the friday five: sad songs

The other day I saw (via Fark.com) Rolling Stone‘s list of the saddest songs ever written, and my first impression is that their list is pretty lame. But that could be because I don’t know half the tunes on the list, and the ones I do know, don’t really seem all that sad. “I Will Always Love You”? Really? I mean, I guess it can be sad because Whitney went and killed herself, but generally, I don’t get weepy or have an empty weight in my chest after hearing it. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” “Nothing Compares 2 U” …. not all that tear-inducing, in my opinion.

But I guess what anyone’s idea of “sad” is open to interpretation. For example, Elton John’s “Sad Songs” seems to be about as sad to me as a commercial for designer jeans. (See what I did there?)

But maybe the problem is that a lot of artists are just not writing sad songs any more. Sure, there are songs about heartache and pain, but so many of them just don’t *sound* sad. My girl Lucinda Williams has created more than a few amazing songs around the themes of loss, depression, hard livin’ and death, but they don’t really choke me up, you know? Something about the drums and guitar, maybe? The pacing? The arrangements? I’m not sure exactly what’s missing. I love her music, but it’s not *sad* to me.

Ditto Johnny Cash, who certainly recorded hundreds of songs about heartbreak, death and addiction. I would argue his version of Nine Inch Nails “Hurt” is about a dark and troubled a song as you’ll ever hear, and wields even more impact by the stage of his life during which he was recording it.

Again, lyrically, as dark a song as you’ll ever hear, and matched perfectly to Cash’s rasped voice, but even with the moving video, it doesn’t make me weepy. Close, though.

To me, the 1970s was the Golden Era of sad songs. Not only were many of the lyrics about unhappy moments, but something about the arrangements and the sound of the time just make for gloom and doom. Artists weren’t worried about churning out pop hits, nor were they afraid to look inward or reach into dark places.

So grab a few tissues and listen to—

Five of the Saddest Songs from the 1970s

1. “Alone Again, Naturally” – Gilbert O’Sullivan

To me, this is the King of All Sad Songs. Period. O’Sullivan’s haunted voice, the arrangement, the strings, everyone in the song dying … this is the perfect storm of sorrow.

2. “Seasons in the Sun” – Terry Jacks

A wistful look back at a life lived from someone about to die—he literally is saying goodbye to everyone in his life as the birds sing and the sun shines and he’s freakin’ taking his last breath! Come on!

3. “Time in a Bottle” – Jim Croce

Okay, another song about life slipping away, and maybe not the saddest song on the list lyrically, but the sparse guitar arrangement just does me in—especially the bit at the end. It’s also more poignant given Croce’s untimely demise, only a year after the song was released.

4. “Rainy Days And Mondays” – The Carpenters

Yeah, the song is clearly about dealing with chronic depression, but it’s the arrangement and the danged harmonica that does it, I think. Plus, you had the inimitable voice of Karen Carpenter—and her whole tragic back story. Her voice always just sounds so full of melancholy, even when she’s supposed to be happy.

5. “Taxi” – Harry Chapin

Another talented singer/songwriter who died prematurely, thus imbuing his work with an added layer of sad. Now I know you’re saying “What about ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’?” and if you want to substitute that over this lesser-known song, I wouldn’t argue. For pure sadness, I go with this one because the story is about two terribly lonely people and how their lives didn’t work out. There is no happy ending, they don’t get together, instead going their own ways and pitying each other’s pathetic life. Chapin’s voice is pitch perfect, as is the entire arrangement, except maybe the falsetto guy near the end—look away if you want to keep the sad going.

Oh, and happy Friday!