Songs that make you sad...

[Beth]

And Imagine by John Lennon (What? Don't Judge!)

oh man, I'm a mess of tears whenever that comes on the radio.

[Beth]

and i'm just going to go ahead and say it:

Everybody Hurts- R.E.M.

[Sloppy Joe]

I get really sad from "When The River Meets The Sea." It was part of the Jim Henson/Emitt Otter TV special.
I cry and cry.

[octopus volcano]

"Regret" by New Order
"Man in the Corner Shop" by The Jam
"Bathroom Floor" by (smog)
The entire soundtrack to Rumblefish

[Martin]

Pieces of a Man by Gil Scott-Heron

[Chris L]

Pieces of a Man by Gil Scott-Heron

Good one.

Also, Jonathan Richman - That Summer Feeling.  Lucky for me it's winter! 

[erika]

And Imagine by John Lennon (What? Don't Judge!)

oh man, I'm a mess of tears whenever that comes on the radio.

Me three.

Neil Young did it for the tribute they did right after 9-11 and I COMPLETELY lost it.

Also Happy Xmas (War is Over) and this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thEiXbovv98[/youtube]

[Matt]

I keep hoping that Jandek will revealed as the art prank that he should be. You, sir have earned the golden goatee medal of masochistic patience.

Normally, I would never subject myself to such a thing, but I had done poorly on an exam earlier in the day and felt I deserved to be punished.

Jandek is my "I don't get it". I have only one record of his - Lost Cause, the title of which is truth in advertising if I've ever heard it - but I don't think there's anything to get, really; sure, he has this sizable following, but that doesn't say much. If it wasn't for the (false) notion of "obscure = good", Jandek would be working at Texas Instruments right now, where he belongs. Too many people want to jump on the bandwagon, but who am I to talk? I bought the damn record! And put it on my iPod! As Mickey Katz would say, "Oh, boy".

I have a few more (genuinely) sad songs:

Richard & Linda Thompson - "Down Where the Drunkards Roll"
Bill Fay - "Tell It Like It Is"
Bob Dylan - "You're a Big Girl Now" (the Biograph version)
Blue Sky Boys - "Down on the Banks of the Ohio"
Chris Bell - "Speed of Sound"
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter - "Your Eyes Told"
Neil Young - Side 2 of On the Beach (Coincidentally, my favorite side of any record - that's "On the Beach", "Motion Pictures" and "Ambulance Blues", for the layman)
Palace Music - "Trudy Dies"
Big Star - "Take Care"
Bert Jansch, "Needle of Death"
The Louvin Brothers - "I Wish It Had Been a Dream"

[Susannah]

Oh wow, I totally forgot about Linda Thompson--"Withered and Died."

The chorus is, "My dreams have withered and died."

I dare you not to cry!

[Beth]

I get really sad from "When The River Meets The Sea." It was part of the Jim Henson/Emitt Otter TV special.
I cry and cry.

I was just watching my vhs copy of that the other day and totally cried.

[dave from knoxville]

Oh wow, I totally forgot about Linda Thompson--"Withered and Died."

The chorus is, "My dreams have withered and died."

I dare you not to cry!

Susannah, you are speaking my language. I love this song, and Richard Thompson is the master of making me sob like a baby. Misunderstood? Vincent Black Lightning 1952? Beeswing? Walking on a Wire? Hand me the whole damn BOX of Kleenex.

Don't even get me started on Crowded House

[Sloppy Joe]

When The River Meets The Sea

When the mountain touches the valley
All the clouds are taught to fly
As our souls will leave this land most peacefully
Though our minds be filled with questions
In our hearts we'll understand
When the river meets the sea

Like a flower that has blossomed
In this dry and barren sand
We are born and born again most gracefully
Plus the winds of time will take us
With a sure and steady hand
When the river meets the sea

Patience my brothers
And patience my son
In that sweet and final hour
Truth and justice will be done

Like a baby when it is sleeping
In its mother's loving arms
What a newborn baby dreams is a mystery (a mystery)

But this life will find a purpose
And in time we'll understand
When the river meets the sea
When the river meets the almighty sea

Hoo boy, that is awfully poignant.

[Vambo]

The Bee Gees:  "New York Mining Disaster 1941"
The Wedding Present:  "Give My Love To Kevin"
The Jazz Butcher:  "Girl Go"
Paul Kelly & The Messengers:  "Big Heart"

[masterofsparks]

Neil Young - Side 2 of On the Beach (Coincidentally, my favorite side of any record - that's "On the Beach", "Motion Pictures" and "Ambulance Blues", for the layman)

Yes. Just listened to this the other day and it's pretty devastating when taken as a whole. Neil's the master of the emotionally crushing non-sequitur line like "I went to the radio interview and I ended up alone at the microphone." In context, it's kinda nonsense, but it gets me every time.

[dave from knoxville]

I'll count the original Cortez the Killer as a song that somehow saddens and lifts me at the same time. But Helpless always leaves me down. KD Lang's got a nice version that they play during the end credits of Away From Her, which I watched yesterday. Maybe I should start up a "Movies that make you sad..."