[asmox]

so i was lying in bed the other night with my ipod and hd25's, my entire library on shuffle, and several songs came on at various points that inevitably made me tear up.. very much against my will.

specifically, almost every Nightwish track that came on had this effect on me.. as did Eva Cassidy's rendition of 'Fields of Gold', several of Autechre's earlier ambient tracks, Ayreon's 'Valley of the Queens', and several tracks off of Murcof's 'Martes' album. also, i don't like Evanescence very much at all.. but 'My Immortal' brings me to a point where i will, quite simply, have twin rivers running down my face if i don't turn the song off entirely.

this isn't the first time it has happened or anything, and there have been many different tracks in the past that would cause this, but i haven't really thought about it until this particular night. what is it in particular songs that involuntarily brings about this kind of reaction? even when the person is trying their hardest to fight it?

also, this ONLY happens with headphones.. when i'm in intimate contact with the music.. hardly ever with loudspeakers.

anybody else have songs like this? or am i just emotionally unstable? haha.

~

 

[thrawn86]

yeah, that eva cassidy song is fabulous. her voice just makes me want to curl up into a ball in the corner.

the first song I remember making me tear up was barber's adagio for strings. I must have been about 13, and hearing it while the Homeworld cutscene was playing just tore me up.

you want to talk about songs that will make you shiver or cry... you NEED to listen to these songs featuring renee fleming...

Twilight and Shadow
The End of All Things

both from the RoTK soundtrack.

 

[sillyrabbit]

i really suggest you get that condition looked over by a medical proffesional, because quite frankly, thats not normal.

lol, im just kidding, but yeah i've had that happen to me once or twice, but usually it requires some onset of emotional overflow *in other words: breakups*
but yeah, ive never spontaneously broken in to tears just by a song, unless im really into it and im singing my lungs out. On second thought, get help man. heheh

 

[terrymx]

its normal and people with good imagination can do it. the opposite point of view is machoism.

 

[PSmith08]

Siegfrieds Trauermusik (Siegfried's Funeral-Music) from Wagner's Götterdämmerung. Wilhelm Furtwängler's 1950 La Scala performance is probably the saddest reading of the piece, despite bad sound.

 

[kramer5150]

John Fogerty, Joy of my life
Queen, Love of my Life

 

[zotjen]

Quote:

Siegfrieds Trauermusik (Siegfried's Funeral-Music) from Wagner's Götterdämmerung. Wilhelm Furtwängler's 1950 La Scala performance is probably the saddest reading of the piece

Hmm. I've always found Siegfried's Funeral Music more majestic than sad. It's the Immolation Scene that always evokes tears from me. Of course, Wagner's real "tear-jerker" is the Transfiguration from Tristan und Isolde.

 

[PSmith08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zotjen Hmm. I've always found Siegfried's Funeral Music more majestic than sad. It's the Immolation Scene that always evokes tears from me. Of course, Wagner's real "tear-jerker" is the Transfiguration from Tristan und Isolde.

I probably should have added this, but the last thirty minutes of Tannhäuser are pretty darned sad.

Speaking of "Mild und leise" from Tristan, I have found that the single best reading of it is from Von Karajan's 1987 Salzburg Festival performance with Jessye Norman. For whatever reason, I have found her voice very suited to that particular moment in the opera.

 

[Naga]

Losing My Religion by REM has an effect on me due to its spine grabbing sincerity and almost humility

 

[3DCadman]

Wind at My Back (1&2) from Spock's Beard's "Snow" double album.

Can be interpteted in different ways: Referring to God, or a significant other, or companion. No matter, it is a powerful song.

 

[atomic]

Oh boy, this happens to me a lot.

The 2nd movement of Sibelius' violin concerto is what first comes to mind. I play the violin, and I played this movement for my senior recital in college. I had to set aside practice times just for this piece because I could never practice anything else with any efficacy afterward!

Other songs have certain events tied to them which bring certain emotions with them; when I was 8 or so, my best friend's older brother died of brain cancer, and they played Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" at the funeral. Needless to say, I still get sad when I hear this song.

I definitely experience stronger emotions when listening with headphones than speakers; I agree that it's the intimacy with the music that really draws out and intensifies emotions, whether it's playing the piece yourself or having a strong memory associated with it.

 

[asmox]

cool, thanks for all the replies

 

[Phil Ramsay]

Lord Anthony on Bell & Sebastian's Dear Catastrophe Waitress has some of the saddest lyrics I've heard.

I like it, but it's a very emotional song.

 

[Blainethepain]

Powder Blue or New Born by Elbow.

Guy Garveys voice can be very emotional.

 

[Vicious Tyrant]

The bit at the end of the "Hmmmm, hmmmm, hmmmm" quintet in Zauberflote - when all the sudden the music kind of stops and the three boys are introduced.

That always chokes me up, I don't know why. It's like in the midst of this funny, charming little number something very mysterious, very holy, and very serious happens. Epiphany, I guess.