"Mad World" was written and originally performed by the popular 80's band Tears for Fears. A more mellow, piano-based cover of the song was featured in the cult movie "Donnie Darko" (Jake Gylenhaal, Patrick Swayze) as performed by folk artist Gary Jules. His version of "Mad World" reached the coveted Christmas #1 spot in the UK in 2003, despite that it was 3 years old and performed by an unknown artist.
This song is quite possibly my favorite song of all time, at least in my Top Ten, because I feel that it describes life very accurately. The chorus of the song is:
"I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had."
To me, this song is saying "Hang in there...I know life sucks on this earth, but you will go to a far better place after your death."
Depressing? No. This song helps me to carry on.

The song "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John is one of my favorite songs of all time. Even though I have never been to California, it reminds me of California. When I hear that song, I think of walking down Hollywood Boulevard and staring down at the stars studding the marble floor. I think of sitting in a movie theater with James Dean and Marilyn Monroe and laughing at Charlie Chaplin reels. Elton is an extraordianary pianist and a wonderful singer, and I think that "Tiny Dancer" does him more justice than any other song that he has ever performed. This song just moves me in a very special way, and it will always be close to me.

This song, as heard at the death scene of "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet", is a piece from Richard Wagner's famous "Tristan und Isolde."
I don't know exactly how to describe it, but I can tell you this:
A few years ago, after studying Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" and watching Baz Luhrmann's version of the film, young student Kip Kinkel became obsessed with what is often called "the greatest love story ever told." Kip believed that "Romeo and Juliet" was exceptionally relevant to his own life. He had recently been a victim of unrequieted love and he felt his parents' constnat pull over him. One day, Kip had a psychotic break. He carried a gun to school and shot several of his classmates, killing them or leaving them seriously injured. He ran. As his parents arrived back at home, Kip blasted "Liebestod" on his stereo, took up his gun, and shot and killed both of them. The music was still playing loud and clear when the police arrived at his home to arrest him.
Scarily enough, that is how moving this music really is.