The Sadest song of all time?

Heisenberg.

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BaZmO*

Apparently it's "Gloomy Sunday" a song that was banned from BBC Radio up until 2003 due to it's link with mass suicide according to Stephen Fry on QI last week.

After hearing the song I can understand why you want to kill yourself after listening to it. It is sooo depressing...

cormie

This one is quite sad, this is a lip sync to the original song and the video takes away from the song so please don't watch the video and just listen to the song to get the proper effect.

John

Coil's cover of the "Are You Being Served?" theme tune. Only they could take this and turn it into this. It's a sad sounding song as it is but add to the fact that it's the last song that the singer, Jhonn Balance, performed live before his death. Going up indeed.

Sinfonia

cormie wrote:

This one is quite sad, this is a lip sync to the original song and the video takes away from the song so please don't watch the video and just listen to the song to get the proper effect.

before clicking the link: "this is bound to be Leonard Cohen"
after clicking the link: "yup"

"Loser" by The Last Tycoons (formerly Porn Trauma), Dublin band, they haven't played it live in a while, but there you go. Very sad.

kinaldo

Quite a few spring to mind...

Atmosphere by Joy Division

Perfect Day by Lou Reed

The Drugs Don't Work by The Verve

History by The Verve - unfortunately the video is an edit of the song so it loses some of the emotional impact

OctavarIan

Dream Theater - Space-Dye Vest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhaJbUoeBZI
Porcupine Tree - Heartattack in a Layby (no vid sorry)

Whim

It's Cool We Can Still Be Friends by Bright Eyes for me. There's a recording of the song accompanied by a photo of the man himself here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZjDaKQTFqE

faceman

I go with the OP's choice here. Its a timeless piece of music and definitely stirs even the happiest of us.

Failing that, quite a few tracks on his album "Has Been" are very depressing but only if you listen to the lyrics.

Kolodny

There are loads of songs that make me feel a bit sad but The Beatles - She's Leaving Home always has me close to tears.

metrovelvet

Arvo Part's Spiegel im Spiegel

Moonriver always brings a tear to my eye.

Oddly Tears of a Clown, its so upbeat but it compounds how sad the lyrics are.

Garret

decades by joy division is up there

Heisenberg.

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LivingDeadGirl

Alice In Chains - Down In A Hole

is_that_so

Hurt - Johnny Cash version - very emotional, send shivers down my spine.

flyingdagger

every time i play 'lovers spit' by broken social scene it gets me...such a beautiful song

the_obsolete

is_that_so, NIN's version i think is far more emotional than Cash's...ANWAYS...

Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd

Darkness - Disturbed

Hello - Evanescence

i know the thread only calls for one, so sorry!

p~b

its cats in the cradle by ugly joe kid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDpfhEf1Cec&mode=related&search=

or

tears in heaven by eric clapton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx-4CiBmIPY

pokypoky

Whitney Houston... I will always love u, my God that woman owns my heartstrings

Bodhidharma

Eels - Electro-Shock Blues

kinaldo

pokypoky wrote:

Whitney Houston... I will always love u, my God that woman owns my heartstrings

no that can't be top of your list, what about this or this or this...?

You need to get past that Charlie Chaplin thing and give her a chance!

Orizio

Cash's version of hurt is infinitely superior to NIN's version imo.The video makes the track.

Closer by Goapele comes to mind of the tracks I have heard of late, its got that kind of ambience to it.Rain by Ty and Good Morning(A Nice Hell) by Bronze Nazareth as well.

MrJoeSoap

The ending to Muse's Citizen Erased is quite sad, as is Jeff Buckley's Forget Her. Not the saddest ever, but personal favourites.

Also, Ben Folds' Late deserves a mention.

county

My immortal-Evanescence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84-qrDxYtE8

JC 2K3

Orizio wrote:

Cash's version of hurt is infinitely superior to NIN's version imo.The video makes the track.

I wouldn't say superior. The original is empty, depressing, yet beautiful. Cash's version is simply, and extremely effectively sad. A genius choice for a cover, but it's not like the original wasn't great. It's amazingly emotional live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60KfGKXXtBg&mode=related&search=

Cash's version is probably "sadder", but when NIN play it live it's more emotional.

Capt'n Midnight

is_that_so wrote:

Hurt - Johnny Cash version - very emotional, send shivers down my spine.

even just thinking about it

Orizio

I'm going to say the beautidul Delicate by Damien Rice as well.

kinaldo

Anytime I hear The Power of Goodbye by Madonna on the radio, loads of memories from 1998 (when they used to play it regularly) come flooding back. I'm an absolute sap I know but that song really hits me emotionally, and yet it doesn't seem to have quite the same effect when I listen to it on the Ray of Light album.

Pighead

The saddest song ever was without a shadow of a doubt written by Jason Pierce. Its just a matter of picking which one. Pighead would probably plump for this one.

Its called Broken Heart. Heartbreaking stuff! Written after his Mrs left him for that spanner Richard Ashcroft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0dz6rEXwpQ

J.R.HARTLEY

JC 2K3 wrote:

I wouldn't say superior. The original is empty, depressing, yet beautiful. Cash's version is simply, and extremely effectively sad. A genius choice for a cover, but it's not like the original wasn't great. It's amazingly emotional live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60KfGKXXtBg&mode=related&search=

Cash's version is probably "sadder", but when NIN play it live it's more emotional.

no point in arguing over it as it's down to personal preference what you find to be more moving.
Johnny Cashs Hurt is very emotional but the NIN version obviously does it for JC 2K3, noones wrong and noones right.


anyway one that always hits me is "Days" by kirsty MacColl, a song i always thought wa happy until i listened to the words, it's about how her mother died and she misses her:o

but this is my favourite sad song Queen-Who wants to live forever


who has forever anyway

Pighead

J.R.HARTLEY wrote:

anyway one that always hits me is "Days" by kirsty MacColl, a song i always thought wa happy until i listened to the words, it's about how her mother died and she misses her:o

Actually tis about Ray Davies mother, Kirstys mam is alive alive oh.

kinaldo

Pighead wrote:

Written after his Mrs left him for that spanner Richard Ashcroft.

Richard Ashcroft was great for the old sad songs though.

Bojangles

The Ham Sandwich song "Sad Songs" always does it for me. Very sad (sniff).
www.myspace.com/eathamsandwich

Very sad.

MarshalBoy

Pighead, I almost agree with you - great song - better than all the Goth nonsense and newly trendy Man in Black favourites being thrown around.

I am putting my money on Martha by Tom Waits though. Just a piano and his husky slightly out of tune voice. It tells the story of unrequited love between two old timers who never managed to get it on and both went off and started their own families. Tom picks up the phone to the lady in question thirty years later and the sense of longing and regret in his voice gets me every time.

Cant find it on youtube but well worth getting your hands on - the album Closing Time which it is taken from is pretty fine as well.

faceman

The Scientist wrote:

Beethoven had an album called "Has Been"??? with lyrics? wtf?

T.Sc.

Oops, i meant william shatner!

Setun

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, Charles Mingus.

Lovely tune, Lester would be proud.

J.R.HARTLEY

Pighead wrote:

Actually tis about Ray Davies mother, Kirstys mam is alive alive oh.

right sorry assumed she wrote it, d'oh, was it a single or an album track for the kinks

kinaldo

cormie wrote:

This one is quite sad, this is a lip sync to the original song and the video takes away from the song so please don't watch the video and just listen to the song to get the proper effect.

Incredible song. I listened to that album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, earlier, and it's quite impressive. Apart from Suzanne and The Future I'd never really payed much attention to his work before.

Speaking of Leonard Cohen, has anyone here seen the film about him, I'm Your Man? I don't wanna make the same mistake as I did with that Neil Young film by paying €9 into the Screen only to walk out after half an hour.

Huggles

The 4 of Us - Voice on The Radio.

Heisenberg.

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kinaldo

The Scientist wrote:

Is that a piss take?


2 great ones mentioned above also get my stamp of approval:

Delicate: Damien Rice
Who wants to live forever: Queen

T.Sc.

Lol, of course they're only meant for pokypoky as I know how much he loves his divas. I do like her French though. It would have been worth seeing her Vegas show just for Pour Que Tu M'aimes Encore.

Rantorama

J.R.HARTLEY wrote:

anyway one that always hits me is "Days" by kirsty MacColl

Same here, 'tis also one of the few songs where the cover outshines the original.

deman

Yeah, Johnny Cash's "Hurt". Even my kids feel sad when that's played.

And also "Who wants to live forever?" Queen. Esp if you've seen Highlander.

rabbitinlights

Pearl Jam - Black

Kevster

p~b wrote:

its cats in the cradle by ugly joe kid

or

tears in heaven by eric clapton

Two excellent choices, especially Cats in the Cradle - Whatever it is about that song it just makes me (more) depressed (than usual).

Pighead

MarshalBoy wrote:

Pighead, I almost agree with you - great song - better than all the Goth nonsense and newly trendy Man in Black favourites being thrown around.

I am putting my money on Martha by Tom Waits though. Just a piano and his husky slightly out of tune voice. It tells the story of unrequited love between two old timers who never managed to get it on and both went off and started their own families. Tom picks up the phone to the lady in question thirty years later and the sense of longing and regret in his voice gets me every time.

Cant find it on youtube but well worth getting your hands on - the album Closing Time which it is taken from is pretty fine as well.

Aye good choice MarshalBoy, Tom has a way with a sad song alright. From the same album I Hope that I Don't Fall In Love With You is another weepie. Ya gotta feel for poor Tom in the final verse.

Now it's closing time, the music's fading out
Last call for drinks, I'll have another stout.
Well I turn around to look at you, you're nowhere to be found,
I search the place for your lost face, guess I'll have another round
And I think that I just fell in love with you.

hamsterboy

New Model Army - Green and the Grey
For those not in the know check it out.
Most passionate, moving song I've ever heard, the live version on Raw Melody Men is awesome.

blastman

Agree entirely, Pighead. That song and Kentucky Avenue are Tom's two finest moments from the "Bawlers" category for me.

I think Johnny Cash's version of If You Could Read My Mind is even more heartbreaking than Hurt, good and all as it is.

noby

Rantorama wrote:

Same here, 'tis also one of the few songs where the cover outshines the original.

Luke Kelly does a pretty decent version too.

For me:
Palace Brothers (Will Oldham) - You will miss me when I burn

Gillie

Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the heart

Terry Bush - Maybe Tomorrow (Littlest Hobo Theme)

Taters

This. :l