0033: Songs That Can Make Me Cry
Submitted by lbangs on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 10:28
Tags:
- American Music Club - Why Won't You Stay?
- Lyle Lovett - She's Already Made Up Her Mind
- The 77s - Don't, This Way
- Van Morrison - Moondance, Real Real Gone, Lonely Avenue, Till We Get the Healing Done, Sweet Thing
- R.E.M. - Nightswimming, Try Not to Breathe
- Mark Heard - Hammers and Nails, Love is So Blind, Nod Over Coffee, etc.
- Bruce Cockburn - The Rose Above the Sky, Understanding Nothing, See How I Miss You (live version)
- Bob Dylan - Girl from the North Country
- Pierce Pettis - One Who Got Away, Envelopes of Light, Stickman
- Red Star Belgrade - Saddest Girl
- The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
- Liz Phair - Shatter
- Joseph Arthur - The Real You, History
- Adam Again - What's Your Name?, Songwork
- da - The Gate of the World
- The Lost Dogs - Imagine That, Smokescreen
- U2 - Where the Streets Have No Names, Acrobat
- The Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane
- Matthew Sweet - Thought I Knew You
- Phil & John - When Genievive Calls
- Randy Stonehill - Weight of the Sky
- T-Bone Burnett - Power of Love, Over You, Primitives
- Our Lady Peace - Clumsy (it was a very bad day...)
- Vigilantes of Love - Earth Has No Sorrow, River of Love, Skin
- Leslie Phillips - Answers Don't Come Easy
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Ohio (Simply one of the greatest rock songs ever... I mean it.)
Author Comments:
Honestly, very few songs can ever get me teary-eyed. All the above have pulled this tricky feat off at least once, either out of sorrow or out of joy.
How about Van Morrison's Crazy Love or Bob Dylan's You're a big girl now?
Fantastic songs, both. I'm not sure why they never trigger my ducts, however. They just have never brought me tears. This, of course, is no slam against them, since I adore both songs.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I don't cry over songs much, but every now-n-then I'll break down if the right song hits me in the middle of a big mood. Here are a few that have done that over the years.
- You Never Gave Up On Me. (Crystal Gayle)
- The Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler)
-- note: Can't stand the song, but it does remind me of a dear departed friend whenever I hear it.
- Fire and Rain (James Taylor)
- Why Don't We Get Drunk...(Jimmy Buffett) (Just Kidding)
Did you ever have the experience of seeing Jeff Buckley live? I wish i brought some boxes of cleanex.
Wow, I feel so cold and heartless. Music has never made me cry. Maybe I should download some of these songs - I've only heard a few of them. Those that I have heard were awesome, but they didn't make me cry.
Two songs have come close, though - "Break My Heart" by Barenaked Ladies and "End of the Tour" by They Might Be Giants. Less sophisticated selections than the ones you have here, I know, but I do love those songs.
P.S. I have a cousin who cries when she hears Billy Joel's "Piano Man."
Well, if the list gets some of these songs downloaded, then I'm a happy boy!
I think I also have a cousin who cries to several Billy Joel songs. I've recently grown to 'rediscover' much of Joel's work, but I can't really say he drives me to tears. At least, not yet.
News at eleven.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I see you included Lyle Lovett on your list. I know he's done some songs with string arrangements behind them and your pick may be one of them, (I can't remember). But if it's his regular style and/or lyrics that you enjoy, might I suggest going one step deeper into some Townes Van Zant if you haven't already.
Of course I have no idea what your true musical tastes are other than this list. Just thought I'd take a chance you might be interested. Good list.
Thanks. One of my favorite songwriters ever, Gene Eugene (of the band Adam Again) claimed Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zant as his major writing influences (and even mentions both by name in my favorite song about writing songs, Songwork, off of one of my top ten favorite rock albums, Dig). He later added Stevie Wonder to the other two.
Anyway, that got me interested in Van Zant, and while I'm not really an expert on his work, I've certainly enjoyed most of what I've heard, particularly some of his live material. I'll have to dig even deeper; thanks for the suggestion!
And everybody should hear She's Already Made Up Her Mind, at least once. It is from the Joshua Judges Ruth album, and is easily the stand out there in my book.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Oh, Gene Eugene also mentions Leonard Cohen in Songwork and even names a song after him one Adam Again's Perfecta album, also a favorite of mine.
Eugene had great taste as well of oodles of talent. It is still a damn shame he is unknown. I'm not kidding, when it comes to rock songwriters, I pretty much have a holy trinity - Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Gene Eugene. So even my lame hyperbole really doesn't do the man justice.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Maybe some Radiohead? I would probably include "Lucky" and "Street Spirit."
Counting Crows-"Anna Begins"
Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" does the trick.
Also, perhaps some Jeff Buckley. I guess Tori Amos, though I'm not so into her.
Maybe my ducts don't work so well now, but Radiohead has never brought on the tears. Anna Begins, a terrific song, never really does the trick either.
I'm trying to think if I've heard Time in a Bottle. I'm sure I have, but nothing is springing to mind...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
No More I Love Yous - Annie Lennox
Adam Again-"Worldwide"
Johnny Waco
Terrific song. It hit number one on my radio show back in the days. How many Adam Again songs could I squeeze on to the list above? Too many.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
"Worldwide" was the first song that really hit me from Dig (I remember rewinding the cassette over and over to listen to it), but the whole album makes me feel a bit emotional, as does The 77's The 77's (aka Pray Naked).
Johnny Waco
I no longer have a copy of Prey Naked (was that how he spelled it? :) ), but oddly enough, despite all the gorgeous, sad Wilsonesque confections on the album, I still catch myself singing Self-Made Trap on a fairly regular basis...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I think the song title was blocked out on the album, but I always assumed it was "Pray" since he was discussing the act of prayer. You may be right, though...
Johnny Waco
True to form on a Friday afternoon, I was being a bit goofy. I remember when he signed the album covers after a concert (and they were a very good live band), he would write the true title on the album and he alternated how he spelled the word - "Pray" on one cover, "Prey" on another - like the lyrical twist he pulls off in the song ("Pray naked...Be naked prey").
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Ah, I wondered if you were goofing on me, but, being the self-important academic that I am, I couldn't help but take it seriously;)
I did have the pleasure of seeing The 77's live way back when, and you're right: they were great.
Johnny Waco
Most of the songs that make me cry are related to my last relationship, just because they remind of missing the love that once was there and how there became nothing. These are songs I have to play while I'm by myself because I just lose it.
Bob Dylan - If You See Her, Say Hello
Roy Orbison - Crying
There are other songs that make me tear up, but these are the hardest of all.
Wow, I'm very sorry to hear about the breakup. I've certainly been there before, and yes, Blood on the Tracks can nearly be a best friend at such times.
Both great songs.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Natalie merchant's Motherland gives me a lump in the throat every time I hear it.
That is a good tune...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs