There may not be a more versatile writer than Diane Warren. For decades, Warren has been the name behind hit after hit, of all genres, penning most of her songs by herself. While Warren can write a wide variety of songs, these are four of her saddest songs, with lyrics that are absolutely devastating.
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“Til It Happens To You” by Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga released “‘Til It Happens To You” in 2015, also writing the song with Warren. “Til It Happens To You” is part of the documentary, The Hunting Ground, a film about sexual assault on college campuses.
“Til It Happens To You” says, “You tell me it gets better, it gets better in time / You say I’ll pull myself together, pull it together / You’ll be fine / Tell me what the hell do you know / What do you know / Tell me how the hell could you know / How could you know / ‘Til it happens to you, you don’t know.”
“It starts out vulnerable and then defiant, just like the girls in this movie,” Warren says (via Billboard). “I wanted to write a song about what these girls went through and I wanted it to be empowering, and then outside of the movie I wanted it to be whatever you wanted it to be about, like bullying or grief.”
“How Do I Live” by Trisha Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes
Both Trisha Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes recorded a version of “How Do I Live“. Written solely by Warren, Rimes first recorded the song for the 1997 film Con-Air. After Rimes recorded her version, producers decided they wanted a more mature-sounding voice, tapping Yearwood to record a version instead, which appears in the movie. Both Yearwood and Rimes released a version to radio.
“How Do I Live” says, “How do I live without you? / I want to know / How do I breathe without you? / If you ever go / How do I ever, ever survive? / How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?“
“Un-break My Heart” by Toni Braxton
In 1996, Toni Braxton released “Un-break My Heart” for her sophomore Secrets record. Written just by Warren, “Un-break My Heart” is about the heartwrenching pain after a break-up.
“Un-break My Heart” begins with, “Don’t leave me in all this pain / Don’t leave me out in the rain / Come back and bring back my smile / Come and take these tears away / I need your arms to hold me now / The nights are so unkind / Bring back those nights when I held you beside me / Un-break my heart / Say you’ll love me again / Undo this hurt you caused / When you walked out the door / And walked out of my life / Un-cry these tears / I cried so many nights / Un-break my heart / My heart.”
“Look Away” by Chicago
On Chicago 19, Chicago’s “Look Away” came out as a single in 1988. Solely written by Warren, “Look Away” is about not wanting to acknowledge how much pain someone is in after the end of a relationship.
“Look Away” says, “But if you see me walking by / And the tears are in my eyes / Look away, baby, look away / If we meet on the streets someday / And I don’t know what to say / Look away, baby, look away / Don’t look at me / I don’t want you to see me this way.”
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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