There’s a few Brian Wilson/Beach Boys songs that get the lip trembling. That’s a good choice. I find Summers Gone on the last BBS album a hard listen.
Maybe more “the loneliest” song(s) than overtly sad, as they are sorta upbeat in tempo, but lyrically they’re a profound punch to the gut for me: “Sitting In My Hotel” and “Celluloid Heroes” by the Kinks. Ray, the genius he is, disguising utterly depressing sentiments behind lilting melodies, but when he gets to the part in “Celluloid Heroes” where he says “I wish my life was a nonstop Hollywood movie show/A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes/because celluloid heroes never feel any pain”, it tells you how he’s really feeling. And “Sitting My Hotel”, god, could a person feel more alone? It’s the painfully introspective follow up to “Waterloo Sunset.”
Anathema One Last Goodbye Band leaders Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh dedicated it to their late mother. It's beautiful, but so sad that I'm not able to listen to it anymore.
Don't know much of his work - just know this guy doesn't get much respect in some music circles. But someone shared this video and it's a hard one to listen to, especially if you've been there:
Years ago, I'd have said something like Billy Joel's "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" or even Taylor Swift's "All Too Well". Both songs recall feelings I have about many people I've had to leave or say goodbye to. But the one song I absolutely can't listen to -- can't even hear the opening chords without getting a serious lump in my throat -- is Bob Seger's "Against the Wind". I'm not even that much of a Seger fan; I first heard the song as a teenager on my sister's copy of the Forrest Gump soundtrack. And back then, though I was intelligent enough to understand what the song was about, my understanding was only superficial. It couldn't have been anything more, not at that age. It wasn't until a few years ago (I just turned 40, last birthday) that I realized how true the song is. It's not necessarily about regret; and yet the song reminds me anyway of so many personal regrets. So much lost time in my twenties and early thirties, chasing things I thought were important but really weren't. Oh, jeez. Who needs a drink? ME. See ya later...
The band's name is completely incongruous with their song, a lushly-arranged, late-'60s folk-pop tear-jerker - Rejoice!, November Snow:
Bobby Vinton wrote Mr. Lonely while serving in the Army in the late 1950's, but the song did not get released as a single until 1964 when the Vietnam War was in full swing. I saw him perform live in Las Vegas with a full orchestra in 1975 at the original MGM Hotel (now known as Bally's). He put on a fantastic show that night, but Mr. Lonely was the highlight for me. His opening act was Joan Rivers. At the time, she was the highest paid opening act on the strip at $50,000 a week, which was just astronomical for a comedian or opening act in Sin City.
I agree with the OP regarding Wichita Lineman...not so much sad but very poingant. I will suggest 'Shannon' by Henry Gross.
There are three songs that reach me a lot. Empty Garden by Elton John Little Willow and Dear Friend by Paul McCartney (I find Dear Friend makes me more sad than Here Today, dunno why).
"April Come She Will" / "I Am A Rock" - Simon And Garfunkel "Baby Blue" - Badfinger "Wish You Were Here" / "Nobody Home" - Pink Floyd "Oh Life (There Must Be More)" - Alan Parsons "Whispering Pines" - The Band "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" - The Alan Parsons Project "Cat's In The Cradle" - Harry Chapin "Speakin' Out" / "Borrowed Tune" / "The Needle And The Damage Done" - Neil Young "I Can't Make It Alone" - Dusty Springfield Some of these, people may find sad. EDITS: Also "American Pie" - Don McLean "To One In Paradise" - The Alan Parsons Project "Outside The Wall" - Pink Floyd
“Eleanor Rigby” always made me sad and I always skipped it. Willie’s “I Still Can’t Believe that You’re Gone” is another one that tugs at me deeply.
