Songs that make you cry every fucking time

Well for me it's a toss up between the Nillson classic "Without You", and Jim Diamond's awesome tearjerker "I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I SHOULD'VE KNOWN BETTER!"

I don't think I've ever heard a song that's made me burst into tears, I usually try and hold back. 'Great gig in the sky' by Pink Floyd is such an emotional song, everytime I hear Claire Skinner's wailing, I find it incredible, even more so when it's played live.
More songs that always get to me:
Blackout-Muse
River of Tears-Eric Clapton
Somewhere over the rainbow-Eva Cassidy
Prayer in open D-Emmylou Harris

In your eyes. C'mon, how can you not picture Cusack looking all puppy-eyed and love sick while standing in the rain with a boombox over his head?

And I don't know the names of the songs, but the main theme in Glory does me in everytime. I was in my room cleaning one day and my roommate was channel surfing. He bypassed HBO which was playing Glory and that little snippit made me immediately well up.

Same for the theme in Requiem for dream, which is why I hate that LOTR:TT has that playing in their DVD commercials.

That's me and Michele's (Social) song. Who DOESN'T like that song?

Any really good Slowdive song will make me teary eyed.

Others (not necessarilly out of sadness):

"3 Libras", "The Noose" A Perfect Circle
"This Time Imperfect" AFI
"Leaving Hope", "And All That Could Have Been" NIN
"Atmosphere" Joy Division
"The Same Deep Water as You" The Cure
"Worlock" Skinny Puppy

Untitled by the Cure and a Perfect Circle's 3 Libras are always tear jerkers for me

'Foolish Games' by Jewel

The Goo Goo Dolls are awful.

Charlie Chaplin's Smile - Tony Bennett or Nat King Cole.

September Of My Years - Frank Sinatra

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning - Frank Sinatra

Lover, You Should Have Come Over - Jeff Buckley

Kentucky Avenue - Tom Waits

'I Can't Imagine How It Hurts' by Mesh. Every fucking time.
Not even really sure why. It's just a beautiful, heart-wrenching song.
And 'Pictures Of You' by The Cure... No explination needed I think.

Take Away My Pain by Dream Theater. Seriously.

Which album's that from Ego ?

Any song by the Goo Goo Dolls makes me burst into tears until I can find the offending radio and bash it into splinters with my forehead. But then I'm usually so relieved that I keep crying until someone comes into my cubicle and rocks me gently.

So people actually cry at songs? I mean, I can understand if it's a song that played at your mom's funeral or something, but just a normal sad song on the radio can make you start crying? That seems so weird. For once, I'm glad to be an emotionless robot from the future.

Okay. I understand CHUD is a funny place. I understand everyone likes to be a comedian, or whatever. But christ. This is a great thread, a thread about people just expressing their thoughts and feelings about music that gets them emotionally, whether it's connected with an event in their life, traumatic or not, whether it has lyrics that perhaps provide a window into one's mind, or just music that's so beautiful it makes you cry.

And that's fucking great. So why do we always have people coming in, with some funny comment or whatever to put a blemish? It's stuff like this that pisses me off here. Werewolf cries at the Goo Goo Dolls. That's cool. I cry everytime I hear the LOTR soundtrack. But of course, Flyers and Slater don't like the Goo Goo Dolls and don't mind coming in and saying it and disrupting what was a cool thread with their bullshit. Hey, that's cool. I'm sure Werewolf doesn't mind it.

Jesus christ.

Settle down, Fett. Two corny jokes about the Goo Goo Dolls didn't ruin this thread.

But his point is fair; if you have nothing to add to conversation why be an asshole?

I don't think my post was assholish. Wasn't meant to be, anyway. The first part was an obvious and not particularly funny joke, and my second paragraph made the point that I think it's bizarre that a simple song can make people cry. I don't understand it at all, and if I was riding in the car with someone who burst into tears over a song on the radio, I would be seriously weirded out. I wasn't trying to derail the discussion or make fun of people...I'm just genuinely curious about this. Do you guys cry EVERY time you hear the same song, regardless of the context? Is it the music, the lyrics, what?

I don't get it...

"Hello It's Me" by Lou Reed and John Cale (actually, it might just be by Lou Reed) - but the song is from their Andy Warhol tribute album "Songs for Drella". Basically a song about regret and saying goodbye. Such a sad, sad song. Always brings a tear to the old eye. Also, Joel R. L. Phelps has a song called "Inland Empires" about his sister that just is, well, really sad.

Songs for Drella always gets me too.

It's an emotive response, Slater. Pure and simple. Not being funny, but I find it a little odd, coming from someone so accomplished creatively as your good self, that it's not something ever evoked in you. Surely there must be literature that grabs you cerebrally and forces you to emote, the same for music for me. It gets into my soul (without getting too wanky).

But were I to say I cried at the end of CTHD, or The Royal Tennenbaums would you get that?

How are songs that much different than movies. Art effects us, it's meant to, and great art can touch you emotionally.

Also, let's say I was driving with my dad one day, and we both started singing along to say, Elvis Costello's Allison. Then later in life if something happened to him the memory of that event of singing along with him would then always then be a part of that song. And the recognition of loss would then make that song, which is already touching, something more.

Forever Autumn - Justin Hayward

The summer sun is fading as the year grows old
And darker days are drawing near...
The winter winds will be much colder
Now you're not here.
I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky
And one by one they disappear.
I wish that I was flying with them
Now you're not here

Like a song through the trees you came to love me
Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away...

Through autumn's golden gown we used to kick our way
You always loved this time of year.
Those fallen leaves lie undisturbed now
'Cause you're not here

Like a song throught the trees you came to love me
Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away...

A gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes
As if to hide a lonely tear...
My life will be forever autumn
'Cause you're not here!

Falling Into Infinity - 1997

Take Away My Pain

I was sitting on the edge of his bed
Staring at the headlines on the paper
He said, ’look at poor Gene Kelly
I guess he won’t be singing in the rain.’

Then we talked about the weather and the game
Election day and things I can’t remember
But all that I could think of
Was this would be the last time
That we’d talk about anything

You took away my heroes
Can you take away my pain

Take away my pain
Please don’t let it rain
Take away my pain
I’m not frightened anymore
I’ll be knocking at your door

She was standing by the edge of his bed
Staring at the message on their faces
He said, ’what else can you do, babe?
I guess I won’t be coming home again.’

They just took away all my promises
Make them take away my pain

Take away my pain
Please don’t let it rain
Take away my pain
I’m not frightened anymore
Just stay with me tonight
I’m tired of this fight
Soon I’ll be knocking at your door

His final scene
The actor bows
And all those dreams
Are gone somehow
The crowd applauds
The curtain falls
There’ll be no encore after all

I was sitting on the edge of my bed
Staring at the paper through my tears
It read, ’say goodbye to jesus’
The world he left will never be the same

You took away my hero
Will you take away my pain

Take away my pain
Let the cold inside
Time to let it rain
There’s nothing left to hide
Take away my pain
I’m not frightened anymore
I’m learning to survive
Without you in my life
Til you come knocking at my door...

Yeah, I get the fact that if it's a song that corresponds to a particular moment in your life, it can stir up some emotional responses. It doesn't make me cry, but I don't particularly like hearing the song that played at my grandfather's funeral. That's understandable.

But I don't get crying to a sad pop song *unless* it corresponds to some event in your past. Movies and books don't make me cry, either, but I can at least sort of understand that, because in that case you're spending hours with particular characters or stories, and it can build up an emotional attachment. I just find it strange that a three-minute pop song can evoke the same response.

I'm honestly not trying to mock people here, I just think it's weird. Like crying at a Subway commercial or something...

Well just because it didn't occur simultaneously with an event in your life, it may trigger something in you that taps into those emotions. A song about a lost love can make you feel sad if you can identify with that feeling. I know I've had my heart trampled on enough times that when I hear a song that can tap into that emotion, it will immediately affect me.

That's not to say I cry at every song about lost love. There are just some songs where you can hear the emotion in the singer and know that its not just a song to them, they are experiencing what they are singing about.

Or sometimes it just hormones. Once when I was near that time of the month, that Enrique Eglesias song "Just want to be with you" made me burst into tears. eek! Now whenever I hear that stupid song, I feel sad. Weird. Yes. But happens none the less.

Great song. Imagine my surprise when I heard it on a TV commercial.

But Jared lost so much weight! It's so moving...

Bridge Over Troubled Waters by Simon and Garfunkle makes me bawl like a sissy every time. Also, Cherry Coloured Funk by the Cocteau Twins.

There's a Coldplay song that a friend put on a tape for me that has made me misty but I don't know its name. Airbag by Radiohead has made me cry a few times. Music has a pretty dramatic effect on my emotions.

I don't cry to music ever but Tracy Chapman's Fast Car sure gets me down.

***edited to add***

Brick from Ben Folds Five is quite the downer as well.

Gotta do the ditto on Kid Ego's "Take Away My Pain" vote. Of particular note for me because, as you can see by the lyrics that were posted, it was written by band guitarist John Petrucci after his father died of cancer.

No great shakes there. But my grandfather died of cancer about 6 or 7 months after that album was released. But flash back a bit before then, and I was actually at his place, hanging out with him the day we heard about Gene Kelly . . . and he cracked the exact same joke about how we won't be singing in the rain anymore! A year or so later, and he's died in exactly the same way as that song. Freaky coincidence, but it just gets to me every time. He was THE coolest fucker I ever knew. Died at 69, and up until the cancer had him bedridden, he was working 15 hour days, 6 days a week as a labourer. Just one tough old bastard, world traveller (he'd go anywhere to escape Winter and live his life in a perpetual Summer), and huge Alice in Chains fan (I shit you not - he was just like your average 20-something . . . but with a few more wrinkles and grays). So yeah, that song chokes me up pretty bad. Dream Theater are also my most favourite band of all time, so that adds to it all.

Also, dunno if many of you know it, but 'Silo Lullaby' by Toad The Wet Sprocket has me choking back a tear every time as well. Made especially sad when you consider it was the last song recorded for what would be their last album (and was added as a hidden Quicktime file to boot). Beautiful and tragic song.

Some of Cat Stevens' stuff is pretty sad. Especially the one about the father and son. Oh, it's called "Father and son" how convienient.

Good call on Jewel's 'Foolish Games'

The Rainbow Connection. It was on fucking "I Love the 70's" and it got me.

Good one. That song almost got me one time, too, although, in all fairness, I was sick and had just woken up from a nap - plus, the video's pretty effective. Flaming Lips appropriated a lot of that tune for "Fight Test," which also strikes a nice, melancholy note.

Oddly enough, it's unusual that artists with a rep for being depressing (The Cure, Joy Division, Nick Drake, etc.) actually elicit sadness from me. It's nearly always the pop artists who can write a killer sad melody that do it.

In other words, while I may love Closer or Pink Moon or Lou Reed's Berlin, "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" gets the better of me more than any of those full albums can.

"Ooops- I did it again!" By Britney Spears makes me weep like a woman every time I hear it. There's just something about that song.

Also, since Reed came up again, let me say that, while Berlin doesn't hit me nearly as hard as it probably intends to and Songs for Drella only has some moments of weep-eliciting, it's Magic and Loss that's his real tearjerker, as any concept album about cancer should be.

Pushit by Tool gets me to tear up on many occasions, it reminds me of some of the hard times that my ex and I went through.

Mogwai Fear Satan by Mogwai was the song that was playing when I broke up with her, so that gets me down too. I can't listen to Pushit anymore, which sucks because it used to be one of my favorite songs.

No shit Diva! What commercial was it?!?!?

Thank you. This one is the top tearjerker for me. So fucking raw.

Other songs that get my ducts moving are:

"Let Down" -- Radiohead
"From a Balance Beam" -- Bright Eyes
"Thunder Road" -- Springsteen

...or damn near anything by Buckley for that matter. ESPECIALLY "Morning Theft" from Sketches. The "I miss my beautiful friend" line...ouch.

Last year a girl that I went to high school with died on her way back to Auburn after Thanksgiving. I had a lot of classes with her and she was basically the It Girl at my school so losing her hit everyone really hard. I was also on my way back to Auburn that day and drove through about two hours after her wreck. Traffic was backed up and the cars were still there. I remember looking at the cars and thinking "I hope that's no one I know." The song that was playing in my car was "Six Pack" by Tortoise. I haven't listened to that song or even that album since.

I made a CD to listen to when I was driving back home for her funeral. I've only listened to it a few times. The tracklist was something like this:

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
U2 - Kite
Eva Cassidy - Time After Time
Mogwai - Cody
Nick Drake - Fly
Air - New Star in the Sky
My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes
Belle & Sebastian - We Rule the School
Dntel - (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan
Radiohead - Motion Picture Soundtrack
Rufus Wainwright - Poses
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow

That's all I remember. I might not cry every time but all of those songs are hard for me to listen to.

Definitely the best song of the movie, but "I'm Going To Go Back There Someday" always held more of an emotional punch for me. For some reason, I get a little lump in my throat every time I watch that scene. Can't really explain it but whatever.

Not sure what kind, but it's for a camera.

Coldplay- Clocks
Coldplay- Green Eyes
Lifehouse- Everything

The Nurse Who Loved Me, both the original Failure version and the A Perfect Circle cover. Powerful song I find both versions brilliant, the Failure version is probably in my top 10 of all time.

I think it may have something to do with the fact that I fell in love with a nurse.

Some of you guys must have been crying constantly for months at a time, as individual songs you've listed were promos for tv channels or were in super heavy rotation at some point on MTV/MTV Europe.

But now that I think about it, it would make me cry if I had to listen to them one more time.

So I guess my contribution would have to be Mazda's "Zoom zoom" song. It's the real reason why John Allen Muhammad started shooting people, you know.

Love The Goo, Werewolf Girl. I don't mention them much, out of preference.

Coldplay is still kicking it on my spinner. Can't get enough.

I prefer Rufus Wainwright's version.

It's a comercial for HP digital cameras I believe.

Shocked the hell out of me the first time I saw it too.

I prefer it, too.

There is a Fiona Apple song that breaks me everytime I hear it. Talk about love lost...

"Love Ridden"

Love ridden, I've looked at you
With the focus I gave to my birthday candles
I've wished on the lidded blue flames
Under your brow
And baby, I wished for you
Nobody sees when you are lying in your bed
And I wanna crawl in with you
But I cry instead
I want you warm, but it will only make
Me colder when it's over, baby
No, not "baby" anymore- if I need you
I'll just use your simple name
Only kisses on the cheek from now on
And in a little while, we'll only have to wave
My hand won't hold you down no more
The path is clear to follow through
I stood too long in the way of the door
And now I'm giving up on you
No, not "baby" anymore- if I need you
I'll just use your simple name
Only kisses on the cheek from now on
And in a little while, we'll only have to wave
No, not "baby" anymore- if I need you
I'll just use your simple name
Only kisses on the cheek from now on
And in a little while, we'll only have to wave

There is also a song by Pink called Family Portrait. I can't even listen to it anymore, because I'm scared my children will feel the same way. Makes me terribly sad.

"Bright Eyes" (Art Garfunkel/Mike Batt)

partly because of the scene in the cartoon, partly for nostalgic reasons. stupid high pitched afro bastid making me cry like that.

I've yet to out and out cry, but I did have a tear in my eye when I heard 'Surfs Up' by the Beach Boys, or rather a solo version of it sung by Brian.

It just got to me for some reason when he sang...

"A choke of grief, heart hardned I, beyond belief, a broken man too tough to cry"

I really haven't done the lyrics justice but you need to check it out.

Same thing with some of 'Pet Sounds' (Im on a Beach Boys trip right now). I think a lot of that album is quite sad lyrically - I read a review of the album the other day and it was referred to as 'straight forward pop songs' - but I think they totally missed the point. It's an incredibly emotional album I think, not just lyrically but musically.

Shame they went downhill afterwards though.