Gloomy greetings from Sydney, where it’s winter and it’s been raining relentlessly and I’ve got a cold and everything is total misery. I’m just so SAD, you guys. While the Australian thing to do would be to harden the fuck up, instead I’ve chosen deal with my winter blues by hiding away in my emo cave, wallowing to the saddest songs ever until my heart drops out of my chest again and again. Some of those songs are below. Others have been contributed by Laneia and Katie.
It’s Sad, So Sad
Sorrow – The National
Street Spirit (Fade Out) – Radiohead
Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow) (John Prine cover) – Bon Iver
Blackbird – The Beatles
Candy Says – The Velvet Underground
The Darkest Side – The Middle East
I Love You, But I Don’t Trust You Anymore (Prince cover) – Holly Miranda
Killing Me Softly – The Fugees
Between the Bars – Elliott Smith
Transatlanticism – Death Cab For Cutie
The Child Is Gone – Fiona Apple
Other Towns and Cities – Camera Obscura
A Picture Of Our Torn Up Praise – Phosphorescent
Flightless Bird, American Mouth – Iron & Wine
Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince cover) – Sinead O’Connor
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word – Elton John
Isn’t It A Pity (George Harrison cover) – Nina Simone
I Can’t Take It – Tegan and Sara
What If You – Joshua Radin
A Case Of You – Joni Mitchell
Almost Lover – A Fine Frenzy
The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice
Sleeper 1972 – Manchester Orchestra
Behind The Wall – Tracy Chapman
What are your favourite sad songs? Hit us with them in the comments below.
Want to suggest a playlist theme? Leave it via Formspring and someone from the team might just make it for you.
I’m glad you chose Street Spirit forever and ever amen. Sending you sunshine from the Midwest!
thank you!
Behind the Wall – Tracey Chapman.
Tears. Every. Time.
That kitten is exuding a form of sadness so intense it was once thought to be purely theoretical.
I didn’t feel like I was in the mood for a sad playlist, but then I saw the kitten
I’m in Brisbane and I have a cold too. This playlist is awesome and giving me all the feelings! <3
These song choices are great. I will add them to my playlist for those times when crying is cathartic. A few other ones:
Brick – Ben Folds
Already Dead – Beck
No Surprises – Radiohead
Anthrax – Kimya Dawson
Josephine – Brandi Carlile
OMG what a depressingly good list. I would probably add “Brick” by Ben Folds Five on there. Total tearjerker.
Also, to date me a little bit, “Wind Beneath My Wing” is a classic but that’s really because I can’t hear it without thinking of the movies Beaches… one of the only movies where I could not stop crying. Damn you Bette Midler.
If you all will excuse me, I need to go dim the lights, grab some Ben & Jerrys, put on my Spotify and compose myself.
Also… I’m no country fan, but “Concrete Angel” by Martina McBride is hands down one of the most tragic songs I’ve ever heard.
<3 Everything Elliott Smith ever wrote. Also, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake… I love a good melancholy singer-songwriter.
I second this comment. I’m listening to “I Didn’t Understand” by Elliot Smith right now. I’d also add Jeff Buckley to the list.
Good playlist. Where was this last week when I was so so sad?
Also, these songs are good for wallowing in misery:
Perth – Bon Iver
9 Crimes – Damien Rice
Samson – Regina Spektor
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol (What? You try listening to it in a certain mood, and see if it don’t put you further down there)
Whiskey Lullaby – Allison Krauss (If you were to deal with that sadness with alcohol. Drinking alone is a surefire way to make yourself a little sadder)
Can’t Go Back Now – Weepies (If say you were unreasonably sad about a past event/lover/place/home)
Also,
Keep Breathing – Ingrid Michaelson
Wreck of the Day – Anna Nalick
Like a River – Carly Simon
Michicant – Bon Iver
and “Endless Night” from the Lion King Musical is essentially what gets me through those month long sad sprees that happened before I discovered better living through chemistry. Try it?
I have a sneaky feeling the Weepies song is going to be exactly what I do/don’t need. uggggh I’ll just start crying now if that’s ok with everyone.
Kae, everyone always needs the Weepies. Best on repeat when taking a hot shower in the dark, with your computer balanced precariously on the toilet seat and you’re so sad you can’t stand up.
*overly enthusiastic thumbs up*
No but actually…
Every time I see the animated music video for “world spins madly on”, I cry. I can understand where the band got their name.
Whiskey Lullaby is so amazing
Just in time for my terrible post Skins feelings
*falls slowly in a circle, crying*
Where was this last week when I was all about that melancholy life?
Also:
“Somedays” – Regina Spektor
“Where I Stood” – Missy Higgins
“Taking in Water” – Jessie Ware
“With Every Heartbeat (acoustic)” – Robyn
“These Days” – Nico
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” – literally anyone, I don’t care, I will cry
Also, “Angel” by Sarah MacLachlan because every time I hear it I want to throw all my money at a sad looking dog.
SOMEDAYS
agh
ugh
gah
help
no
too late
…AND YOU DON’T HEAR A SINGLE FLOOOORBOARD CREAK
I used to listen to that song on repeat in high school when I was sad, which was all the time, and it reminded me that some days are shit and there’s nothing you can do about it, so I basically credit Regina with getting me through my teenage years.
Also, the “I’m in love with your daughter/I wanna have her baby” bit was always intriguing to me back then, and then when I revisited the song in my twenties, I was like, “DUUUUUUH teenage me.”
i think regina is maybe kinda pretty queer.
evidence: a. that one jenny owen youngs song where regina is on the answering machine; b. i want her to be
this is so relevant right now. fuck everything
My two cents:
My Body Is A Cage – Arcade Fire
SRXT – Bloc Party
Spanish Sahara – Foals
Tracy – Mogwai
How Disappear Completely – Radiohead
but really everything I just said is irrelevant because I don’t think there could possibly be a more heartbreakingly sad song than “Biko” by Bloc Party.
I have a Spotify playlist just for these occasions. It includes:
Family – Noah Gunderson
Set the Fire to the Third Bar – Snow Patrol and Martha Wainwright
10,000 Miles – Mary Chapin Carpenter
Try – Suzanna Choffel
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Ke$ha
Broadripple is Burning – Margot & The Nuclear So-and-So’s
Welcome Home, Son – Radical Face
I Was Broken – Marcus Foster
The Fear – Ben Howard
Let Her Go – Passenger
1957 – Milo Greene
Atlas Hands – Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Blood Bank – Bon Iver
Rivers & Roads – The Head & The Heart
In My Veins – Andrew Belle
The War is Over – Kelly Clarkson
Antes De Las Seis – Shakira
Time – Hans Zimmer
So Long, Lonesome – Explosions in the Sky
How It Ends – DeVotchKa
Mary May & Bobby – Joe Purdy
Sweet Lorraine – Patty Griffin
Mary – Patty Griffin
Hurt – Johnny Cash
And, of course, a selection of melodrama by Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers, The Fray Missy Higgins, Leonard Cohen, Mary Lambert, Daughter, and Andrea Gibson.
(Side note: interestingly enough, most of the aforementioned music was introduced to me by my similarly feelingsy-as-fuck host mom in Melbourne, Australia, with whom I spent a very long, gloomy Melbourne winter cultivating our melodrama)
Oh God, somehow my brain had temporarily forgotten the existence of Set The Fire To Third Bar – *commences wallowing repeat listens. *
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Ke$ha <-- love that you included this
So happy you included Broadripple is burning (if happy is the right word) l live in Indianapolis. Yay for this inclusion!!
just in time for dealing with Naomily :(
what if we did a Naomily playlist.
yes!
When I was in high school, my “have a good cry” playlist was anchored by Liz Phair’s “Ant in Alaska.”
I also cry to Taylor Swift generally (and celebrate to Taylor Swift, drive to Taylor Swift – I’m talking 125+ miles of “Treacherous” on repeat yesterday, fall asleep to Taylor Swift, etc.) because she has mastered eliciting all the feels.
Kesha- Dancing with Tears in My Eyes
Pearl Jam- Last kiss <—-since I was a preteen this has made me cry. every time.
Melbourne is being its usual indecisive self, but this a fantastic playlist for when the sun goes away and hides and it gets all rainy and cold again.
Also The Call- Regina Spektor, all the melancholy feels
OMG I totally get this. I’ve been diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, but it exists… only in summer. I think it’s because I’m in terribly awful hot area of California. Far enough away from the beach that we get no coastal wind, just scorching awful heat. That makes you stay inside all day with the blinds drawn. I think I actually go outside more in the winter.
Never move to Riverside county if you hate living in hotter-than-shit conditions.
This is great. I had a “sad songs” and a “dear kippikins, i think you might be homesick” playlist while I was on the east coast with a couple of these songs. Glad I’m not alone in my winter cave wallowing ways. Stay strong! :)
ani difranco – you had time.
such a beautiful/sad song
I should have definitely included some Ani on this list.
how can we namecheck regina spektor and not bring up “laughing with.”
AUGH
also blink-182 (lovestruck mopey latter-day blink, not juvenile pun blink, not that there’s anything wrong with that) and robert smith, “all of this.” robert smith, youguise, for srs, can’t get much more melancholy than that
Case of You is one of my top 5 songs of all time! Such an amazing piece of music! They sure don’t make em’ like they used too! Side Note: Joni Mitchell grew up in Saskatoon saskatchewan, only 2.5hrs from where I live! Pretty neat! prairie pride!
Please read this like the compliment it is: I am going to lay my bedheaded, underwear clad, achy tired body on the kitchen floor and blast this right now.
On a sidenote: The National is good for being sad just in general. I favor Abel when I’m feeling particularly angsty.
With a tub of ice cream?
Don’t Forget Me- Neko Case (originally by Harry Nilsson)
Cologne- Ben Folds
Walk Away- Ben Harper
Vulnerable- Juanes
Smoke- Natalie Imbruglia
Strange Fruit- Billie Holiday
Gardenia- Mandy Moore
Bad Religion- Frank Ocean
Fruit Tree- Nick Drake
This Time Won’t You Save Me- Nicki Minaj
I could go on for.ev.errrrrr (Sandlot voice), but instead I’m going to crank up some comedy this week and laugh at Wanda Sykes instead of sobbing profusely.
Gravity by Sara Bareilles kills me every damn time. Especially the live version.
Honorable mentions:
Can’t Let Go by Landon Pigg
Where I stood by Missy Higgins
Video Games by Lana Del Rey
Sunday Morning by Travis Garland
Give Me Love by Rd Sheeran
“Nothing Lasts Forever” and “She Will be Loved” by Maroon 5
Distance by Christina Perri
I Never Told You by Colbie Caillat
The list goes on and on
I also had “Brown Eyes” by Lady Gaga on repeat for days after my first breakup
Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s-Broadripple is Burning (Daytrotter Sessions)
I have been listening to Flightless Bird, American Mouth and Resurrection Fern nonstop for like a week and a half now. Amazing playlist.
I Dreamed a Dream from Les Mis, every damn time.
Rest in the Bed by Laura Marling too.
What about Sad by Maroon 5? Also a gooder on an emotional day.
One of the saddest songs I know is probably “Poison Oak” by Bright Eyes – the complete “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning” album is very sad, but “Poison Oak” always makes me cry.
Also good: Kat Frankie’s song “Happy” (despite its title a very, very sad song).
And, of course, almost every song by Antony and the Johnsons.
I listen to the sadcore hibernation playlist on songza like daily. My favorite sad song is probably Drag by Low or How to Disappear Completely by Radiohead.
Also, I have a playlist in my iTunes entitled ‘Despair’ (because I’m dramatic like that) and like almost the whole ‘The Con’ album by Tegan and Sara is on it.
A selection from my own sad/moody playlist:
“Trouble” – Cat Stevens
“Unhook the Stars” – Cyndi Lauper
“Doll Parts” – Hole
“Try Again” – Keane
“The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” – The Postal Service
“Let Down” – Radiohead
“Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out of” – U2
“Delicate” – Damien Rice
As soon as I read the title that Elton John song started playing in my head. Excellent playlist! Enjoy your wallowing and feel better soon :) sending summer sunshine from the US east coast.
Stay by Hurts is the ultimate ugly crying, dramatic falling down on your knees in the concrete while it’s pouring down and screaming the name of the girl you lost, kind of song.
Heron Blue by Sun Kil Moon always gets me in a sad mood, and Mad World by Gary Jules. Or maybe that’s cause they were both used in Gears of War trailers and I just have so many sad feelings when it comes to Gears of War.
Let Me Be the One by Jimmy Bondoc and Before I Let You Go by Freestyle. Gets me every fricking time. Without You by Three Days Grace.