The saddest song ever

[Bernie Daniel]

How about "Across the Great Divide" by Kate Wolfe

I believe it was written after she found out about her fatal illness (that is what I have heard anyway).

Also I find the song by Vince Gill "Go High on that Mountain" to be sad considering again the context of why he wrote it.

And what about "Me and John and Paul"

And I find "The Day the Music Died" to be so sad in 1959 there was only Buddy for me (Elvis who?)-- that was one of the worst events of my highschool days.

I was a liberal back in the '60's and supported Bobby Kennedy's bid for the nomination(don't ask why)so:

"Abraham, Martin and John" always put a tear in my eye.

[AlanN]

'Lonesome Town', as sung by Spectrum.

Somebody mentioned 'Just Walk Away, Renee'. I heard a good slow version by 2 ladies recently, maybe Linda Rondstadt and somebody else, now that was sad

[Enigmatic Recluse]

"Racing in the Streets" by Bruce Springsteen

[LateBloomer]

"He Stopped Lovin' Her Today", by George Jones

"Echo Mountain" performed by Dry Branch Fire Squad - Ron Tomason can sure sing sad, lonely songs!!!!

[Deaf David]

"Dead Stray Dog" by Louisiana Red

or

"Dark Was the Night" by Blind Willie Johnson

[Lee Callicutt]

How about Townes Van Zandt's "Flyin' Shoes?" '

Or Springsteen's "Atlantic City" or "The River?"

Or "The Foggy Dew?"

Or "The Lily of the West?"

[JEStanek]

I like the Pogue's version of "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilida" it's raw and sad.

"Alabama" by Coltrane

Any bluegrass song by David Lee Roth makes me sad but I don't think that's what you were after...

Jamie

[Avi Ziv]

I like the Pogue's version of "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilida" it's raw and sad.

Jamie,

You beat me by minutes

Good call
Avi

[Avi Ziv]

Here are a couple:

Valentine's Day by Steve Earl

Anywhere I Lay My Head by Tom Waits

Avi

[Kero]

Ederlezi - Goran Bregovic (Time of Gypsies)

http://imdb.com/title/tt0097223/

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DwA_Zg_z-...elated&search=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qWr-mGWj0...elated&search=


goosebumps..

[ManjoMan]

What a topic. Apparently, all of you are suffering from MAS and just about any song will sound sad to you when you are going through this. I suggest going to the nearest music store (like Elderly's) and buying a new mandolin before your condition worsens.

As for me, "Carolina in My Mind" written by James Taylor and sung by Alison Krause is the saddest song I have ever heard.

[ab4usa]

How about Long Gone?

[mandopete]

The Ship's A Goin' Down by The Residents


The quick brain drained the main
And the ship's a goin' down me mate
The ship's a goin' down, the ship's a goin' down

[Keith Erickson]

"Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley and Allison Kraus definitely tugs at the heart strings every time I listen to that song

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot will always haunt me from now until eternity as another sad ballad.

"The church bell chimed till it rang 29 times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald"

[mandopete]

...oh yeah, for an instrumental it would have to Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.

[craichead]

"Godspeed" by Radney Foster

He wrote it for his 5 year old son who was being taken away to live in France with Radney's ex-wife.

"God hears amen wherever you are."

[C. Carr]

"And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" - The Chieftans. This version is really haunting. The first time I heard the song though was just the 'refrain' sung by Tom Waits -- can't remember where, might have been live in Philly.

Regards,

Charlie

[psann]

Old Shep

[Tim Conroy]

Another Waits nomination-

Georgia Lee

Nothing like a slow waltz to magnify that sad feeling.

[mikeomando]

How about "Happy Birthday" done real slow?
My brother suggested "Taps"
"Shebig and Shemore" (David Bromberg version)

[JEStanek]

MandoPete, I'm gonna keep an eye on you!

Tom Waits is good for a few sad songs on any album. #I also like Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber but I rank Vaughan Williams: Fantasia On a Theme of Thomas Tallis up there to for sad instrumentals.

A wierd one is They Might Be Giants. #So may songs with sad lyrics and happy music (e.g., Piece of Dirt, They'll Need a Crane, #Minimum Wage (never ceases to inspire melancholy).

Dang near any song by The Cowboy Junkies (esp. the Trinity Sessions or Whites Off Earth Now) will bring the mood down a notch or two, like I like it.

Many Bluegrass tunes don't make me feel sad but lots of Old Time instrumentals evoke that feeling.

Jamie

[slow_hand]

I don't know most of the songs listed but the saddest song for me is "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Hank Williams. In fact, I may learn to play it on my new mando - that can't be sad.

[tjg]

"Tears In Heaven" - Eric Clapton and Will Jennings

[Keith Owen]

There are some great ones on this thread.

"Tecumseh Valley" by Townes Van Zandt is very sad.

"Red Dirt Girl" by Emmylou Harris is a tearjerker.

Two that I have a real hard time listening to are "I'll Be True To You" by the Oak Ridge Boys and "That's My Job" by Conway Twitty.

A really, really sad one is by a Texas songwriter named Jay Sims. #The song is called "Huntsville."

However, I think my winner is "Lydia", written by Karen Poston, performed by Slaid Cleaves. #I tear up every time I hear it. #It is haunting.

[DryBones]

Bed by the Window or She took his Breath Away. James King definitely knows how to sing a sad song.