Natalie Merchant - "Beloved Wife"
I love sad music
I'm talking about music that when you're feeling down will make you feel worse. I don't want uplifting or inspirational. Some of Chopin's more melancholic works can do it for me. I don't listen to country, but George Jones singing "It's a good day for the roses" is about as sad a song as you will find. Leonard Cohen's "Alexandra leaving" is another sad song. I have everything Davis and Coltrane recorded, so I'm looking for recommendations for the most beautiful but depressing music you've ever heard. I want to hear a violin, my favorite instrument, that will bring tears to your eyes. I know this is a strange request but some of the best music comes from dark places. Thanks
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Thanks cal91 for your kind words and interest for me.... Another suggestion coming from my favorite classical cd: Purcell "O solitude" by Andras Scholl a countertenor The perfect union of melancholia and the platonic remembrance of paradise in a sad but redemptive singing rendition in one of the best countertenor cd ever.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y69gogMrvo Also the great Christa Ludwig singing Mahler lieders.... Less heart crushing than Kathleen Ferrier but with a sophisticated and natural singing that were match only by the greatest female singer of the century.... |
One of my goals when I started this thread was to get people to share their feelings about why they turn to sad or melancholic music and what effect it has on them. While the anonymity afforded by forums such as these is often used for personal attacks, in this case it offers the ability to be open and honest with others. I have emotional issues, which is probably apparent from my posts and certain music seems to have a therapeutic effect on my state of mind. I am saddened to hear that others are also dealing with similar issues but I am happy to see that many of the posters feel safe and secure enough to share those feelings with others on this thread. I'll probably get some criticism for this, but that's OK. tostadosunidos...I can't believe I didn't list John Prine, who we recently lost. Sam Stone, Hello in There, and others definitely qualify. slaw...Absolutely. Air, Largo, etc. maxnewid...Lucinda Williams - one of my favorites. I saw her in concert. What a great songwriter and performer. Mahgister...I always look forward to hearing from you. You are a valuable resource for adding to my music library. A lot of people have mentioned symphonies. I recall George Jones on David Letterman and Letterman said in his introduction something to the effect that if you can't sing like George Jones, go home. I feel that way about symphonies. If you can't write symphonies like Mozart, go home. I'm hoping people can change my mind about that. tony1954...What a Wonderful World (has to be Armstrong) no doubt about it. |
Someone had mentioned Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony first movement. Try instead his 6th Symphony 4th (last) movement... they subtitled it the Symphony "Pathetique" for a reason.... Stevie Nicks "Landslide" Stevie Nicks "Silver Springs" (version) from "The Dance" Linda Ronstadt "Long, Long Time" Eva Cassidy "What a Wonderful World" sang while knowing her time was short. Makes it that much more poignant. Thanks! |
If you like sad music you may want to discover the Portuguese Fado and the Sevdah from Bosnia, you could say they are like the blues. If you are curious you could stream a compilation of each from https://www.mixcloud.com/jgueron/globeat-fado-saudade-rebroadcast/ https://www.mixcloud.com/jgueron/globeat-sevdah/ I hope you enjoy it Regards, Joe Gueron |
very few music will beat this one for his redemptive sadness: Djivan Gasparyan I will not be sad in this world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hOhEh4KrBo |
"Hurt" Johnny Cash "I Can't make You Love Me" Bonnie Raitt "River" Natalie Merchant "Hey Mister, That's Me Up On The Jukebox" Linda Ronstadt "Prisoner in Disguise" Linda Ronstadt "Thorn Tree in the Garden" Derek & The Dominos "Baby Can I Hold You" Tracy Chapman "Living Years" Mike and The Mechanics "What a Wonderful World" Louis Armstrong "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" The Bee Gees |
@richdirector+1 on the Josienne Clark +1 to all that mentioned the Górecki. I can point you to two good recordings of this on LP. Henryk Górecki Symphony No. 3 Opus 36 (1976) Nonesuch 2016 075597949544 Recorded May 1991 at CTS Studios, London Dawn Upshaw Vocals David Zinman conducting the London Sinfonietta This record was mastered by Bernie Grundman the second is: Henryk Górecki Symphony No. 3 (Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs) Op. 36 Domino (UK) 2019 887828039517 Beth Gibbons Vocals Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Interestingly, Beth Gibbons is the vocalist from the trip hop band Portishead. If you’re inclined to be nonplussed by that information resist that urge. I believe they both have their merits. Love this post. We share this interest. Please consider adding your experience to the ongoing “What’s on your turntable” thread on here moderated/led by @slaw |
The saddest music I ever heard was a video of what seemed to be a very old, drug addled lady, leaning onto a grand piano, who was trying her best to sound as distraught as the best actor in the world could do. The saddest part is that the singer was not only truly terrible, but that it was Stephen Tyler. Sorry Steve, Dan V from FtL H-D. |
Steve Young's take on "All Your Stories" by Jesse Winchester. Emmylou Harris' versions of "Sweet Dreams" (Elite Hotel), "Too Far Gone" (Pieces of The Sky), "Making Believe" & "When I Stop Dreaming" (Luxury Liner). The Seldom Scene doing "Wait A Minute" by Herb Pedersen on "Old Train". Merle Haggard: "What Am I Gonna Do" Otis Redding: "Loving You Too Long", "Dreams To Remember" – this could be an endless list: somehow sad songs seems to have a direct connection to the heart strings, hurting so bad it feels "good". BTW: emrofsemanon – Yoshikazu Meru sings "Solveig's song" (Solveigs sang) in its original language – Norwegian. |
If you are a fan of Leonard Cohen then I suggest you give a good listen to two Jackson Browne albums. The first being For Everyman and the next being Late For The Sky. Both contain achingly beautiful sad music. In many ways I think the first side of For Everyman is the finest first side of an album ever written. And the classics on Late For The Sky will have you playing them over and over. |
I appreciated music the most was when I was in the deepest depression.You are right for sure in my case... Tough i will differentiate, depression and anxiety and panick attack... In depression any beloved piece of music will be soothing even therapeutical... In anxiety the soul can also be relieved but not so easily and at the same level by our ordinary best composer or jazz etc...Panick attack are case of extreme concentrate anxiety and normal favorite music will not do the job with enough power in most cases ... But there exist very efficient sounds and pulsated frequencies, or musical creations that are specialized for that with varied but powerful efficiency....And this work very well... This is a testimony not only of the power of music, but in the case of acute anxiety to the power of frequencies harmonies and pulsations which will cure the soul and liberate the spirit.... But this fact is not so well known in the general population, especially for those who dont suffer any acute anxiety....Only mild depression or strong depression....Depression and anxiety are not the same diseases so to speak...The can be induced by the body or by the soul in the beginning or even by the 2 at the same time.... I was using myself this frequencies in the past with great success at moment when even my beloved Bach or anything else could work.... When anxiety engulf you the least thing possible sometimes is listening music.... The reason is simple, you dont have the energy level no more to sustain any attention and concentration at all for any melodic or complex harmony and any effort is impossible... Anxiety paralyse the body, the soul and the spirit.... Then the solution is exploring the world of therapeutical frequencies.... These will work on the body first, and also on the soul and the spirit.... It is so powerful that it is better than any pills whatsoever...Good bye doctor in most cases... 😛😎 The lesson is this for any audiophile: The music you have learn to like and you are in the habit to listen to is very powerful and unbeknownst to you, the frequencies or the rythmic pattern of the music will greatly affect your entity, but you will not detect it being healthy or young.... Choose wisely what you listen to.... Any taste is born with a learning conditioned habit... In fact ultimately and at the end there is no "taste" that pilot us in music, it is our body, soul and spirit who ask for the set of frequencies which we had learn to lik, which set that now sustain our body/soul/spirit or sustain especially some part or aspect of them at the expanse of other one .... Music is powerful at the same level than many substance, even LSD, but way less spectacular at first, the effect of music appear mostly diluted in a greater span of time ... Gregorian chant for example can work miracles even just hearing them without even listen to them ....Gregorian chant and mantras are 2 examples of some music very efficient for anxiety....But therapeutical specialized frequencies will do even better, especially with Om and Christ mantras that would also complete the job so to speak.... For depression only, Mozart or Bach or whatever you like will do....Some better than other for sure... I go on with Pachelbel organ work set and for depression it is miraculous.....What a great composer.....By the way i am not in a depressive state now..... Happy christmas to all souls, from stones to stars.... 😊 |
@cal91, "Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing Through the graves the wind is blowing" His star crossed relationship with Marianne Ihlen was tragically just so Leonard Cohen. It had to be. @emrofsemanon, ’maria callas singing "o mio babbino caro." hers was a singularly sad-sounding voice.’ Yes. The ugly fat girl who eventually came good had a voice to last the ages. With a life like hers there was simply never any need for any artificial acting or vocal dramatics. ’Casta Diva’ is off any emotional scale and about as final as final can ever be. |
I should have spent the day with my family _ Avett brothers John Wayne gacy - Sufjan Stevens (a song about a serial killer grim beautiful) Carissa - sun kil moon Wall and Hallways - josienne clark Bob Iver - wolves In fact breakup albums are always a fave too, artists do magic when they are f***** emotionally |
i long have thought "once i was" [tim buckley] was a breathtakingly sad song. listening to yoshikazu meru sing "solveig's song" in swedish, also made the waterworks work overtime. likewise with maria callas singing "o mio babbino caro." hers was a singularly sad-sounding voice. "somewhere over the rainbow" sung in "the wizard of oz" made me wanna get drunk and blotto. "everybody's talkin' at me" and "without you" by Nielson likewise. |
twoleftears...A Cohen fan. I was starting to think I was the only one. He was an incredibly interesting person which his lyrics clearly show. I mentioned "Alexandra Leaving" in my original post. It's a beautiful song that has multiple possible interpretations. Who was Alexandra? His wife? His daughter? An affair? Another favorite of mine is: "Night Comes On" which shows the mental illness he struggled with and acknowledged in an interview I watched. I had never heard of Cohen until I watched the first "True Detective". I thought the theme song was interesting so I did some research. By the way, anyone who is only familiar with "Hallelujah" from "The Lion King" has never really heard the song. It was Cohen's song and Disney should be ashamed for letting anyone other than him perform it. cd318...Cohen does a great song called "You Want it Darker" another example of his conflicted religious beliefs. |
I went through many years of ignoring those sad songs thinking they tended to lower mood and metabolism. However, during the lockdown I decided to build a playlist to keep those recreational walks and runs from getting too routine. Surprisingly enough, they didn’t lower my mood. Quite often they had the opposite effect. Here’s that list. Sad Song Lou Reed Alone Again (naturally) Diana KrallSend in the Clowns Frank SinatraBen Marti WebbBetcha By Golly Wow The Stylistics Love is Strange (dub) Buddy Holly Little Girl The Incredible String BandSenor Bob DylanHoney Bobby Goldsboro On Days Like These Matt MonroYou Only Live Twice Nancy Sinatra Once Upon a Time in America Ennio Morricone If I want really dark, then there's nothing better than Joy Division. Gloriously depressing. |
