Which song made you weep?

Over the Rainbow --- Judy Garland (her original vocal in the "Wizard of Oz" very innocent sounding ... later versions she sang are a little overboard, IMO)

Moonlight Serenade (the original 1938 version by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra --- Willie Schwartz's clarinet solo gets me every time).

Beyond the Sea --- Bobby Darin --- this was my late friend's favorite B.D. tunes; too many memories reappear every time I hear it.

 

Gosh... only one, that I can think of: When Paul Simon played "Bridge Over Troubled Water" during the Concert for New York City, I broke down and cried for about an hour. Alison and I were watching it live, a few months before we were married. I'm not generally a very tearful person, so she still reminds me that it's the only time she's ever seen me cry.

- M.

 

"Welcome Christmas" from How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the animated TV version). Gets me every year, especially the spoken-word verse at the very end.

"Welcome Christmas, bring good cheer
Cheer to all Who's, far and near.
Christmas Day's within our grasp
so long as we have hands to clasp.
Christmas Day will always be
Just as long as we have we..."

 

Believe it or not, "Free As A Bird". Why? Because even though the song and performance were not Classic Beatles, just hearing the four of them together again on one song(and we're talking the night the video was first broadcast here)was just overwhelming for this long time Beatles aficionado.


Evan

 

The Randy Newman song Sarah McLaughlin sings in Toy Story 2 'When She Loved Me'.
also Randy's own 'Marie'

 

"Painters" by Jewel.

Yep, I'm a big softie...

 

mcow1 beat me to "Caroline, No."

"Oh, Caroline nooooo - cough - oooooooo- whimper - ooooooo."

 

I have a story about this one. I work at a school for learning-disabled children. I was at our annual fund raising dinner not long ago. My mom and dad came, too. During dinner, the school music teacher brought out a group of the kids to sing a couple of songs. The first was "Tonight" from West Side Story. During the song, my mother leaned over to me and said, "Thank God they didn't sing 'A Place For Us' -- I'd start crying!" Then they sang "A Place For Us" and we both choked up... those kids... somewhere there's a place for them... excuse me...

 

That one doesn't make me cry, but it can raise the hairs on the back of my neck. I should list it in the "Songs That Give You Chills" thread, but probably someone already has.

 

Janis Ian, "Society's Child" used to be able to do it to me when I was in college, but I haven't listened to it lately.

 

That's a pretty moving song to begin with, but when my dad died back in January I quoted a few lines from it in my eulogy, and now I become a puddle of tears whenever I hear the darn thing...

"Fairy Tale of New York" was a good suggestion. Part of what I love about the song is the way it moves from cheery (the chorus) and funny (the name-calling bit) to deeply moving (the final verse about keeping her dreams)...and back to the uplifting chorus

Here are a few others that don't really make me cry (I am a rock...I am an island ) but that at least stir up a hefty serving of sadness for me are:

Lucinda Williams: Side of the Road
Amy Rigby: Time for Me to Come Down
John Prine: Hello in There
Gram Parsons: $1000 Wedding
Squeeze: Up The Junction
Richard (& Linda) Thompson: Heart Needs a Home, How Will I Ever Be Simple Again?

 

Completely agree

 

anything by Kenny G

 

Gotta agree with David on this one. It gets me 9 times out of 10.

Another one that usually gets me is Tori's cover of Waits' "Time". The third verse just slays me. Interestingly, while I enjoy Tom's version, it doesn't move me the same way.

 

King Of Trees -- Cat Stevens
Beautiful Boy -- John Lennon

 

Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen

 

Yes, I'm usually reduced to a puddle of tears by the time the bass singer comes in with the final "pa-pa-pa-pa pa-pa-pa-pa... mau mau, pa-pa... mau m-mau". The way he effortlessly (there's that word again!) evokes the absurdity of life, but with a hint of hope for ultimate redemption... sublime.

 

How Will I Ever Be Simple Again? - Richard Thompson (from the Daring Adventures album).
----- Chris

 

This song by anyone makes me well up.

 

I cannot believe nobody has mentioned two songs:

Love Reign O'er Me by The Who

If I Saw You in Heaven by Eric Clapton

These two always get me. Good list so far tho!

 

But seriously folks:

Two songs that really move me are

Wildflower by Skylark

I Can't Own Her and Rook by XTC

 

The line "please be here please" in the version of 'Cherokee Louise' on the Joni Mitchell Travelogue album gets me every time, as does the piano introduction to Randy Newman's 'Dixie Flyer'. The vocal harmony at the end of the first "rock rock roll Plymouth Rock roll over" on 'SMiLE' pretty much always does it too and…

'Piece of My Mind' by Everything But The Girl and
'Wake Up in New York' by Craig Armstrong.

 

Gee,
that last song on side 2 of the Flying Burrito Brother's first album could turn a broker into a soaker.

 

While on the subject of the recently barred Mr. Islam.....

From "Tea":

Sad Lisa
Father and Son


Bill