Just Get Through This Night" was extremely sad too. "All in a Day's Work" isn't cheery either.

And of course "Dear John."

Glen Burtnik's "Someday" is up there too. Not so much "sad," but moving and emotional.

Harry Chapin's "The Night That Made America Famous."

Pink Floyd's "The Gunner's Dream" too.

Anyone remember "Patches?"

[Monker]

Anyone remember "Patches?"

Yeah, didn't he drive cars and fall off cliffs and stuff on SNL? That was always so sad...even tho you always knew how it would end.

[Monker]

I have two answers to this question...

Here's one

Forever Blue - Little River Band

Sometimes I wish I was a sailor
way out on the stormy sea,
far away from the city and all this misery,
and I wish that I could tell you just how much you mean to me,
no matter where I run to, I'll never lose your memory.

Sometimes I close my eyes and drift away,
I can't forget the things I didn't say,
I chose a life that took me away from you,
and I will be forever blue.

When you wake up in tomorrow
and I'm no longer by your side,
just don't think too much about me
and of the many times you've cried,
and wherever you may wander may good fortune be your guide,
go find another lover,
one who'll never leave your side.

Sometime I close my eyes and drift away...
I can't forget the things I didn't say,
I chose a life that took me away from you,
and I will be forever blue.

[styxfanNH]

There was a time
When we were children
Blue skies would shine
And all was forgiven
And there were heroes to guide us
And we had family beside us
And there were dreams to believe in
Each and every day
And I was your friend
Father and brother
And you were my wife
Mistress and mother
And through the good times and bad times
We shared the love of a lifetime
Oh what a shame and a damn crime
For it all to end
So goodbye to Styx Fans
How I wish I could stay
To live in the memory
Of your sweet sweet day
But every road that we travel, has an end
And so the time now has come to say
Farewell old friend
Well goodbye to Styx Fans
How I want you to know
Just how much I miss you
So I got to let go
But all the love that you gave me will remain
And every tear that I've cried has not been shed in vain

[jthansen1]

Anyone remember "Patches?"[/color][/b]

I can't stand patches for one thing, in the begining the hail kills the crops in the field, so why does he have to work the field everyday like he sings the rest of the song? that never made sense to me.


Jake

[jthansen1]

Anyone remember "Patches?"[/color][/b]

I can't stand patches for one thing, in the begining the hail kills the crops in the field, so why does he have to work the field everyday like he sings the rest of the song? that never made sense to me.


Jake

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Good, but yet sad thread.

I cry every Christmas season when I hear the song
"The Christmas Shoes", one of the saddest songs ever, to me.

"Dear John" & "Goodbye Roseland" are sad too.

I can't think of the name of that one song where there's a car accident and the boy is singing as they're taking him away or something. That's one of the saddest songs I ever heard and reading the lyrics too. It's an older song. UGH, does anyone know which song this is? Thanks.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Thanks to Sadie, the song I was think of is called "Last Kiss". I think this is one of the saddest songs. I remember in high school after roller skating, my dad picked up my friends and I to take home and the other car had a bunch of my guy friends from high school. Their car broke down a few miles from their home and since Todd just got his license he decided to stay with him Mom's car. The other guys walked to a friends house to help with the car (this was before cell phones). A girl that was the same age as Todd was driving drunk and crashed right into him and he flew about 40 feet and died on impact. I remember getting the phone call that night, we were all shocked (I had a lot of friends staying over.) It was terrible. Every time I hear this song it kind of reminds me of that night.

Here are the lyrics:

Last Kiss

Oh where, oh where, can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me.
She's gone to heaven so I've got to be good,
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.

We were out on a date in my daddy's car,
We hadn't driven very far.
There in the road straight ahead,
A car was stalled, the engine was dead.
I couldn't stop, so I swerved to the right,
I'll never forget the sound that night.
The screaming tires, the busting glass,
The painful scream that I heard last.

[Chorus]

When I woke up, the rain was falling down,
There were people standing all around.
Something warm flowing through my eyes,
But somehow I found my baby that night.
I lifted her head, she looked at me and said;
"Hold me darling just a little while."
I held her close I kissed her - our last kiss,
I found the love that I knew I had missed.
Well now she's gone even though I hold her tight,
I lost my love, my life that night.

[sadie65]

Kinda depends. For instance Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a sad song because of the event. The song in and of itself isn't sad.

Yesterday by the Beatles (yes I picked a Beatles tune)

And while it isn't rock, for me this has to be one of the saddest songs I've ever heard:

The 11th Commandment
By: Collin Raye

She hears his heavy breathing in the dark
His footsteps coming closer down the hall
She's so ashamed, she's daddy's secret love
She wants to cry, she wants to die, but he can't get enough
The bruises on his face will go away
Mom keeps him home from school till they fade
She's sorry he was born and tells him so
He takes it in, he hangs his chin, he ducks another blow

Did God overlook it
What ought have been written
The eleventh commandment
Honor thy children

He cries for hours, cries and never stops
He shakes so hard his little cradle rocks
He'll never have the chance to be brand new
He'll never walk, he'll never talk, he's addicted too

Did God overlook it
What ought have been written
The eleventh commandment
Honor thy children

Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain
Thou shalt not cause thy children pain

God does not overlook it
What ought have been written
The eleventh commandment
Honor thy children

[ek88]

Last Kiss - good tune. I absolutely LOVE the Pearl Jam version. Interestingly enough, it's the only Pearl Jam song I like, and a cover of an older song, I believe.

[sadie65]

Last Kiss - good tune. I absolutely LOVE the Pearl Jam version. Interestingly enough, it's the only Pearl Jam song I like, and a cover of an older song, I believe.

EK, I like you...but but...well the Pearl Jam version...um, well...eeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww.

To each his own I guess

[ek88]

I figured you might have a comment, Sadie (I think we had a similar discussion on the cover thread awhile back).

To each his own I guess

Amen.

Hmmm. . . you've inspired me to possibly start a new topic titled: "Songs that make you go: eeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwww!"

[DeeJaySTYX]

Nazareth - Love Hurts

Boys2men -It So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday( another good Funeral song)

The Who - Behind Blue Eyes

Phil Collins - Against All Odds

RTZ - Until Your Love Comes Back Around


And Already mentioned is "Living Years" by Mike And The Mechanics for my Father who passed away 21 years ago this past May...

DeeJay...

[Abitaman]

And Already mentioned is "Living Years" by Mike And The Mechanics for my Father who passed away 21 years ago this past May...

DeeJay...

Agreed a vey sad song, but very good-ERIC

[styxmike]

Drive by The Cars, it was used in the live aid 85 appeal, played over images of the Ethiopian famine, children dying, starvation, really moving

Catch The Rainbow - Rainbow
Profesion of Violence - UFO
Come Sail Away - Styx, dunno why, still get a lump in my throat
"think of childhood friends and the dreams we had" ahhhh the passing of youth

[ek88]

Old by Dexy's Midnight Runners. (Yes, they actually sang something besides Come On Eileen, aka the punchline to the old 80's joke: What's grosser than Grease on Olivia Newton-John? )

Apologizing ahead of time for the tasteless humor