3 Folk Songs That Still Make Tough Guys Cry

Folk songs often speak to the most intimate parts of our lives. Folk artists know how to pinpoint the human experience and distill it down to a few verses and lines. They can pack quite the emotional punch into a small package. The three folk songs below are like that. These tracks can send us into a spiral without ever raising their voices. Unlike their boisterous rock counterparts or in-your-face pop stars, these folk artists subtly break your heart.

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“Cats In The Cradle” — Harry Chapin

Regret is a powerful thing. We all experience it. Even the mere idea of it is a dreadful thing. Though not everyone has had the exact experience in Harry Chapin’s folk-rock song, “Cats In The Cradle,” the sentiment behind the story is relatable enough to give the listener a mild breakdown.

[RELATED: The Meaning Behind “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin]

“’When you coming home, dad?’ / ‘I don’t know when’ / But we’ll get together then / You know we’ll have a good time then,” the lyrics about an absentee father read. We might not all know this particular brand of loneliness and regret, but it’s still endlessly affecting.

“Hello In There” — John Prine

John Prine’s genre is hard to define at times, but what’s instantly apparent is how poignant his songs can be. “Hello In There” is one of his most tender tracks. Dictating the uniquely somber experience of growing old, Prine cuts right to the heart of what it means to be human.

“Old people just grow lonesome / Waiting for someone to say, ‘Hello in there, hello,’” the lyrics read. Whether this song makes you think of the elders in your life or a general sense of mortality, “Hello In There” is a real tearjerker, flexing Prine’s ability to write a universal folk song.

“Tecumseh Valley” — Townes Van Zandt

Folk artists don’t shy away from a devastating story. They aren’t usually fussed about happy endings and prefer to twist the knife a little. Take Townes Van Zandt’s “Tecumseh Valley” for example. This song about missed potential leaves no one unscathed.

The song begins with a young woman leaving home in search of a fresh start. What could’ve been a song about the big payoff of risk-taking is instead one of pure pain. They found her down beneath the stairs / That led to Gypsy Sally’s / In her hand when she died was a note that cried / Fare thee well, Tecumseh Valley,” the lyrics read. If you have any heart at all, this song will make you well up.

(Photo by Keith Bernstein/Redferns)