Saddest pop / rock / prog / folk song? - Page 3

I'd have to go along with Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned the Smiths yet! This one made me crack up:

Never Had No-one Ever

When you walk without ease
on these streets where you were raised
I had a really bad dream
it lasted 20 years, 7 months, and 27 days

And I know that, I know that
I never had no one ever

Now I'm outside your house
I'm alone
and I'm outside your house
I hate to intrude

I know I'm alone
I'm alone, I'm alone, I'm alone

And I never, never had no one ever
I never had no one ever


*sniff*

Oh, so you want to drag The Smiths into this? You're right -- some of the saddest pop songs ever, though some would call them "self-pitying" rather than "sad."

Probably the two saddest:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT

Good time, for a change
See the luck I've had
can make a good man
turn bad

So please please please
let me, let me, let me
let me get what I want
this time

Haven't had a dream in a long time
See, the life I've had
can make a good man bad

So for once in my life
let me get what I want
Lord knows it would be the first time
Lord knows it would be the first time

(P.S. This is also one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard -- and the Dream Academy version is just as beautiful, but also quite haunting)


ASLEEP

Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
I'm tired and I
I want to go to bed

Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
And then leave me alone
Dont try to wake me in the morning
'Cause I will be gone

Don't feel bad for me
I want you to know
Deep in the cell of my heart
I will feel so glad to go

Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
I don't want to wake up
On my own anymore

Sing to me
Sing to me
I don't want to wake up
On my own anymore

Don't feel bad for me
I want you to know
Deep in the cell of my heart
I really want to go

There is another world
There is a better world
Well, there must be
Well, there must be
Bye...

the saddest song I ever heard?

That one Alanis Morissete "Ironic" song....all those situations are sad.....and it's sad that Alanis doesn't know what irony is...and the music I thought was pretty sad...and......

Seriously, it'd have to be.....well, I found the Rites Of Spring by Stravinksy to be very sad...but not depressing, mainly cuz there are no words....

LOL! Good one, coolvij

The saddest part of that song is the performance. IMHO

Won't try to post the lyrics, but the classic, cryin' in your beer, end of the world song is Kristofferson's "Sunday Mornin' Comein' Down". Sung by either Kris or Johnny Cash.

Not just lost love, but lost everything that makes life worth living.

Throw in "Thank God and Greyhound" by Roy Clark. It starts so down that the first 30 seconds will have you ready to slit your wrist. Ends pretty well. "Thank God and Greyhound you're gone."

OK, the Smiths probably are more self-pitying than sad, agreed!

I don't find the Rite of Spring very sad, just violent and hugely exciting! The finale to Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (and the previous movement) however, made me cry while demoing a new cd player! And not because the player was horrible, either... quite the opposite.

The soundtrack to Twin Peaks is a very tear-jerking bit o' music, IMHO, anybody else out there think so?

Andrew

Wow, you can tell some of the people replying to this are under 20 years old.  Saying a f***ing Alanis Morrissette song is one of the saddest of all-time.  My money is on Nick Drake.  Without a doubt the most depressing stuff I've heard although some of his stuff is super happy.   Fotheringay by Fairport Convention is great too.  Soldier of Fortune by Deep Purple.  Goodbye by Elton John.  Asleep by The Smiths.  I could go on and on.  If anyone hasn't heard those yet you NEED to.  Like right now.  lol

 

Going back a bit further in time, I would like to suggest "In Darkness Let Me Dwell" by John Dowland.

 

He wrote it in the 1600s, Elizabethan England.

 

It really is stunning beautiful, I love it, along with many other Dowland songs.

 

 

What an epic dredge.........ten years!

Cat Stevens

My Lady d'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
And you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

My Lady d'Arbanville why does it grieve me so?
But your heart seems so silent.
Why do you breathe so low, why do you breathe so low,

My Lady d'Arbanville why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
And you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

My Lady d'Arbanville, you look so cold tonight.
Your lips feel like winter,
Your skin has turned to white, your skin has turned to white.

My Lady d'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
And you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

La la la la la....

My Lady d'Arbanville why do you grieve me so?
But your heart seems so silent.
Why do you breathe so low, why do you breathe so low,

I loved you my lady, though in your grave you lie,
I'll always be with you
This rose will never die, this rose will never die.

I loved you my lady, though in your grave you lie,
I'll always be with you
This rose will never die, this rose will never die.

 

Well, it's an entire album, but it qualifies...

 

I like it, though. It's very good. So good that Johnny Cash covered a song off of it... 

Edited by StratocasterMan - 1/31/13 at 2:52pm

Songwriters: RUPERT HOLMES

Trapped in a mine what had caved in
And everyone knows the only ones left
Were Joe and me and Tim

When they broke through to pull us free
The only ones left to tell the tale
Was Joe and me

Timothy, Timothy, where on earth did you go
Timothy, Timothy, God why don't I know

Hungry as hell, no food to eat
And Joe said that he would sell his soul
For just a piece of meat
Water enough to drink for two
And Joe said to me, I'll take a swig
And then there's some for you

Timothy, Timothy, Joe was looking at you
Timothy, Timothy, God what did we do

I must have blacked out just 'round then
'Cause the very next thing that I could see
Was the light of the day again

My stomach was full as it could be
And nobody ever got around to finding Timothy

Timothy, Timothy where on earth did you go
Timothy, Timothy god why don't I know

Timothyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Yeah
Timothy
Timothy (fade)


or Bloodrock DOA

I remember, we were flying along,
And hit something in the air...

Laying here, looking at the ceiling,
Someone lays a sheet across my chest.
Something warm is flowing down my fingers
Pain is flowing all through my back.

I try to move my arm and there's no feeling
And when I look, I see there's nothing there.
The face beside me stopped bleeding
The girl I knew has such a distant stare.

I remember, we were flying along,
And hit something in the air.

Then I look straight at the attendant,
His face is pale as it can be.
He bends and whispers something softly,
He says there's no chance for me.

I remember, we were flying along,
And hit something in the air.

Life is flowing out my body,
Pain is flowing out with my blood.
The sheets are red and moist where I'm lying.
God in Heaven, teach me how to die.

I remember, we were flying along,
And hit something in the air.
Edited by Happy Camper - 2/2/13 at 11:31am

Roads by Portishead

Its more depressing than sad

I have no idea how this wasn't said yet but... Eric Clapton: Tears in Heaven

Song is dedicated to his four-year old son who fell off a 53rd floor. I always thought it was a cool song until I learned the actual story behind it. One year before that, his manager, and three of his friends passed away in a helicopter crash. 

 

Lady & Bird by Keren Ann and Bardi Johannsson - pretty much the entire album qualifies Here's a snippet from the "Suicide Is Painless":

 

The game of life is hard to play
I'm gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I'll someday lay
So this is all I have to say

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please