Even though they make us cry, some of the best songs sing of heartbreak and betrayal. Here are three older tunes about being left by a love that still cut deep.
“He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones
“He Stopped Loving Her Today” tells the story of a man who is left by his partner, and eventually dies (of what the listener can assume is) a broken heart. George Jones actually thought this one was so sad that no one would listen to it, but it ended up totally reviving his career.
Videos by American Songwriter
Country singer Alan Jackson performed a version of this song at Jones’ funeral in 2013. This one definitely shows no mercy when it comes to emotions.
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
“Ain’t No Sunshine” is a beautiful song, but it’s also one of the saddest-sounding pieces of soul music out there. Bill Withers was inspired by the movie Days Of Wine And Roses when he wrote this song.
“I was watching a movie called Days Of Wine And Roses with Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon,” he explained to SongFacts. “They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It’s like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren’t particularly good for you. It’s just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I’m not aware of.”
“I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James
In “I’d Rather Go Blind”, Etta James sings about being betrayed, but also the feeling of wishing you never had to see your love do you wrong. It’s truly a song about love being blind. In the first verse, James sings:
Something told me it was over
When I saw you and her talking
Something deep down in my soul said, “Cry, girl”
When I saw you and that girl, walking around, ooh.
In Rage To Survive: The Etta James Story, James shares, “I was blind. I was blind in my love life, and I was blind in my personal ways. Like the song says, ‘I just don’t want to be free.’”
Photo by: Fin Costello/Redferns