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Top Ten Sad Songs

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My Top Ten Sad Songs: Songs Of Sorrow, Songs Of Loss

Everyone has a song that makes them cry, a song that instantly recalls a lost love, a time past, gone and never to be regained. A master of the sad song, Kris Kristofferson, sang "I'd trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday" and the lyric resonates. It may be a dead parent, it may be horror at what man does to man, what man does to planet, but somewhere it's been crystallised in a song.

I've picked my top ten sad songs: songs that I hear with a mix of pain and enjoyment, though the enjoyment is often tempered with the memory of someone or something gone. Younger readers may recognise some classics or know their current re-inventions, older readers will ask where the time went. The saddest songs bring back the deepest memories.

Contents at a Glance

Are You A Lover Of Sad Songs?
Sad Song #1: Goodbye To Love: Carpenters
Sad Song #2: At Seventeen: Janis Ian
Sad Song #3: Cat's In The Cradle: Harry...
Sad Song #4: You Don't Bring Me Flowers:...
Sad Song #5: And The Band Played Waltzin...

Are You A Lover Of Sad Songs?

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Sad Song #1: Goodbye To Love: Carpenters

Giving up hope

I'll say goodbye to love
No one ever cared if I should live or die
Time and time again
The chance for love has passed me by
And all I know of love is how to live without it
I just can't seem to find it

Karen Carpenter's lovely voice soars over the lament of a woman who has given up on finding true love. This is one of those songs where lyrics, melody, arrangement and performance all click to produce something special. Even if you're not a great fan of the Carpenters you'll admire this song.

Sad for the obvious reasons, sad because the singer has given up hope of love, sad because of Karen's personal miseries and untimely death at the age of 32. Whatever your taste in music this song has to be in your top ten sad songs.

Carpenters Official Site, authorised by Richard.

Karen Carpenter sings "Goodbye To Love" at the New London in 1976.
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Sad Song #2: At Seventeen: Janis Ian

Teenager's despair

I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired
The valentines I never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
Were spent on one more beautiful

Janis Ian's bitterly beautiful song, written at an age when black despair can be the most powerful emotion. The teenager who doesn't fit in, lisping her despair in a song that would become almost anthemic for girls who suffered real or imagined slights at seventeen. And for more than a few boys as well.

Musical talent dragged Janis through the sad years. Nowadays she's a proud and handsome woman, standing confident in front of an audience, a powerful performer, but these words can still send you back to younger, harder times. And once you've heard it it's probably in your top ten sad songs.

Janis's own site, free downloads, tour dates

Janis Ian sings "At Seventeen".
(Clip opens in new window)

Sad Song #3: Cat's In The Cradle: Harry Chapin

Father/son relationship missed

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you, Dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, Dad
I don't know when, but we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then

But the father's too busy, and the years pass by. Then one day an old man tries to connect with the son and he's gone.

A simple message delivered by Harry Chapin in a song of wonderful lyrics: the failing of the relationship avoidable at every stage, in every verse, but still it happens. A top ten sad song even without the awful early death (aged 32) of Harry Chapin.

Chapin family's site very well done
Well established fan site, range of info and pics

Harry Chapin and "Cat's In The Cradle".
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Sad Song #4: You Don't Bring Me Flowers: Streisand/Diamond

Love grown stale and cold

You don't bring me flowers
You don't sing me love songs
You hardly talk to me anymore
When I come through the door
At the end of the day

I remember when
You couldn't wait to love me
Used to hate to leave me
Now after lovin' me late at night
When it's good for you, babe
And you're feelin' alright
Well you just roll over
And turn out the light
And you don't bring me flowers anymore

A song that started life as a short throwaway TV theme but grew into a tale of a relationship grown cold and distant, Read the full story behind You Don't Bring Me Flowers on Wikipedia.

The clip below is Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond at the 1980 Grammys - a performance that blew the socks off the audience. It's good eniough to make many a top ten - not just of sad songs,

Neil Diamond's official site, done by Columbia, a bit stiff
Streisand's official site, diva alert!

Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand: "You Don't Bring Me Flowers".
(Clip opens in new window)

Neil Diamond Box Set

In My Lifetime (3CD)

Amazon Price: $21.99 (as of 02/22/2012)

This is a 3 CD set that includes most of Neil Diamond's best songs including a duet with Barbra Streisand of You Don't Bring Me Flowers. It amazes me how such a powerful voice can deliver such personal lyrics in intimate tones, yet next minute blast out a song like Coming To America.

Sad Song #5: And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda: The Pogues

Lives and limbs lost in the carnage of war

So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where my legs used to be
And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
Then turned their faces away

Eric Bogle's incredible song: based on Waltzing Matilda, telling a tale of the Battle Of Gallipoli. The narrator is taken from his roving life and sent to fight in the disastrous landings at Suvla Bay in 1915, when Australian and New Zealand forces were slaughtered by entrenched Turkish machine guns and artillery.

This song doesn't preach, it's just quietly bitter and wondering from the narrator's point of view, but it's one of the most powerful comments on war you'll ever hear in song.and it's perfectly delivered by Shane McGowan and the Pogues.

The Pogues, including what Shane's up to

The Pogues deliver a magnificent "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda".
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Sad Song #6: Everything I Own: Bread

Ode to late father

You sheltered me from harm
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set me free, set me free
The finest years I ever knew
Were all the years I had with you
And...

I would give anything I own
Give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give ev'rything I own
Just to have you back again

All the way back to 1972 for Bread's Everything I Own. This was written by David Gates as a tribute to his dead father but is usually thought of as a song about an ex-lover and indeed most of the lyrics fit either. If it's about the ex then it's a truly sad song. When about his father it's both sad and uplifting.

No official site! Check out Wayback machine, wot, no site?

David Gates and Bread: "Everything I Own".
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Sad Song #7: It Ain't Me Babe: Joan Baez

Relationship that never will be

Go 'way from my window
Leave at your own chosen speed
I'm not the one you want, babe
I'm not the one you need
You say you're lookin' for someone
Never weak but always strong
To protect you an' defend you
Whether you are right or wrong
Someone to open each and every door
But it ain't me, babe
No, no, no, it ain't me, babe
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe

Joan Baez version of Bob Dylan's sad song: a love unreturned, and the question whether it's the loved who is at fault:

Go melt back into the night, babe
Everything inside is made of stone
There's nothing in here moving
An' anyway I'm not alone

Why Baez, not Dylan himself? Because she uses that amazing voice to float the lyrics over, because she's the one person who does Dylan better than Dylan himself.

Why a top ten sad song? For me, the lyrics, the performance by Joan Baez, and a sad memory that goes with this song.

Joan's own site, lyrics (of her own compositions), links, tour dates

Joan Baez sings Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe".
(Clip opens in new window)

Bob Dylan's Original Version

Another Side of Bob Dylan (Reis)

Amazon Price: $13.04 (as of 02/22/2012)

A major blast from the past - 1964 this album was released but it's just about timeless - Chimes Of Freedom, To Ramona, My Back Pages and of course, It Ain't Me Babe. Songs that have entered the realms of music history yet songs you can listen to today and still marvel at the power of Bob Dylan's writing.

Sad Song #8: Without You: Harry Nilsson

Cry of despair to a parting lover

No, I can't forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows

No, I can't forget tomorrorow
When I think of all my sorrows
When I had you there but then I let you go
And now it's only fair that I should let you know
What you should know

I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give any more
Can't live if living is without you
I can't give, I can't give any more

Not the greatest lyrics but it's the melody and the delivery that make this song (originally by Badfinger) notable. Harry Nilsson blasts it out like he's channelling Streisand; you can hear the despair and the fake defiance in his voice.

Lost love is probably what makes most of us rate a top sad song - this is a pure howl of despair.

Harry's official site, a little touch of Schmilsson ...

Harry Nilsson sings "Without You" with the bonus of Pan's People dancing.
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Sad Song #9: Whose Garden Was This? Tom Paxton

Ruining our planet

Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely.
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers,
And I'd love to have smelled one.

Whose river was this?
You say it ran freely?
Blue was its color?
I've seen blue in some pictures,
And I'd love to have been there.

Plaintive song by Tom Paxton: simple and unbelievable at first hearing, grimly accurate with every square mile that gets concreted over, every square mile of rainforest that gets slashed and burned.

Tom Paxton's site, warm, generous, like the man

Tom Paxton singing "Whose Garden Was This?"
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Sad Song #10: Hey, that's no way to say goodbye: Leonard Cohen

The relationship is ending

I'm not looking for another as I wander in my time,
Walk me to the corner, our steps will always rhyme
You know my love goes with you as your love stays with me,
It's just the way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea,
But let's not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie,
Your eyes are soft with sorrow,
Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.

Leonard Cohen's wonderful song about the time when a relationship is just breaking up. Convince yourself at the time it's the right thing - you know the pain is waiting.

Leonard Cohen, worth it for the snippets of the IOW festival alone

Leonard Cohen with "That's No Way To Say Goodbye".
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Get My Top Ten Sad Songs As MP3s

Take them with you wherever you go.

My selected versions of these ten sad songs

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Top Ten Sad Songs

My Top Ten Sad Songs: Songs Of Sorrow, Songs Of Loss

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Are You A Lover Of Sad Songs?

Thanks for voting! Now invite your friends to vote.

Sad Song #1: Goodbye To Love: Carpenters

Giving up hope

Sad Song #2: At Seventeen: Janis Ian

Teenager's despair

Sad Song #3: Cat's In The Cradle: Harry Chapin

Father/son relationship missed

Sad Song #4: You Don't Bring Me Flowers: Streisand/Diamond

Love grown stale and cold

Neil Diamond Box Set

In My Lifetime (3CD)

Sad Song #5: And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda: The Pogues

Lives and limbs lost in the carnage of war

Sad Song #6: Everything I Own: Bread

Ode to late father

Sad Song #7: It Ain't Me Babe: Joan Baez

Relationship that never will be

Bob Dylan's Original Version

Another Side of Bob Dylan (Reis)

Sad Song #8: Without You: Harry Nilsson

Cry of despair to a parting lover

Sad Song #9: Whose Garden Was This? Tom Paxton

Ruining our planet

Sad Song #10: Hey, that's no way to say goodbye: Leonard Cohen

The relationship is ending

Get My Top Ten Sad Songs As MP3s

Take them with you wherever you go.

Let's Sing Another Song, Boys

My top ten sad songs: add and rate please

1

Tears in Heaven: Eric Clapton

2

Cat's In The Cradle: Harry Chapin

3

At Seventeen: Janis Ian

4

Goodbye to love: Carpenters

5

Everything I Own: Bread

6

Without You: Harry Nillson

7

You Don't Bring Me Flowers: Streisand/Diamond

8

Hurt: Johnny Cash

9

And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda: The Pogues

10

She's Out of My Life: Michael Jackson

11

November Rain: Guns 'n Roses

12

Alone Again (Naturally): Gilbert O'Sullivan

13

It Ain't Me Babe: Joan Baez

14

Hey, thats no way to say goodbye: Leonard Cohen

15

Careless Whisper: George MIchael

16

You're Gonna Miss This: Trace Adkins

17

If Tomorrow Never Comes: Garth Brooks

18

He didn't have to be: Brad Paisley

19

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face -- by Roberta Flack

20

She's Leaving Home: The Beatles.

21

Nothing Else Matters: Metallica

22

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

23