Videos by American Songwriter
The following compendium of sad songs supplements the November 2017 column, which discusses sad songs in general and a method of songwriting called “fuzzy to focused.”
The first step in the fuzzy-to-focused method is to put aside the pressure to be creative and immerse yourself in research instead. Experience shows that creativity seems to take over all by itself once your intellectual muscles get tired. Really tired. Yes, a little blood, sweat, and tears are required, but the results are rewarding. The sad-song list provides plenty of material for your research.
Incidentally, the fuzzy-to-focused method works for writing essays, articles, blogs, fiction, or music columns (it has fueled over thirty columns for me). My first acquaintance with fuzzy-to-focused came in art school in conjunction with painting and drawing, and I have successfully adapted it to all kinds of creative projects, including music, in the years since. Try it and you just may outdo yourself.
Since intense immersion is the goal, no attempt has been made to limit the category of songs considered: Some are ancient, others are modern. Some are country classics, while others come from the Top-40 or rock charts. Folk songs appear. Jazz standards, too. Some songs are tragic, while others border on silly. A few cross the line into maudlin sentimentality — even obsession — while a small subset evoke an air of wistful melancholy. A rare song or two, such as “Strawberry Fields Forever,” qualify as works of genius. Others, such as “It’s My Party And I’ll Cry If I Want To” deftly summon up an atmosphere of teenage angst with a catchy hook, a dance beat, and a sincere delivery.
Listen to the songs multiple times, taking notes on one thing at a time, such as song form, phrase structure, melodic arcs, harmony, and imagery in the lyrics. Lose yourself in the task, and when you come up for air, you’ll probably have a song idea in hand. The rest is craftsmanship.
One other thing. To quote from the column:
“Get out your handkerchief and a notebook, and as you listen, ask yourself one question: ‘When have I felt like that?’ Answer in specifics: ‘Who, where, what, when, why.’ Bad answer: ‘When I was eighteen.’ Good answer: ‘Senior prom, when Zoey dumped me because…’ Be sure to write down your response, because this is where you’ll find your song ideas.
Let me add a word or two to the above: Obviously, there are songs where you will struggle to find a similarity with your own experience. Take “Waltzing Matilda,” for example. You may not have been to Australia, and you may have no idea what a “billabong” is. But if you quit now, you’ll miss the whole point of the exercise. “Research” means dig.
For the record, a billabong is a stagnant pool at the end of a dead-end channel that a river leaves behind after a flood. “Stagnant,” “dead-end,” “sweet smell of decay,” come to mind. Do these words have any associations for you? A fuzzy sketch is forming. Let’s keep going.
“Waltzing Matilda” is a song about a swagman, an itinerant laborer who walks from place to place, looking for work and carrying all his worldly belongings in a sack. Think Of Mice and Men. Have you ever been down and out, or close to it? Have you ever looked at someone who is homeless and thought, “That could be me”? Have you ever dug a ditch all day, or felt like you have? Have you ever been exploited, kicked around, fired from a job, treated like dirt? Powerful emotions lurk in the stagnant pools at the ends of these sad streams…
Apparently the swagman was hungry, because he grabbed jumbuck (a sheep) and stuffed it in his tucker bag (food bag closed with a drawstring). Unluckily for him, some troopers spotted him doing it and rode up on horseback (“thoroughbreds,” — a telling detail, just the kind you want to mine from your own experience). Poaching carried the death penalty in those days, and rather than face the noose, he jumps into the billabong — that stagnant, dead-end pool — and drowns. “Waltzing Matilda” refers to the death throes of someone being hanged. Grim stuff, but the song makes light of the whole thing. Still, the twists and turns of melody make you feel the underlying sorrow of it all. You might ask, “How does the song do that?”
This is where research can take you, if you allow it. Now you may never have come near a hangman’s noose, but don’t forget that “The Hanged Man” is also a Tarot card. Yes, he’s hanging upside down by one foot in the card, but the mere presence of a hanged man in the deck means that it’s a universal symbol.
So what is the undercurrent of “Waltzing Matilda”? Why has it touched a nerve for generations? Is it the dread that we’ll come a croppers with fate through some fairly innocent misdeed? Is it that we’re all like the swagman, in a sense, waiting for the troopers to come and end our short, desperate little run at freedom? Is this the kind of feeling you get when you’re pulled over by a traffic cop and you’ve had two beers? You know this feeling. Ask yourself how and why.
Meditating on what the song means to you is where you will find the wellsprings of your own feelings of hurt. That’s what makes this part of the immersion exercise so important. You will have to do some soul-searching to find your pain, because we all tend to bury it. And it may be buried deep. Very deep. Sad songs bring us close to it and relieve the pain by reliving it at a distance. By finding what is resonating within you, you will find something to write about. Something powerful and personal.
* * *
While writing the November column, I consulted with an old friend, Todd Walton. Todd is a multitalented artist who is best known for his highly readable, intriguing fiction. You may be familiar with a film based on one of his novels called Inside Moves, starring John Savage and David Morse, directed by Richard Donner. It just happens to be about depression, suicide, and redemption.
Todd is also a singer/songwriter and musician (piano, guitar). I was familiar with his jazz compositions, but unbeknownst to me, he used to have a regular gig at a Santa Cruz, California, nightspot called “Positively Front Street” back in the 1970s, where he covered country classics and sang his own originals. When I told him that I was writing about sad songs, he referred me to a blog post he had written concerning “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” It told a true tale about the relationships between a performer, his bandmates, a rowdy audience, and a difficult club owner.
Along the way, Todd made some cogent observations on Hank’s classic song, which I condensed down to a single sentence in the column, saying, “Even ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ is not about blame.” Todd’s original words are far better (quoted with permission):
“I think what makes these simple lyrics so meaningful to so many people is that Hank not only speaks of his ex-lover’s heart, but of his own. ‘You’ll walk the floor the way I do’ makes it clear that the craving and pining go both ways; the sorrow shared.”
You can see Todd’s full post at:
http://underthetablebooks.com/blog/archives/861
It is well worth reading, as his story perfectly illustrates the eternal, universal appeal of a sad song.
Here’s the list, categorized by type of sorrow, rather than genre. This seems to be a more useful way to pursue the immersion experience. The artists listed after the song title may or may not be the songwriter. Some effort was made to sort out the best version of the song, but as always, “best” is a matter of taste. The list is far from exhaustive, and you may want to add some titles of your own:
1) PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW
Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
Baby Don’t Go – Sonny and Cher
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do – Neil Sedaka
By The Time I Get To Phoenix – Glen Campbell
Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye) – Four Seasons
Don’t Say You Don’t Remember – Beverly Bremers
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police
Greensleeves – Traditional
Here, There, and Everywhere – The Beatles, by Paul McCartney. A love song, yes, but lines such as “Each one believing that love never dies, watching her eyes, and hoping I’m always there,” evoke a mood of wistful melancholy. We are all haunted by an awareness that every new love contains the seeds of its own demise within.
Hurt – Christina Aguilera
I’ll Walk Alone – Dinah Shore
It Might As Well Rain Until September – Carol Ivy
Just A Song Before I Go – Crosby, Stills & Nash
Leaving On A Jet Plane – Peter, Paul and Mary
The Long And Winding Road – Beatles
Lost Without Your Love – Bread
My World Is Empty Without You – Supremes
One Of Us – ABBA
The Shadow Of Your Smile – Astrud Gilberto
Talking To The Moon – Bruno Mars
Time To Say Goodbye – Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
Which Way You Goin’ Billy? – The Poppy Family
2) SHE (OR HE) DOESN’T KNOW I EXIST
All Her Favorite Fruit – Camper van Beethoven
Bobby’s Girl – Marcie Blane
Catch The Wind – Donovan
Cherish – The Association
Girl From Ipanema – Astrud Gilberto with Stan Getz
If – Janet Jackson
It Must Be Him – Vikki Carr
Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
Just My Imagination – The Temptations
My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder. An upbeat song, but a sad subject.
To Know Him Is To Love Him – Amy Winehouse (The Teddy Bears, Nancy Sinatra, Bobby Vinton, etc.)
Turn Around, Look At Me – The Vogues
What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) – Jr. Walker & The All–Stars
You Don’t Know Me – Ray Charles
3) IT’S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE (breaking up, sans hope)
Back To Black – Amy Winehouse
C’Etait Toi (You Were The One) – Billy Joel
Crying – Roy Orbison
Don’t Expect Me To Be Your Friend – Lobo
The End Of The World – Skeeter Davis
Heart – Bee Gees
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart – Bee Gees
Hurt So Bad – Little Anthony & The Imperials
I Go Crazy – Paul Davis
I Got The Feelin’ (Oh No No) – Neil Diamond
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – Bob Dylan. Rich in imagery, this song seems to be a looking glass in which everyone sees themselves. No-one does this as well as Dylan. But somewhere behind it was a core experience. Once you locate yours, you might try free-associating yourself into a world of dream images, too. And sometimes just one vivid image is enough.
It’s Over – Roy Orbison
It’s Too Late – Carole King
Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
One Less Bell To Answer – The 5th Dimension
Our Last Farewell – Dan Fogelberg
Promises – Eric Clapton
Rolling In The Deep – Adele
Sacrifice – Elton John
Scarborough Fair – Simon & Garfunkel
So Very Hard To Go – Tower of Power
Standing In The Shadows Of Love – The Four Tops
That’s All There Is To That – Nat King Cole
Think Of Me – Todd Rundgren
The Thrill Is Gone – B. B. King
The Way We Were – Barbara Streisand
The Winner Takes It All – ABBA
Without You – Nilsson
You Don’t Bring Me Flowers – Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ – The Righteous Brothers
4) SHE (OR HE) TREATS ME BADLY BUT I CAN’T END IT
Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus. Again, an upbeat song, but a sad subject.
Don’t You Care – Buckingham
Everything I Own – Bread, Ken Boothe
Find A Way To My Heart – Phil Collins
Give Me One Reason – Tracy Chapman
Grenade – Bruno Mars
How Can I Be Sure – The Young Rascals
Hurting Each Other – Carpenters
Hurtin’ (On The Bottle) – Margo Price
I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt
I Hate Myself For Loving You – Joan Jett
Knowing Me, Knowing You – ABBA
Layla – Eric Clapton
Long, Long Time – Linda Ronstadt
Never Can Say Goodbye – The Jackson 5, The Communards
Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town – Johnny Darrell
Spanish Guitar – Toni Braxton
Un–Break My Heart – Toni Braxton
Where Is The Love – Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
You Keep Me Hangin’ On – The Supremes
5) LOSS (poignant regrets, yearning, nostalgia, forlorn hope, grief, tearjerkers)
American Pie – Don McLean
Aubrey – Bread
The Ballad Of Sally Anne – John Cowan and Mark O’Connor
Blue Bayou – Roy Orbison
Blue Velvet – Bobby Vinton
Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell
A Candle In The Wind – Elton John
Early Morning Rain – Gordon Lightfoot
Eleanor Rigby – Paul McCartney & John Lennon
Fix You – Coldplay
Flow My Tears – Sting (aka “Lachrimae,” by John Dowland)
Hazy Shade Of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel
Holding Back The Years – Simply Red
Honey (I Miss You) – Bobby Goldsboro
The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert
In Dreams – Roy Orbison
In My Life – The Beatles
Jamaica Farewell – Carly Simon
Kingston Town – Ken Boothe
Leader Of The Band – Dan Fogelberg
Moody River – Chase Webster
Morningside – Neil Diamond
Old Shep – Elvis
Puff The Magic Dragon – Peter, Paul and Mary
Red Red Wine – Ken Boothe
Roses For Mama – C. W. McCall
Slipping Through My Fingers – ABBA
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – The Platters
Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton
Tell Laura I Love Her – Ray Peterson
The Water Lets You In – Book of Fears
When She Loved Me – Sarah McLachlan
Yesterday – Paul McCartney
6) LOSS OF FACE, SOCIAL WOES
At Seventeen – Janis Ian
Cathy’s Clown – The Everly Brothers
It’s My Party And I’ll Cry If I Want To – Lesley Gore
Norwegian Wood – The Beatles
Rag Doll – The Four Seasons
Since You Put Me Down – Margo Price
Society’s Child – Janis Ian
7) LOSS OF SELF (drugs, alcohol, ruination, despair)
Cocaine – Eric Clapton
House Of The Rising Sun – Animals
Hurt – Johnny Cash
It Never Rains In Southern California – Albert Hammond
Strawberry Fields Forever – John Lennon
Lodi – Creedence Clearwater
Loser – Beck
Losing My Religion – R.E.M.
Mad World – Gary Jules
Needle In The Hay – Elliott Smith
Nowhere Man – The Beatles
Young Girl Blues – Donovan
8) BEEN DOWN SO LONG, BOTTOM SEEMS LIKE UP (depression)
500 Miles – Peter, Paul and Mary
Another Day In Paradise – Phil Collins
Fire And Rain – James Taylor
Hands Of Time – Margo Price
Rainy Days And Mondays – The Carpenters
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted – Jimmy Ruffin
9) LONELY BEYOND WORDS
A World Without Love – Peter and Gordon (Paul McCartney)
Alone Again, Naturally – Gilbert O’Sullivan
Another Saturday Night – Rod Stewart
Bert’s Blues – Donovan
Blue Moon – Elvis Presley
Handle With Care – The Traveling Wilburys
Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
I’ve Been Lonely Too Long – The Rascals
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Hank Williams
Only The Lonely (Know How I Feel) – Roy Orbison
Somebody To Love – Queen
Tired Of Being Alone – Al Green
10) THE WAGES OF EMOTIONAL DISTANCE
The Ballad Of Geraldine – Donovan
Cats In The Cradle – Harry Chapin
Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley
Heart Hotels – Dan Fogelberg
I’ve Got To Get A Message To You – Bee Gees
Sad Dream – Sky Ferreira
She’s Leaving Home – The Beatles
So Far Away – Carole King
Someday Never Comes – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1,803 comments on YouTube)
Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be – Carly Simon
11) DESPAIR, DEATH, SUICIDE
5:15 AM – Mark Knopfler
A World Without Love – Paul McCartney
Barbara Allen – Joan Baez (Scottish ballad)
Heaven’s Only Days Down The Road – Shelby Lynne
Heroin – The Velvet Underground
Hurt – Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails song)
In Darkness Let Me Dwell – Sting (John Dowland)
Jumpers – Sleater-Kinney
The Little Tin Soldier – Donovan
Paint It Black – The Rolling Stones
Sweet Old World – Lucinda Williams
The Three Ravens – English folk ballad
Waltzing Matilda – Slim Dusty (jolly melody, sad song, a bit like “The Ballad Of Sally Anne”)
12) BLEAK VISIONS & PROPHECIES OF DOOM
A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
All Along The Watchtower – Bob Dylan
Desolation Row – Bob Dylan
Eve Of Destruction – Barry McGuire
In The Year 2525 – Zager and Evans
Sound Of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
Who’ll Stop The Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
