3 of the Most Comforting Country Music Classics To Seek Solace In

Whether it be the changing of the seasons or that you’re just having a bad day, there is no better genre to find comfort in sadness in than country music. If you’re one of those people who is prone to melancholy yet find a sort of relief in it, don’t fear, because you are far from alone. Finding solace in music is therapeutic, reaffirming, and in all, helps one reconnect to the greater human experience present in all of our lives.

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To feel down isn’t great, but to sit down alongside a friend, family member, or non-present musician makes it somewhat more enjoyable. Well, we aren’t Aristotle or Freud, so we can’t answer why that is. However, we can arm you with songs to help you extract some sort of comfort from your melancholy. So, here are three of the best country music songs to seek solace in.

Johnny Cash’s Cover of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”

Arguably one of the saddest albums of all time is Johnny Cash’s American IV: The Man Comes Around. With songs such as “Hurt” and “Danny Boy,” the album encompasses the voice and emotions of Cash’s demise. It’s harrowing and sorrowful and makes one contemplate their own mortality and suffering. That being so, Cash’s cover of Hank Williams’ country classic “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” just adds to the overall somber mystique.

We could bore you and try to sum up an explanation as to why this song makes one feel feelings of despair. However, those feelings are rarely translated well on paper. So, you just have to hear it for yourself. Between the context of the album and Cash’s withering voice, the song is bound to leave one in that warm sack of sadness.

Townes Van Zandt’s “Waitin’ Around To Die”

Never has Townes Van Zandt been coined the “Master of Melancholy,” but we’re going to be the first. Between his life and his music, it seems solace was Van Zandt’s most regularly visited location. A plethora of his songs seemingly prove this to be true, but “Waiting Around To Die” is arguably the most potently poignant not only in his catalog but in all of country music.

The premise of the song is simple yet somber, as the general meaning Van Zandt hopes to articulate is that a life filled with suffering is still better than just waitin’ around to die. It’s detailed stories and visceral imagery brings a sense of belonging to the universal sensation of suffering.

Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me”

Kris Kristofferson’s catalog of songs includes many upbeat tunes sung over subdued meanings. Though, that is not the case for “Why Me.” Both a call for God’s forgiveness and an acknowledgment of one’s ungratefulness, Kristofferson’s lyrics cut deeper than a 1000-degree knife. The epic subject matter paired with the chanting chorus makes the song tailored for greater introspection regarding the divine.

Holistically, Kristofferson’s tune may make one think about what they’ve taken for granted. How they’ve sabotaged their blessings and second chances, and how they have wasted the grace given to them by God and others. When listened to, the song will surely evoke of paralyzingly comfortable sense of self-pity. Though, maybe this country music classic will put a smile on your face in light of a bad day.

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