3 Songs From the 1970s That Are So Heartbreaking, You Can’t Revisit Them Often

These 1970s songs are so heartbreaking you can’t stand to revisit them too often. Every once in a while, they can provide a much-needed emotional release. Any more than that, and they are just too much of a downer for everyday life.

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“Sam Stone” — John Prine

“Sam Stone” is one of John Prine’s most poignant 1970s songs. He sings about a soldier whose life was upended by PTSD and drug addiction. “But the morphine eased the pain / And the grass grew round his brain / And gave him all the confidence he lacked / With a purple heart and a monkey on his back,” the lyrics read.

It’s a story with no happy ending. “There was nothing to be done / But trade his house that he bought on the GI bill / For a flag-draped casket on a local hero’s hill,” some of the final lines read. It’s not a comforting tale but a realistic one. Prine was never afraid to hold a mirror up to real life, sharp edges and all.

“Cat’s In The Cradle” — Harry Chapin

This classic 1970s song about regret resonates with so many of us. Even if we haven’t experienced the same situation Harry Chapin describes in the lyrics, the basic truth of it still hits hard. “’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 read, telling the story of a man too busy to spend time with his loved ones. Many of us have either been on the receiving end of an absent family or friend or been the one who couldn’t make time.

“My son turned ten just the other day / He said, thanks for the ball, dad, come on let’s play / Can you teach me to throw, I said-a, not today / I got a lot to do, he said, that’s okay,” the lyrics continue. The reality of this song is too heartbreaking to bear on a whim.

“Long Long Time” — Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt tells a painful story of unrequited love. “Love will abide / Take things in stride / Sounds like good advice / But there’s no one at my side / And time washes clean love’s wounds unseen,” the poetic lyrics read. This is a universal story that will make anyone tear up when thinking about their own unsuccessful brushes with love.

“’Cause I’ve done everything I know / To try and make you mine / And I think I’m gonna love you / For a long long time,” she continues. It’s a simple song, but powerfully emotive nonetheless.

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