3 Country Songs That Still Make Tough Guys Cry

The three country songs below will make you cry, no matter who you are. The toughest of the tough will find it hard not to break down when they are brought up. You might be a strong guy, but all that goes away when these somber songs play.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: 3 Wise Country Albums From the 1980s I Want To Show My Kid]

“Sam Stone” — John Prine

John Prine’s “Sam Stone is one of the most heartwrenching looks at what war does to the soul in country music. There are plenty of country songs about veterans, but few feel as lived-in and earnest as this Prine classic.

A veteran himself, Prine gives the listener the sense that he has seen many similar stories to the one told in this heartbreaking track. “Sam Stone’s welcome home / Didn’t last too long / He went to work when he’d spent his last dime / And Sammy took to stealing / When he got that empty feeling,” the lyrics read. No matter how hard you claim to be, you can’t help but feel a little sympathetic after listening to “Sam Stone.”

“The Little Girl” — John Michael Montgomery

If there’s anything that’s universally heartbreaking, it’s a child in need. John Michael Montgomery released one of the most heartbreaking songs in this vein with “The Little Girl.” Telling the story of a child whose parents struggled with addiction, this track will tug on the heartstrings of every listener.

“Her daddy drank all day and mommy did drugs / Never wanted to play or give kisses and hugs / She’d watch the TV and sit there on the couch / While her mom fell asleep and her daddy went out,” the lyrics read. Even if you don’t cry often, this song has the power to break that streak. It’s like a knife to the gut every time it plays.

“Tough Little Boys” — Gary Allen

Gary Allen’s “Tough Little Boys” is about the transition from devil-may-care adolescence and the sobering reality that adulthood brings. “Well I didn’t cry, when Old Yeller died / At least not in front of my friends / But when tough little boys grow up to be dads / They turn into big babies again,” he sings.

This is a reality that many male country fans experience as they age. This song will remind you just how far you’ve come, instantly bringing on the waterworks.

(Photo by Dave Peabody/Redferns/Getty Images)