What is the saddest song or tune you've ever heard?

[ngc3314]

Pretty much anything by Simon and Garfunkel. Listened a lot in college, those albums got me through years of late-night physics homework. I guess at age 20, a little melancholy spices up life. But now, after buying a complete set of their albums on CD, I find that I can't listen to them at all without them getting me waaaay down. Not even counting how one side of the family settled on Bridge over Troubled Waters as a perennial funeral song.

But then, Puff, the Magic Dragon has always given me intimations of mortality.

[iquestor]

to me:

1. Geronimo's cadillac
2. The Night The Drove Ol' Dixie Down

[starcanuck64]

I have fond recollections of beings part of that audience. . . I don't know if he still does it, but at every concert I saw, that was the song that he ended with.

Two other songs that came to mind. Not that I'm an incredible David Bowie fan, but "five years" and "soul love" are pretty sad. "I never thought I'd need so many people."

I don't think I've heard of either of those, I'll have to give them a listen.

[Solfe]

But then, Puff, the Magic Dragon has always given me intimations of mortality.

Puff, the Magic Dragon is nightmare fuel for me.

[Mellow]

"Stay" by Bernard Butler

[Luckmeister]

I had to resurrect this thread again for a sad song I had neglected to mention -- Dust In The Wind, not the original but done by the a cappella group Rockapella. The original version is a timeless classic but I love what Rockapella has done with it.

Dust In The Wind done by Rockapella.

[Usher]

Into the West by Annie Lennox, from Lord of the Rings, Return of the King.

More melancholy than sad as it evokes the scene of the last Elven ship sailing away from the Grey Havens with Frodo, Bilbo, and Gandalf aboard, leaving Middle Earth forever. (oops, got carried away)

[Jens]

But then, Puff, the Magic Dragon has always given me intimations of mortality.

How could I have not thought of that. If any song has made me cry, I think it is that one.

[DataPlumber]

Autumn Leaves as sung by Eva Cassidy. A sad song made even sadder by the singer's untimely death.

[Donnie B.]

Into the West by Annie Lennox, from Lord of the Rings, Return of the King.

More melancholy than sad as it evokes the scene of the last Elven ship sailing away from the Grey Havens with Frodo, Bilbo, and Gandalf aboard, leaving Middle Earth forever. (oops, got carried away)

Yes, I agree about the song. Brings a tear to my eye too.

However, if you've read the appendices in RotK, that wasn't the last Elven ship. Samwise, Legolas, and Gimli (!) all sailed West many years later.

[rigel]

Neil Young's 4dead in Ohio

[Kaptain K]

Comfortably numb, by Pink Floyd.

[publiusr]

There was this small group that sounded just like REM that had a song, called "You're playing You now."
"The Show Must Go On" by The Alan Parsons Project.

Nice music for somber times
http://www.hos.com/#program/0338

[One Skunk Todd]

Burning Bridges - The Mike Curb Congregation (If you've ever seen Kelly's Heroes it's the opening and closing song)
Time - Alan Parsons

[Burning Beard]

Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' from Nine Inch Nails.

Definitely. Plus his cover of "I Hung My Head" by Sting (which I never card for until Cash covered it!)
It's about a guy who is practising his rifle aim, and accidentally kills someone.

I'll also add "Roads" by Portishead. So delicately sung and so beautifully melancholy.

[Githyanki]

The Host of Seraphine, by Dead Can Dance.

[Mellow]

"This world over" - XTC

[starcanuck64]

Alison Krauss- Jacob's Dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwaZXUlFsyo

[publiusr]

Nice music here as well
http://spottedpeccary.com/details.php?page=SPM9073