What's The Saddest Song Ever Written?

Question

I'm not looking for what songs people find sad because they associate it with a person or a life event. I'm wondering what song is the saddest on its own merit.

I really don't know why I'm asking this. I really don't usually go in for "spreading the sadness". What prompted my asking this is: I just cannot listen to Johnny Cash's "Give My Love To Rose" without tearing up. I'm not going to say it's the saddest song in the world. Off the top of my head, I would put "The Ballad of Hollis Brown" by Bob Dylan as a contender for saddest, but that one doesn't make me tear-up.

This is more accurate but less funny than what's his face at the top.

Answer 1

dangerDoge | 1K opinions shared on Entertainment & Arts topic.

Influencer

I'm inclined to say Nine Inch Nails - Hurt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPz21cDK7dg
The Johnny Cash cover is also sad, but it's a different feel to it. The original (by NIN) in my opinion makes it sound almost like someone saying their last words before offing their self. The loud distortion coming in at the end also represents a gunshot, and the noise at the end is like transitioning to the afterlife, so there's that. It sounds almost like someone who is both angry and absolutely crushed/despairing and given up in life. I feel like the slightly out-of-tune guitars and ambience really give it a unique effect too. It's a super bleak song, but it in no way overdoes the sadness to make it cliche like a lot of "sad" songs. The chord progression makes it almost seem uplifting at times like the narrator is searching for someone, but then it just goes back down to real quiet, like the narrator just gives up on the uplifting thoughts. I dunno-- that's how I interpret it at least.

Answer 2

lightbulb27 | 263 opinions shared on Entertainment & Arts topic.

Guru

Gilbert O'Sullivan, Alone Again

www.google.com/search

Answer 3

thelittlemermaid333

Xper 2

“When you’re gone” by Avril lavigne
“Goodbye” by Spice Girls
“My heart will go on” by Celine dion

thelittlemermaid333

1 y
Also forgot to add “the graduation song” by vitamin c
SteveSmith1985

1 y
hahah, you must be JUST young enough to have missed the two years when you would hear "my heart will go on" literally 3 or 4 times a day... EVERYWHERE. For me, and anyone a little older... that song has lost all meaning and actually makes me cringe. I'm kinda glad there's someone out there to whom that song hasn't been ruined.

And funnily enough "the graduation song" I associate with happiness. It kinda became a running joke for a while when I was in Uni-- It became 'the thing' to break into the chorus when you and your people are leaving the party (to go to some next party usually). So funnily enough, if I hear that song... I remember so many crazy-fun times.

Thanks for replying :)
thelittlemermaid333

1 y
Hey I’m the one that asked that question about my boyfriend of he regrets taking a break who’s being abused by that woman... pls inbox me

Answer 4

thelittlemermaid333

Also forgot to add “the graduation song” by vitamin c

Answer 5

SteveSmith1985

hahah, you must be JUST young enough to have missed the two years when you would hear "my heart will go on" literally 3 or 4 times a day... EVERYWHERE. For me, and anyone a little older... that song has lost all meaning and actually makes me cringe. I'm kinda glad there's someone out there to whom that song hasn't been ruined.

And funnily enough "the graduation song" I associate with happiness. It kinda became a running joke for a while when I was in Uni-- It became 'the thing' to break into the chorus when you and your people are leaving the party (to go to some next party usually). So funnily enough, if I hear that song... I remember so many crazy-fun times.

Thanks for replying :)

Answer 6

thelittlemermaid333

Hey I’m the one that asked that question about my boyfriend of he regrets taking a break who’s being abused by that woman... pls inbox me

Answer 7

AmandaYVR | 438 opinions shared on Entertainment & Arts topic.

Master

River by Joni Mitchell?
I'll probably think of lots of others later.

AmandaYVR

1 y
Here's some other more modern ones... Gary Jules: Mad World, Ry X: Berlin, Love Like This, Radiohead: Give Up the Ghost, Max Richter: On Reflection, Ray LaMontagne: Such A Simple Thing, Kate Bush: This Woman's Work, and paradoxically The Flaming Lips: Do You Realize, who wrote a song about death but in an upbeat way musically so that it was more palatable. Ok. I'll stop now.

Answer 8

AmandaYVR

Here's some other more modern ones... Gary Jules: Mad World, Ry X: Berlin, Love Like This, Radiohead: Give Up the Ghost, Max Richter: On Reflection, Ray LaMontagne: Such A Simple Thing, Kate Bush: This Woman's Work, and paradoxically The Flaming Lips: Do You Realize, who wrote a song about death but in an upbeat way musically so that it was more palatable. Ok. I'll stop now.