Songs that stab you right in the heart.

There are so many, and many have become almost trite from being overplayed—“He Stopped Loving Her Today” for instance. A few of mine: Don McLean; Empty Chairs, Vincent. AliceCooper; I Never Cry. Linda Ronstadt; Shattered, Goodbye My Friend. Eagles; Wasted Time, The Last Resort. Dr. Hook; A Little Bit More. Janis Ian; Lover’s Lullaby.
That’s enough for now.
 

Having two sons and now two grandsons, this one gets me. Life passes all too quickly while we're busy making a living instead of actually LIVING!

+1 on Cat's in the Cradle. Harry Chapin's music was a huge part of the soundtrack of my college years, and many of his songs explore the sadder side of life, so I'd like to nominate two more Chapin songs.

Tangled-Up Puppet (the live version from Legends of the Lost and Found) never fails to move me.

Mr. Tanner (the live version from Greatest Stories Live) is another tear-jerking favorite. As a weekend warrior musician who chose a livelihood other than music, I identify with the Martin Tanner character.

Most of my music collection is classical, and there are more than a few classical selections that fit the theme of this thread. A few examples:

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Movement 4. Total, soul-crushing despair set to music.

Barber: Adagio for Strings. This work often appears on lists of the saddest classical selections ever written. I think this is partly due to the music and partly due to its association with occasions of public mourning. It was broadcast after the announcement that FDR had died and was also played at JFK's funeral.

Grieg: Varen (Last Spring), in either the vocal version from the Op. 33 Twelve Songs or the string orchestra version from the Op. 34 Two Elegiac Melodies. It reminds me of my mother, who took immense pride in her Norwegian heritage and the fact that her family tree included the Norwegian poet Aasmund Olavsson Vinje. The Grieg Op. 33 song cycle consists of settings of A.O. Vinje poems.

Handel: "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" from Messiah. My mother requested that this music be performed at her memorial service. Since then I have been unable to listen to it without breaking down.
 
+1 on Cat's in the Cradle. Harry Chapin's music was a huge part of the soundtrack of my college years, and many of his songs explore the sadder side of life, so I'd like to nominate two more Chapin songs.

Tangled-Up Puppet (the live version from Legends of the Lost and Found) never fails to move me.

Mr. Tanner (the live version from Greatest Stories Live) is another tear-jerking favorite. As a weekend warrior musician who chose a livelihood other than music, I identify with the Martin Tanner character.

Most of my music collection is classical, and there are more than a few classical selections that fit the theme of this thread. A few examples:

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Movement 4. Total, soul-crushing despair set to music.

Barber: Adagio for Strings. This work often appears on lists of the saddest classical selections ever written. I think this is partly due to the music and partly due to its association with occasions of public mourning. It was broadcast after the announcement that FDR had died and was also played at JFK's funeral.

Grieg: Varen (Last Spring), in either the vocal version from the Op. 33 Twelve Songs or the string orchestra version from the Op. 34 Two Elegiac Melodies. It reminds me of my mother, who took immense pride in her Norwegian heritage and the fact that her family tree included the Norwegian poet Aasmund Olavsson Vinje. The Grieg Op. 33 song cycle consists of settings of A.O. Vinje poems.

Handel: "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" from Messiah. My mother requested that this music be performed at her memorial service. Since then I have been unable to listen to it without breaking down.


"A Better Place To Be" and "Taxi" are a couple other of my faves from Harry. He did some great writing.
 

Having two sons and now two grandsons, this one gets me. Life passes all too quickly while we're busy making a living instead of actually LIVING!
Another vote for Cats in the Cradle.

It was a very busy and demanding time in my life when Cats in the Cradle was released and was receiving a lot of air play. I had two very young daughters at the time, That song did stab me in the heart and did influence my behavior. Looking back though, maybe not quite enough.

See how that works?
 
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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Movement 4. Total, soul-crushing despair set to music.

Had to look it up, not well versed on classical pieces. After watching and listening to this clip on my office system, I have to hear it on my main rig so I can get the full effect. Can say the projection of emotion by both the musicians and the director is stunning.
 
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