A movie a preview I saw once unveiled an epic story about friends going through college, life and love, and in a pivotal moment utilized the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” to perfection. After that, for days, I was hardly able to the song out of my head or forget the mixed emotion conveyed in the simple opening lines of “don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better…”
Later, as I watched a rerun of a show, the character walks alone to the tune of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” and I thought I’d make a list of some other songs that tug on the heartstrings, some that might even make David Hasselhoff cry.
- “Wonderful Now” by Everclear – a sobering picture of divorce through the perspective of a child.
- “Hurt” by Johnny Cash – the video is heartbreaking but powerful.
- “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton. Whitney’s version sounds optimistic, like an athem of love but Dolly’s rings true to the bitter nature of saying goodbye.
- “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt.
- “Patches” by Dickie Lee. This is an old old song about star-crossed lovers where the poor girl kills herself. How worse could it get?
- “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones. I’m ashamed to say I only recently really listened to the words of this song and understood what it was talking about.
- “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton. ‘Nuff said.
- “Goodbye to Love” by the Carpenters. A lonely anthem delivered the wonderfully haunting voice of Karen Carpenter.
- “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin. The Simpsons have redeemed this song for me in the episode where Homer calls the National Fatherhood Institute and this song is playing over the line while Homer cries.
- “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John. Not the Princess Diana version, although that’s sad, but the original Norma Jean version really got my attention.
- “Cry A River” by Amy Grant. From her Behind the Eyes album where she effectively used her music as an emotional outlet.
- “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler. After combining this song with that black hearse driving by in Beaches, us guys excused ourselves one at a time to the bathroom at Vanessa’s house to have ourselves a good squawl.
- “This Used to Be My Playground” by Madonna. As A League of Their Own ended with the sweet old ladies waxing nostalgic over their baseball days, my mind raced to future days when I’d long for days gone by.
- -“Teddy Bear” by Red Sovine. Most have never heard this trucker story song…but check it out:
Are you crying yet? What are some that I’ve missed?
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