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List songs by Song title | Performer | Year

You searched for ‘sad’, which matched 182 songs.
click - person recommending, year, performer, songtitle - to see more recommendations.
"estoril à noite"  performed by the durutti column
Recommended by kohl [profile]

this is excellent. i've never been a fan of purely instrumental tracks, but this is just too perfect. sets a great mood. almost makes you feel as if you were alone on the beach at night. melancholic, sad, almost cold. the music has a brittle, yet lingering quality which is hard to achieve and yet it is here. so, so good.




"flowers"  performed by rozz williams & gitane demone  1995
Recommended by kohl [profile]

excellent mood. simple music that slowly builds up as the lyrics become more intense.
"this is my favorite sad story,
forget me not or i'll forget myself
i've got quite a few things that i'm afraid of
sometimes i just won't face myself"


available on CD - dream home heartache



  lauramun: I have just registered and only to say that Flowers is an amazing song.Rozz was amazing...I had forgotten...
(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria  performed by Townes Van Zandt  1970
Recommended by andrew76 [profile]

This is (for me) one of the greatest songs of love ever written. The song describes the appearance of a goddess among women and is pure (if at times naive) poetry. The arrangement is simple lead and rhythm guitars and bass with an organ giving a more filled out feeling from the second verse and violin in the fourth. The tone is melancholy but happy, as if the singer is basking in the light of this most beautiful woman. It must have been written for someone, someone lucky to be thought so beautiful. But there is sadness in that the singer may be singing of his unrequited love. Some of the alliteration is fantastic too.

from Townes Van Zandt, available on CD (Pppy Records)



  booblikon: there is a great story in the documentary film "Be Here To Love Me", as told by Guy Clark: this song apparently came to Van Zandt in a particularly peak morning of inspiration, when Clark describes finding Townes uncharacteristically fit and alert. after making his bed to military specification, he played Clark a new song (this one), which he intended to perform at an appearance that same evening. i may have rendered parts of this story incorrectly, so i definitely recommend the movie if you are a fan; even if not, as it is sad but quite revelatory.
37 Hours (In The U.S.A.)  performed by Raw Stylus  1995
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Raw Stylus effortlessly combined british acid jazz elements with sophisticated, elegant Steely Dan-esque american jazz/soul/funk. In fact, like on this track, the music sounds very much like a Steely Dan backing track with warm Fender Rhodes keyboards, precise horn section, funky rhythm section and jazzy guitars. Which really isn't much of a wonder when looking at the credits of the album. Let's see: The album is impeccably produced by the Dan's producer Gary Katz, features an incredible amount of fine session musicians including Steely Dan regulars (like Bernard Purdie, Randy Brecker or Hugh McCracken), has even Donald Fagen providing synths on "37 Hours (In The U.S.A.) and they even embedded some chords of "Josie" in the song. Unfortunately, despite the talent, Raw Stylus remained a one album band to this very day, kinda sad actually...

from Pushing Against The Flow, available on CD



A Means To An End  performed by Joy Division  1980
Recommended by Durruti [profile]

It's from their last studio album. It's a stand-out.

from Closer, available on CD



  kohl: indeed. a great track it is.
Agenda Suicide  performed by The Faint  2001
Recommended by titus [profile]

from Danse Macabre, available on CD


Ain’t No Mountain High Enough  performed by Diana Ross  1970
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Proving once and for all that she could carry herself as a solo artist and sing a dramatic love song, Ms. Ross slowed down the tempo and sank her emotions into this wonderful tale of unending love and devotion. The original full-length version clocks in at 6:16 but was brutally chopped down to around 3:30 for radio airplay and some of the song's most intimate words are removed. Sadly, the shorter version was featured on her box set a few years back. (what were they thinking???!!!) Get your hands on the 6 minute version and enjoy a true classic american song by a great american artist!

from Diana Ross, available on CD



  Mister C: I agree with you, the full length version of this is wonderful, as is her full length version of Reach Out I'll Be There recorded in 1971.
Alone again or  performed by Love & Arthur Lee  196?
Recommended by AndreasNystrom [profile]

Very different sounding song for me. It sounds like a mix of late 60ies pop with arabic/turkish influences. A bit sad sounding, but still there is hope :)
I love it cause its got great harmonies, and a mix of guitars, violins, and spanish guitars.





  callgirlscene: Most of Loves material for me is not that great. I don't choose to listen to it - except for this song. It has this 'Summer of Love' dreamy hippie wistful feel. And, yes, wonderful harmonies. In it's way, it captures the mood of that time.
  john_l: Great song from a great LP, which naturally I hated when I first bought it and didn't re-discover until 1980, after hearing the (very good) UFO cover of "Alone Again Or" from their "Lights Out" LP!
  leonthedog: My first experience with this song was a cover version by The Damned ... it's actually very true to the original in my opinion - bold acoustic guitars, trumpets and all. Give it a listen!
American Jesus  performed by Bad Religion  1993
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

The lyrics to this song, even though they were written years ago still hold up today. Nothing has changed, which is kind of sad. This song hits you hard with it's political message with very little subtlety, but it doesn't need it because the message is so strong and so frustrated. Bad Religion's best work.

from Recipe For Hate (Epitaph)



angels of ashes  performed by Scott Walker
Recommended by tommy [profile]

lamenting passionate and heartwrenching. a ballad of love lost and found. big production , much depth and emotion. Scott lends a special something to this and most every song he sings. I never want to leave.




Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song  performed by Jadon Faith  2010
Recommended by aricross [profile]

Acoustic cover of the hit song in the 1970's by original artist, B.J. Thomas.

from Faithful Intentions (Minurve Records)


Any Girl Can Make Me Smile  performed by ANT  2002
Recommended by kkkerplunkkk [profile]

A beautiful, soft, sad, fragile piece about a couple breaking up and bursting into tears as they do. Incredible for its intimate feel and sparse instrumentation (voice, organ, harmonica, egg shaker) chilling lyrics 'you close your eyes but there's no paradise, you count the cost of all we've lost and all we've wasted'. It hits the nail bang on the head! Love it to bits.

from A Long Way To Blow A Kiss, available on CD


Appels + Oranjes  performed by Smashing Pumpkins  1998
Recommended by Groucho_75 [profile]

Apart from their hit songs, I have only recently got into The Smashing Pumpkins and this track stands out for me as brilliant. Great lyrics and a steady pumping beat make this difficult to not listen to over and over again. I think you need to invest time in their songs before you start to like them. That was definately the case with this song, on first listening it didn't really stand out, but now I would put it alongside 'Ava Adore' as one of the best tracks on the album 'Adore'. Also listening to 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' at the moment, another album that grows on you once you put the time in.

from Adore, available on CD




  yesihk: Agreed. This is my favorite track off of Adore. I'm normally not one for the pulsing techno-esque sound, but this is just so different from anything like that that I've ever heard. It has a certain understated ambience that I think makes this song so listenable. Really evokes a specific mood. Like most of the tracks on this cd, it takes a few listens to really appreciate it to its full extent. Some advice: don't dismiss Adore as "bland" or "folky" after your first listen as I did. Don't have any previous expectations, either, (i.e. it's not going to be another Mellon Collie, okay?) or disappointment is inevitable. You just need to hear it for what it is, and not just as another Smashing Pumpkins album. Give it a few thorough listens, and I promise it will grow on you. Or else you can go running back to Zero. :)
As We Fall  performed by Groundbreaking  2016
Recommended by TheLoganJackson [profile]

The beginning of "As We Fall" starts with piano and later some synths and drums. I love the lyrics and how well Groundbreaking creates the atmosphere for the song.

from Anarchy


Bare Bones and Branches  performed by Lewis and Clarke  2005
Recommended by theratking [profile]

Beautiful acoustic instrumentation
Two part vocals are well done
very moving
great composition, emotive climax

from Bare Bones and Branches


Before We Begin  performed by Broadcast  2003
Recommended by tempted [profile]

Peers and close friends of Stereolab, Birmingham's Broadcast are one of the most interesting alternative pop acts in the world. This song is an example of their extraordinary skills in crafting a haunting, beautiful melody to go with a sound that's like a son of the band The United States Of America and Ennio Morricone. These folks took four years building their own studio. Can't blame them a bit as the results are simply stunning.

from Ha Ha Sound, available on CD



  eftimihn: Oh yes, this track is gem, no doubt about that. To me the melody and harmonies incorporated are quite reminiscent of late 60s sunshine pop/soft rock stuff of that era.
  tempted: You're correct there. They must be fans of people like Curt Boettcher and Margo Guryan, too!
  tinks: i love this band. they are so very excellent to see live, as well. and they'll be here in about a month! woohoo!
Being Boring  performed by Pet Shop Boys  1990
Recommended by Genza [profile]

Surprised to see nothing by the Pet Shop Boys on Musical Taste. Now the only remaining intelligent British pop act, the Pet Shop Boys have consistently mixed dramtic chord changes with pathos-loaded lyrics. Being Boring is possibly their finest moment - reflective, sad and beautiful.

from Behaviour



  Mike: Totally agree re the worth of the PSBs output and the dramatic and very distinctive use of harmony therein. Several of their songs would be in my all-time favourites list if I ever made one.
Bessa  performed by Tilly and the Wall
Recommended by DearPrudence [profile]

First of all, the tap dancing? genius. Tilly and the Wall are a great band and this song even though it's supposed to be sad, it sounds so lighthearted at the same time. Simple and clean: a great tune.




Bon-Jour  performed by Ed Lincoln  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

When I heard this album by the Brazilian organist Ed Lincoln, I really wasn't expecting a tune like this. It's a beautiful, tender vocal, sounding like something from a Francis Lai soundtrack, with lovely male-female alternating vocals and an exquisite Morricone style trumpet blending well with the guitar/organ/percussion instrumentation. An absolutely stunning track - playful but slightly sad at the same time, with some spooky laughter/sighing from the female singer towards the end.

from Ed Lincoln, available on CD




  n-jeff: Thats the thing with Lincoln, its not just the cheese, he played alongside the best Jazz musicians in Brazil. He could cut a pretty funk when the occasion demanded, and his "Seu piano eletrico" album ranges from african tinged stompers to mid sixties style vocal cuts. IMHO opinion underrated as a producer as well, he seems to have been active on the cutting edge of Brazilain music from the late fifties right through to the late seventies. I intended to use this track as the payoff for a compilation I did for a cd trading ring, but I don't think I had the space. He was in hospital just before Christmas (2003), not sure how he's doing now.
  delicado: I have to say, I'm pretty blown away by his work. I know you've been harping on about him for years, so I wish I had listened earlier!
  sodapop650: Ed Lincolns best work is the recordings he did with Orlann Divo becasue he is a little more low-key and the arrangements are just plain better. I love O Ganso cause its so damn crazy and his recordings under the name Claudio Marcelo are pretty good too. A rcord seller in Brazil actually got me his autograph as a present because I bought so many of Ed Lincolns LPs. But I gotta tell you, someone like Sergio Carvalho or Eumir Deodato are much more powerful on the Hammond and Ely Arcoverde, Juarez Sant'ana Ze Maria I think are all more mature organists. I put Ed Lincoln with Walter Wanderley a little heavy on the cheese.
Bulletproof Soul  performed by Sade  1992
Recommended by MoeShinola [profile]

Hey - don't knock Sade. This is from the Love Deluxe album, which is a great record by any measure. All the songs are original and heartfelt, not formulaic, and with an awareness of third-world misery that's striking coming from a pop princess like her. But she is from Nigeria and knows what she's singing about. Bulletproof Soul is my favorite on the album, a song very dry and quiet and sparse. The backing vocal works in a very sad, soulful harmony line in the chorus that really makes the song.

from Love Deluxe (Sony)


Burden  performed by Opeth
Recommended by Darke Soul [profile]

This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Opeth's music is powerfully passionate and it shows strongly in this song. Sounds like the kind of song that would be at the ending credits of a sad movie.

from Watershed, available on CD


By Your Side  performed by Sade
Recommended by cleanfun [profile]




Campground Daughter  performed by School for the Dead  2004
Recommended by catmarigold [profile]

Melancholy but hopeful. This is a gentle song, with acoustic and electric guitars, electric piano, bass, drums, and voice. Excellent lyrics, terrific mood.

There's a little story here, punctuated by flashes of images and moments.

The song is written by Henning Ohlenbusch who has worked with Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Mark Mulcahy, and Lloyd Cole. If those names mean anything to you, then chances are you will enjoy this warm track.

from The New You, available on CD


Captain Jack  performed by Ken & Beverly  1968
Recommended by konsu [profile]

One of the far too few originals on this great underrated LP.The duo has a familiar west coast pop-jazz sound,much like their labelmates Bud Shank & Joe Pass.Except where as those two have way too much generally lackluster output,this duo has tons of talent packed into one exciting session! Ken plays an icy alto & soprano not unlike Paul Desmond and Beverly sings with all the grace and soul of ladies like Lena Horne and Dinah Shore. In this track, one of the most energetic on the LP,the group swings in a brisk 5/4,with Ken blowing a soulful line and alternating into creshendos with Beverly paralelling in a sassy vocalese. Wonderfully breezy,and just the kind of peppy bossa-like lounge tune you'll listen to over & over & over...They also do great versions of"A Man & A Woman"(with Ken adding some tasteful vocals himself)and "Eleanor Rigby"! A tough record to find, and no compiled tracks are anywhere to be found.... sad.

from Watch What Happens (World Pacific WP-1862)



CLOWN  performed by THE HOLLIES  1966
Recommended by norfy [profile]

FROM THE 1966 'LP-FOR CERTAIN BECAUSE'-A HYBRID OF RUBBER SOUL AND THE BYRDS-COMPLETE BLURRED POP PERFECTION IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO MAKE A CUP OF TEA-SAD AND BEAUTIFUL AND A MILLION MILES AWAY FROM THE USUAL BEAT OF THE HOLLIES,IT SHIMMERS IN A SLOW MOTION 12 STRING DAYDREAM AND MAKES ME REALISE WHY I LOVE MUSIC AND WHY I AM STILL AWAKE WHEN I AM AT WORK IN 4 HOURS TIME-SEARCH FOR THIS AND WALLOW IN IT'S SPLENDOUR...........

from FOR CERTAIN BECAUSE, available on CD


Comes And Goes (In Waves)  performed by Greg Laswell  2008
Recommended by ProfoundManifesto [profile]

This is a really catchy and kind of sad song.


available on CD - Three Flights From Alto Nido (Vanguard)


Complex  performed by Gary Numan  1979
Recommended by geezer [profile]

At the time a unique fusion of cold synthetic and a warmer organic fragility,following two consecitive number ones "Are Friends Electric"and "Cars" this track revealed the enormous potential of Numan,s futuristic vision.A slow piano led "ballad" with aching cello and violin parts ,sad and beautiful and if i must say utterly pleasant.

from The Pleasure Principle
available on CD - Pleasure Principle


Corner soul  performed by The clash
Recommended by inbloom44 [profile]

Sadly, this song is always over looked.It's one of those heart breakingly simple songs only the clash could do.




Desire Lines  performed by Lush  1994
Recommended by parlop [profile]

So beautiful and quietly emotional as a lot of shoegazing is. One of their longest songs... it starts out with the wailing guitar melody that's repeated throughout and accented by Miki Berenyi's calm and melancholy vocals, but the instrumental parts are really the most prominent parts of the song. The best part is at around 3:53 when the guitars go crazy. the whole thing seems very representative of sadness and getting to that point where you just can't hold it in anymore and you start weeping hardcore. it's a good song... the only one that can make me cry over and over again.

from Split (4AD)


Desiree  performed by The Left Banke  1968
Recommended by tempted [profile]

If romantic, dramatic, emotionally fragile and beautifully orchestrated baroque pop with woodwinds moves you then you're blessed... by me.


available on CD - Complete Recordings (Mercury)




  gaymod: is this a cover of the old doo wop standard ? which Zappa was involved in
  tempted: No, it's a Left Banke original.
  Swinging London: Haven't heard that for years! Nice to be reminded of it. My fave by them is 'Pretty Ballerina'. As far as I know, they never had a hit here in England.
Dive  performed by HEAVEN 17  1996
Recommended by beautifulmutant [profile]

Not since the mid-eighties have Heaven 17 nailed a song so beautifully. "Let Me Go" eschews icy synthetic, new wave romance gone wrong. "Dive" updates it for a newer generation. Beautiful music and a sound which makes you wonder where the hell they've been hiding for umpteen years. Sadly, heaven 17 disappeared again after 1996 and have yet to resurface... The album "Bigger Than America" I consider to be their best.

from Bigger Than America


Don’t Talk to Me About Love  performed by Altered Images  1983
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

By late 1983, when Altered Images' third and final album, Bite, was released, Altered Images were already dead in the water. The group had never made any particular headway in the US, where their blend of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Monkees (not to mention Claire Grogan's bizarre, baby-talk hiccup of a singing voice) was just a little too weird for mainstream tastes, and in their native UK, their colorful look and bubblegummy 1982 singles "I Could Be Happy" and "See Those Eyes" had forever typecast them as a kiddie-pop band. Grogan was already branching off in her second career as an actress (she played the title role in Bill Forsyth's 1982 cult classic Gregory's Girl), and Bite seemed like a mere contractual obligation. For the most part, it sounds like it, too, but the brilliant single "Don't Talk To Me About Love," which led off side two, was a welcome surprise, and possibly the best song they ever did. Mike Chapman's production recalls his work with Blondie, while the disco-tinged electronic beat, chicken-scratch electric guitar part and rubbery, melodic bass part all sound closer to New Order's "Blue Monday" than Bananarama's "Cruel Summer." Grogan herself is in an entirely different mood than usual, with her newly-lowered singing voice (and slightly improved enunciation) displaying a rueful, almost petulant edge that suits the cranky lyrics. Only at the very end does she shoot into her usual helium-pitched unintelligibility, with an air of "See, I can still do this, I just choose not to anymore." Coupled with the most indelible chorus of the band's entire career, it all adds up to a minor masterpiece. Sadly, however, nobody wanted to know.
(AMG)

from Bite (Portrait 25413)
available on CD - Bite...Plus (Edsel)


Dressed In Black  performed by The Shangri-Las  1966
Recommended by m.ace [profile]

"Dressed in black, he walks alone, a shadow in the night." The Shangri-Las death trip reached a powerful climax in this eerie song of loss and lingering. Funereal piano chords balanced by surging choruses and a closing spoken section that leaves you as weak as the sadly wounded narrator. If this one doesn't get to you, you ain't got a heart.

from the single Dressed In Black (Red Bird)
available on CD - The Best Of The Shangri-Las (Mercury)



Each and everyone  performed by Everything but the girl  1984
Recommended by whoops [profile]

Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn in the early eighties were recording the same Bossa oriented songs that made "Sade" famous, but with more talent. Eden was their first album, both had recorded songs before for Cherry Red (a UK label) but to be on a major label Gave them the opportunity to really arranged their songs. Each and everyone opens the album with magnificence.
As soon as the second album the magic was lost, EBTG was just another name on the Warner catalogue.

from Eden, available on CD



Elephants  performed by Rachael Yamagata
Recommended by redhatbird [profile]

The lyrics and the instrumental composition truly envelop the listener immediately. It's a soft song, so it can be easily tuned out, but really pay attention to the lyrics and the background music and the story truly enfolds before your eyes.


available on CD - Elephant... Teeth Sinking Into Heart


Ely Arcoverde Quarteto  performed by Ely Arcoverde  1965
Recommended by sodapop650 [profile]

Ely Arcoverde is a Brazilian organist. His sound is similar to Ze Maria but not as chime-like and almost even a church-organ sound at times. I love this LP because it has a real low meditative sound. It is a quality I find in much of the music from Bahia as opposed to that from the south. The quarteto inludes organ, drums, bass and - a quality that I love alongside the organ - an accoustic guitar. It is mostly instrumental with some vocals similar to the way Jorge Ben would just make repetetive humming and moaning noises in his early LPs. The whole record has a very dark and mysterious feel - sad and lonely the perfect LP for the dark just the light from the stereo tubes flickering. It is available on ebay a lot, it is Ely's most popular LP and it should run you about $50 - 75.

from Ely Arcoverde Quarteto (RGE RXLP-5.279)


England 2 Columbia 0  performed by Kirsty MacColl  2000
Recommended by komodo [profile]

A superb tale of wronged love and wounded pride performed with a mighty swagger, drenched in latin rhythms and horns, but with that bittersweet humour and English setting that have been hallmark's of Kirsty's whole career.

There are so many songs from Kirsty that I love in so many musical styles, but the "Tropical Brainstorm" album is really the best thing she ever did. She has absorbed the influences from her travels in Latin America, but the album is no pastiche, it is pure MacColl. Whilst occasionally missing its mark, it has so many fine, joyful and wryly funny moments, and, to me, all the signs of an artist entering a new, fiercely creative and joyful stage of her career.

Sadly we will never know where Kirsty's musical journey would have taken her.

from Tropical Brainstorm, available on CD


Everyday Is Like Sunday  performed by Pretenders  1988
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

While I am quite fond of the original version written and recorded by Morrissey, I have to admit that I prefer the cover version that the Pretenders recorded. Chrissie Hynde's voice and style are perfectly suited to the task of singing this movingly sad song about life "in a seaside town that they forgot to close down" and the use of slide-guitar is absolutely perfect on this track.

from Boys On The Side - Soundtrack, available on CD



  mattypenny: I'll have to try to find this. The Pretenders also did a cover of Radiohead's Creep - I think its a B-side (can CD singles have B-sides?) which is cracking - I much prefer it to Radiohead's versh.
  FlyingDutchman1971: The Pretenders cover of 'Creep' is included on the 4-CD/1-DVD box set "Pirate Radio". I couldn't agree more, mattypenny, it is better than the original...
Exaltacao e Lamento do ultimo rei  performed by José Mauro  1970
Recommended by moondog [profile]

The soundtrack to november. This or any other year. Brazilian Jose Mauro only made one album before the brazilian military or drugs (info anyone ?)pulled him in but me oh my how beautful that record is.
If there could be such a thing as bossanova-blues than Jose Mauros "obnoxius" is the blueprint. Joses songs which comes along like a blend of early milton nascimento with doses of Marcos Valle and Edu Lobo. The album was arranged by gaya and is filled with wonderful string arrangements. One modern reference would be another Jose,namely,the swedish indietroubadour Jose Gonzales. The highlight of the album comes at the end, Excaltacao e lamento..,which sends shivers down my spine everytime i hear it.

from Obnoxius, available on CD


Extraordinary Machine  performed by Fiona Apple  2003
Recommended by Don_Los [profile]

This is the title track from Fiona Apple's unreleased album, "Extraordinary Machine." This song does not sound like anything I have heard from her before. To best describe the music, I would say that it sounds like a soundtrack to a children's bed time story. The lyrics are creative and the melody is very catchy. Sadly, since Sony won't release this album, pick up this track (and the rest of the album) from the net. Sorry that I could not describe this song better (I don't know the names of the exact instruments used in the song), but trust me, this is a very interesting listen and a really good song.

from Extraordinary Machine
available on CD - No.... (Sony)



  anakinskywalker: i like how you described it as soundin like a "soundtrack to a children's bed time story"..... when my brotherwas trying to desribe this song, he said that it sounds like a five year old girl should be singing it.
Face Of Yesterday  performed by Illusion  1977
Recommended by john_l [profile]

This is a slow, sultry, intimate piano-led song that makes a remarkable contrast to the frosty "Isadora" (q.v.) off the same LP, despite both songs having basically the same acoustic guitar / bass / drums / piano / vocals lineup. The difference between this kind of soft-rock and, say, the Carpenters, is that the latter were schmaltzy beyond endurance while Illusion provided the genuine article ...

"Face Of Yesterday" was recorded earlier by Renaissance on their "Illusion" LP, which gave its name to this group, which was actually mostly the same Renaissance lineup (with Jane Relf and Jim McCarty) before the Camp / Dunford / Thatcher group took over Renaissance. I know, I know, you can't follow the players without a scorecard in this case ...

from Out Of The Mist, available on CD


Female of the Species  performed by Meg Myles  1961
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

I can just imagine people sitting in a seedy New York movie theatre on 42nd Street back in 1961 watching a b-movie called "Satan in High Heels". The film is in its last reel and suddenly the main female character comes out on the nightclub stage wearing a leather outfit complete with 6-inch dominitrix boots and a riding crop! The music swells and she starts to sing:
---
i'm the kind of woman, not hard to understand,
i'm the one who cracks the whip and holds the upper hand
I'll beat you, mistreat you, til you quiver and quail,
the female of the species is more deadly than the male.
---
This little film isn't likely to have ever had a soundtrack album which in a way is sad because in addition to this camply little gem there are a couple of other cute vocals by Meg Myles and the other actresses in the film and some great jazz instrumentals sprinkled throughout as well. The fine folks at Something Weird Video have kindly put this little film out on DVD. You can also catch the scene containing this song on their compilation of movie trailers (where I first discovered this film) released to inform people of their DVD catalog.

from from the film "Satan in High Heels" (Something Weird Video www.somethingweird.com)


Fidelity  performed by Regina Spektor  2007
Recommended by bikinisunday346 [profile]

The song has a soft piano/banjo/orchestra backround. The music flows through the heart with a soft melancholic note. Her voice reminds me of a sad cashier and a movie star combined. She isn't like any other singer i've ever heard. The lyrics related to me extremely well and made me truly smile. It truly is a beautiful song

from Begin to Hope



  mattishere: wonderful song. thank you
Foolin' Around  performed by Chris Montez  1967
Recommended by Swinging London [profile]

'We won't do anything that shouldn't be done, only the groovy things like having fun'...& there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, in my book.

This is the title track to Chris Montez's third album with A&M, produced by Herb Alpert & it's very, very sweet, but, for some reason not sickly so. That's the magic of mid-'sixties Chris Montez.

This song was almost a hit in Britain. It was released just as the pirate radio stations were about to be banned. It was 'Record Of The Week' on Radio London the week it was shut down and sadly never grabbed it's deserved foothold after that.

A lot of people are taken aback by how high Chris's voice was when he sang, but once you get over that, his music from the A&M era (1966-8) is strangely addictive. Very warm and melodic.

He did mostly cover songs, mostly 'hits of the day', but also generous helpings of classics from the 1940's & '50's. Always giving them a brand new very mid-'sixties treatment.

from Foolin' Around (A & M)



From a Balance Beam  performed by Bright Eyes  2002
Recommended by spaceysunday [profile]

A brutally honest portrait of the artist Conor Oberst as a young man

from Stories From the Soil (Saddle Creek)


Frozen Orange Juice  performed by Peter Sarstedt  1969
Recommended by john_l [profile]

Best known for "Where Do You Go To My Lovely", which is a sad French or Italian-sounding song, the followup "Frozen Orange Juice" is a delightfully happy Spanish-sounding song, i.e. the exact opposite (lyrics of both songs reference the European nations listed above). It lopes along in 6/8 time with orchestral flourishes galore, particularly on strings, although horns, woodwinds and harp are also evident. Brilliant!


available on CD - Update


Girl on the moon  performed by John Southworth
Recommended by moondog [profile]

If Burt Bacharach would produce a hawain cabaret/ukulele band under the supervision of David Lynch with songs written by aliens and Paul Mcartney they could come close to the music of John Southworth. Confused ? well, but canadian popster Southworth defies description. And it´s not just orginality for orginalitys sake. Southworth is just as interested in crafting a fine melody. Maybe his whiny voice is offputting for some but i find it all the more charming. Girl on the moon is taken from his marvelous debut album (which he sadly hasn´t topped yet although the new Yosemite comes close) Mars, pennsylvania and i believe you can find it for just 1 dollar on amazon. So, what are you waiting for ?


available on CD - Mars, Pennsylvania (Bar/none)


Hackensack  performed by Fountains of Wayne  2003
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

This song is lonely. It reminds me of an ex-boyfriend that I had. It makes me so sad.

from Welcome Interstate Managers



Hannah  performed by Ray Lamontagne
Recommended by Sixxish [profile]

Even if it's the happiest song in the world, Ray Lamontagne's voice can make any song sad.

Definitely not a bad thing. His raspy, mournful voice is always one I can listen to, no matter the mood I'm in.

from Trouble


Hard Time Killing Floor Blues  performed by Skip James
Recommended by dwmjuk [profile]

Despite the vocal style of James (not appreciated by myself) this track is a true masterpiece - listful, solemn and mysterious. Numerous good covers inc. Kelly Joe Phelps, & Chris Thomas King (O Brother Where art thou). The original's guitarwork is superior to other versions - sparse and perfectly timed. However Phelps has, in my oppinion, a more appripraite voice for the track.






  dyfl: The Twilight Singers (actually just Greg Dulli, from the Afghan Whigs, and Mark Lanegan from The Screaming Trees) just released a very good cover of this on their album SHE LOVES YOU, which I highly recommend...
Hate Me  performed by Blue October  2006
Recommended by OliviaOctober [profile]

Just compleatly filled with strong emotion and absolute dominating power...

from Foiled


He was here but not for long  performed by Sally Dastey  1998
Recommended by phil [profile]

Ridiculously sentimental and melodramatic like a number of songs on this album, but as often rescued by the singing and in particular by Sally Dastey's voice - really, this woman is genuinely the best singer I have ever heard - a beautiful, plaintive Australian accent that deserves to be ranked with asrtud gilberto as one of the most distinctive voices in pop.

The music here on this song very simple - just a banjo, guitar, and mouth organ for backing, with Dastey singing 'he was here, but not for long/ I'll let you in on a little secret now/' before suddenly just speaking, with immense sadness - 'he wasn't the best worker we ever had'. Really fantastic folk music.

Sally Dastey was one of the Tiddas, who I have gone on about elsewhere on this site.

from Over In The West
available on CD - Over in the west


Hearth And Soul  performed by Joy Division  1980
Recommended by Durruti [profile]

It's from their last album, Closer. It's very dark and moody. It sounds like Ian (singer) is singing from his grave (It was released post-humuosly)

from Closer, available on CD


Hellhound on my trail  performed by Robert Johnson
Recommended by dwmjuk [profile]

The most eeire, scary and downright supernatural blues track ever recorded. Robert Johnson's vocal style sends shivers down anyone's back on the first, and repeat, hearings of this masterpiece.

Take time and notice the evidence of Hoodoo pratice in lyrics (hot foot powder) and a brief history of a failed relationship once believed to have been Robert Johnsons...




Holiday  performed by Bee Gees  1967
Recommended by Ozmala [profile]

Whenever anyone asks for sad song recommendations, this is the first that comes to mind. It's a heartbreaking song. It's not really *depressing*, it just � heartbreaking.

from Bee Gees 1st (Polygram Records)
available on CD - Best of Bee Gees


Houses On The Hill  performed by Whiskeytown  1997
Recommended by LawrenceM [profile]

I don't know what it is about this song. "Strangers Almanac" is a brilliant - probably my all time favourite 'alt.country' record - but this song transcends even that superlative, to be one of my favourite songs of all time. It has mved me to tears twice now, and no doubt will again. Ryan Adam's bruise of a voice, the beautiful lyrics, the sad subject matter. Just perfect.

from Strangers Almanac, available on CD



Hurt  performed by Johnny Cash
Recommended by eevas86 [profile]

Johnny Cash makes Nine Inch Nails' song Hurt his own. This song is one of my all time greatest. It's just so powerful, beautiful and sad.

"if i could start again
a million miles away
i would keep myself
i would find a way"




I Can Feel A Hot One  performed by Manchester Orchestra
Recommended by Paul299 [profile]

Simple structure, great vocals, very sad yet makes you want to listen even more.

from Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind, available on CD


I Close My Eyes  performed by Bee Gees  1967
Recommended by tinks [profile]

It's a sad fact that the Bee Gees are a group primarily remembered for only one thing. If this were a perfect world, people would realize what an jaw-droppingly amazing group they once were. To me, their first LP is an orchestral psychedelic pop masterpiece easily the equal of the Kinks' "Village Green" or Billy Nicholls' "Would You Believe", and also just about as close at Britain ever got to replicating "Pet Sounds". On this track, listen for the insane rubber-band bassline, the staccato organ fills, the odd timbre of the voices or the occassional flute bit. It's a song bursting with an enthusiam the likes of which people only had during the middle 60s.

from Bee Gees' 1st, available on CD




  ronin: Ah, 1967. "NY Mining Disaster 1941" is a major hit in Boston. And Bee Gees 1st, complete w/cover art by Klaus Voorman, was the 1st lp I ever bought. If only the Bee Gees had kept singing like this instead of the whole falsetto/disco bit! "Odd timbre of voices" indeed! Robin (we always assumed) had his top teeth hanging out when he did this one. His vocal versatility is amazing. "Craise Finton Kirk," with its simple piano accompaniment, is a standout from this lp., too.
I hate myself for loseing you  performed by Kelly clarkson
Recommended by llspazz [profile]

My absolute favorite song from her, it deffinately didn't get the publicty it desurved.


available on CD - Breakaway


I Think It’s Going To Rain Today  performed by Dusty Springfield  1968
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

The lady may have left the stage, but her spirit lives on in her recordings, and this is among her finest!! Sadly unreleased in the US for 28 years, this gloriously somber song was included in the 1995 anthology box set. Dusty sings with a sadness in her voice as she vocally paints a picture of a dreary day. While the overcast sky fails to crush her spirit, it does provide an opportunity for introspection and reflection. She is accompanied only by piano and orchestral strings which give this song a beautifully sad sound that make it perfect for playing on a rainy day.

from the Dusty Springfield Anthology, available on CD




  delicado: I must say, this is a quite brilliant recording; thanks for mentioning it! I heard the original Randy Newman version the other day, but to me, neither the arrangement or vocal performance were a patch on Dusty. Not that I'm biased or anything!
I think it’s gonna rain today  performed by Dusty Springfield  ?
Recommended by Issie [profile]

Sad song a slow rythm




I'm Easy  performed by Tolan McNeil  2001
Recommended by mitchiavelli [profile]

Keith Carradine composed 'I'm Easy' and performed it in Robert Altman's 'Nashville'. His rendition won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Song in a Motion Picture in 1975.

Tolan McNeil of Carolyn Mark and the Room-mates covers it to great effect on the album 'Nashville', a tribute to Robert Altman's film.

Also appearing on this tribute album are Neko Case, Kelly Hogan, Carolyn Mark and Dallas Good (of Toronto's 'the Sadies').

from Nashville: a tribute to Robert Altman's film, available on CD



  umbrellasfollowrain: I'd really love to find this Cd and have been trying to track it down. When did you buy it?
I’m Wishing  performed by Lorez Alexandria  1968
Recommended by Festy [profile]

This track is for the heart-broken and the lonely. It's mournful and the lyrics are sad - yet it's still a pleasure to listen to. Originally released in 1968, I was introduced to it through a Gilles Peterson compilation on Luv N Haight titled "Gilles Peterson Digs America 2".

from Didn't We (Pzazz)
available on CD - Gilles Peterson Digs America 2 - Searching At The End Of An Era (Luv N' Haight)



If You Don’t Miss Me  performed by Gone Til November / Aimee Proal  2007
Recommended by BloodyRachelB [profile]

this band broke up (I believe) but their singer/songstress Aimee Proal is busy writing tracks for those LESS TALENTED than her! (*it makes me sad because she has a beautiful voice) Anyway, she also did a song called "Save You" which was ruined by Kelly Clarkson the O.G. song is here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL75QGxPN-I&feature=related)

from N/A


If you go away  performed by Emiliana Torrini
Recommended by effel [profile]

Though this song may be described as a tear-jerker, it is perfect in its genre. The lyrics are heartbreaking, and the setup of the song is simple and effective. Three sad verses, about what would happen 'if you would go away', are followed by what wonderful things would happen if you wouldn't, accompanied by a melody of heavenly beauty...




Impossible  performed by Norfolk & Western  200?
Recommended by Colourout [profile]

It's a somewhat sad sounding song, and just great to listen to. The sound of the instruments really got me into the song and band.

from Dusk In Cold Parlours, available on CD


In Search of England  performed by Barclay James Harvest  1978
Recommended by Mike [profile]

One of the most appealing of the songs by Woolly Wolstenholme, the band's keyboard player until he left in 1979, and who sadly committed suicide on 13 December 2010.

Woolly's songs, the best-known of which are examples of the often grandiose style which has since become known as "symphonic prog", always stood out from those of his band-mates for their harmonic interest and textural subtlety.

from XII (Polydor)


Iris  performed by Goo Goo Dolls  1990
Recommended by irisbuen [profile]

I love the song because the orchestra background is simply marvelous. The lyrics fit so well and knowing that this was a product of John Rzeznik's awakening from his writer's block, I'm a proud bearer of the name same as the title of this song.

A must-hear for those who are cynically in-love.

from Dizzy Up the Girl


Isadora  performed by Illusion  1977
Recommended by john_l [profile]

This track kicks off the first album by the Jane Relf - Jim McCarty - John Hawken group which arose from the ashes of Renaissance when the latter was taken over by the Camp / Dunford / Thatcher cabal after a couple of LPs (that's not a knock at Renaissance by the way!). "Isadora" is interesting because although it's almost seven minutes long and doesn't have a great deal of lyrical content, it does have a wonderfully frosty mood to it (all those minor chords will do that) and I love some of the piano riffs that fall in behind the lines of singing. And its frostiness makes a remarkable contrast to the sultry "Face Of Yesterday" (q.v.) from the same album!

from Out Of The Mist, available on CD


It’s Love  performed by Trudy Richards  1957
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Taken from her rare full length LP (many 45's and 78's are floating around out there) this wonderful track is perfect for Trudy's full, slightly husky voice. She is accompanied by the Billy May orchestra and he knows how to frame her voice with just the right arrangement! This fabulous composition by the great team of Comden and Green swings with all of the joy and enthusiasm you feel when you find your soulmate. Sadly, this album is out of print and somewhat rare. If you can get your hands on it, God has smiled on you and you should rush to the checkout counter without delay!

from Crazy in Love! (Capital T 838 (British pressing))


Jet Generation  performed by Guitar Wolf
Recommended by olli [profile]

For Hideaki Sekiguchi, aka Bass Wolf, who sadly died of a heart attack on the 31st of March. He was only 38.
Guitar Wolf is one of those bands you either love or hate, i myself love them and their insane, primal rock n' roll antics. Sure hope they carry on, even though they are now missing a member.
This may well be the loudest song ever recorded. It's insanely great and makes me want to learn how to destroy a guitar.





  rum: So is Jet Generation the album to get? I spent an age trying to hunt down that 'Planet of the Wolves', and then after a while I just cut my losses and I tried to move on, I tried to forget about Guitar Wolf... But, damn it, here they are again. And wow, they still sound fantastic. But then 'Japanese', 'insane' and 'destroy' are my music watch words...
  tinks: they put on a great live show...i remember that all i was able to understand was something that sounded like "hoochie in the back, hoochie attack!"
Julie Ocean  performed by Undertones   1981
Recommended by geezer [profile]

The innocent punky charm of Teenage Kicks was a distant memory by the time this yearning gentle beatbox ballad was recorded ,a sad summer song to lost love and playground nostalgia with a beguiling maturity not often assciated with The Undertones .

from The Positive Touch
available on CD - The Positve Touch


Just Melancholy  performed by Roy Montgomery  1994
Recommended by LawrenceM [profile]

A beautiful, melodic ode to sadness, from reclusive New Zealand guitar genius Roy Montgomery. (His first band, The Pin Group, released the first ever single on the now-legendary Flying Nun Records.) Lyrically and melodicly, this song would fit neatly into the canon of either Joy Division or The Smiths, although Monthgomery's beautiful guitar playing owes more to Tom Verlaine than Johnny Marr. Probably the best sad song ever written by a New Zealander .... maybe anyone.

from 324 E. 13th Street #7, available on CD


Kevlar Soul  performed by KENT  2000
Recommended by Carrie [profile]

Summertime, I'm the silence as the wind blows.

from Hagnesta Hill (English edition), available on CD


La Grippe  performed by Jacques Higelin avec Brigitte Fontaine  1967
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

Simply beautiful music. Fontaine and Higelin take turns singing verses, accompanied by a jazz band that delivers spare, but beautifully affecting melodic touches. The chemistry of the two voices is great, and everytime I hear this song, I can't wait to hear the next reply in the flow of their odd, sad conversation about influenza, love, and death. "Ma grippe vous va tr�s bien... La mort vous ira tr�s bien." (My flu suits you very well... death will suit you very well.)

from 20 Chansons Avant le D�luge


La Spiaggia  performed by Ennio Morricone  1971
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

Another of my favorite Morricone tracks. It's a long one at over 8 minutes. As is often the case (with Morricone especially), it's so hard for me to describe the mood of this song -- warm, sexy, yet heartbreakingly sad.

from Veruschka (Point Records PRCD 111 (I, 1995))




  leonthedog: Yes, this one's rather spooky - and beautiful. I recommend the entire album!
Lane moje  performed by Željko Joksimovi�  2004
Recommended by ESC_Dream [profile]

A beathiful and sad ethnic ballad from Serbia. 2nd place on the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.

from The Platinum Collection, available on CD


Late Goodbye  performed by Poets of the Fall  2003
Recommended by wlodi [profile]

This great song made its first appearance in the hit game "Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne" (released October 2003) and instantly became a hit - people were asking for this song everywhere they could, they were sending emails, trying to buy it. It has an indescribable atmosphere. The song was released in June 2004 as a single and then on the first Poets of the Fall's debut album that hit the road 19th January 2005.

from Signs of Life, available on CD


Leave Out Babylon  performed by bunny & Skitter
Recommended by james [profile]

perfect hangover listening. just as the piercing headache eases off and the sadness and self-loathing set in, " I'm gonna leave out Babylon, gonna make the change"...




Let New Days Dawn  performed by A Cautionary Tale  2006
Recommended by aggryle [profile]

Beautiful composition and production with a darkly uplifting, somber mood and feel. Definitely will make you stop and focus on it as you are filled with melancholy feelings, though once the song ends, you feel better than when it began. Hard to find album, but you can listen to the song on myspace.com/acautionarytale.

from Let New Days Dawn, available on CD


Life In Mono  performed by Mono  1996
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

The vocalization of a persistent daydream delivered with a truly ethereal sound. I find this song hauntingly beautiful. I was also lucky enough to come across a promotional-only CD single that features two great house mixes by Jonathan Peters although sadly, they are both edits that clock in around 4 minutes each.

from Formica Blues, available on CD



  delicado: Yes, a superb song. Simple, but beautiful. The tune reminds me of 'The Shadow of your smile'. The singer's voice echoes that of Claudine Longet nicely, and they appropriate some elements of classic film music in order to create a compelling backdrop. I have the US-issue CD single, which also includes 4 mixes and an instrumental version. None really match the elegance of the original though.
  yonderboy: This track got a lot of exposure as part of the "Great Expectations" soundtrack. The entire cd is quite good as well. Formica Blues was Mono's only full length effort, though there are several cd singles available. A wonderfully successful example of how trip-hip and jazz/lounge styles work well together. Reminds me of Love Spirals Downwards' recent cds Temporal and Flux. Mono's vocalis Siobhan de Mar moved on to do work with Cocteau Twins frontman Robin Guthrie. Their band, Violet Indiana is on Guthrie's Bella Union label.
  Mike: It's very appealing but I also find it almost comically artifical and that I tire of it very easily.
Like A Summer Thursday  performed by Townes Van Zandt
Recommended by kkkerplunkkk [profile]

Beautiful sad country from the late great Townes. You can hear his depression filtering through his golden voice.




Live and Let Live  performed by Rose Maddox  1966
Recommended by TippyCanoe [profile]

weary and so, so sad.

from The One Rose (Capitol T1312)



  n-jeff: The One rose is (another) one of my favourite LP's. And In My Humble Opinion, one of the underated classics of Country and Rockabilly. This isn't the track song I would have chosen off it, preferring the twangier uptempo stuff. Which isn't to say its not a great song, it is.
Long Shadow  performed by Joe Strummer  200?
Recommended by mattypenny [profile]

A sad situation but a fine, positive song. Joe Strummer recorded this as a demo for Johnny Cash, I guess with a view to it being recorded for one of the 'American' records.

Within a couple of years both had passed on.

The song is classic Strummer though - upbeat, with vivid words (as usually laying it on with a trowel), the chorus being 'You cast a long shadow' - I hear it as a tribute to Johnny Cash. It finishes off with the words 'there's always rock and ROLL!', which is kind of fitting.

I've only got this on a freebie with Uncut magazine - I dunno if its commercially available or not.




Love For Sale  performed by Annie Ross  1964
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

This is such a great recording! Ms. Ross starts out as if she is going to whimper her way thru this sad little tale of a prostitute's life, then wham-bam (pardon the expression) she takes on the persona of Natalie Wood in 'Gypsy' and swings the song as if she is playfully strutting across the stage and smacking you gingerly with her long silky glove. She soon has you believing that she is going to drag you by the scruff of the neck back to her abode to give you a Russ Meyer-ish smackdown! Johnny Spence's orchestra provides her with just the right weaponry to bring you to your submissive knees all at no additional charge.

from Annie Ross Sings a Handful of Songs (Globe/Ember (Japanese pressing} SMJ 7175)
available on CD - Annie Ross Sings a Handful of Songs / Club Verboten (Box Set) (DCC-626 / DZS(4)-135)


Love so fine  performed by Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends  1968
Recommended by klatu [profile]

The pinnacle of soft pop! And I can't imagine it not being followed up by "kinda wasted without you"! Twin peaks! Vinyl buffs are at a disadvantage there, you have to get up quickly for the side change to experience the epiphany, and deal with the "pops-and-crackles" chiaschuro instead of "sterile" atomic clock mastering. Also included, my favorite version of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Cocoanut Grove", even better than the one by David Lee Roth! Well, I probably lost a few of you on that one. Roger Nichols went on to later fame and fortune as Paul Williams' songwriting partner on several smash singles, mostly by the wrongly-maligned Carpenters. After that, engineering on all of the Steely Dan albums. Not too many superstar engineers, but on those albums, it was notable. Fagen'n'Becker dubbed him Roger "the Immortal" Nichols on some liner notes. Now he has a byline in some stereo mag, or so I am told.

from Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends, available on CD



  gregcaz: Roger Nichols/pop genius and Roger Nichols/Steely Dan engineer are actually two different people. When Steely Dan toured Japan, people kept asking him to sign their "Small Circle" CDs! So funny!
  klatu: How embarrassing to be the spreader of internet misinformation! I've heard that from several places. It seemed so plausible, with the Ted Templeman Harper's Bizarre/Van Halen connection. Or is that two Ted Templemans? Thanks for the correction. So it's probably the Steely Dan guy who writes the article? I'll have to check that out.
love song for the dead che  performed by the united states of america  1968
Recommended by olli [profile]

spacy female vocal-based sadpop, perfect for cold weather and sunday afternoons. these guys pioneered this kind of music, if you're familiar with white noise,
os mutantes or even broadcast this album is your jackpot.
it's one of the more calm and mellow tracks on the albums, and one of my favourites.
absolutely gorgeus chorus, totally wide, deep string based arrangement.

..And dig the gentle, almost non-audible rhythm track.

from the united states of america



Love To Drink  performed by Slim Moon  1997
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Good spoken word just DOES it for me.

This song explains why Slim loves to drink. "I love the great ascension of an evening spent drinking. Every other drug you go up and down like an arc, but with booze you just get drunker and drunker..." When people say he's a drunk, he says "why should I worry about something that makes me feel better?", which is one of the most touching lines I've ever heard.

The instrumental behind him is "People Are Strange". I'd like to think Slim picked it because it was in The Lost Boys.

from Won't You Dance With This Man?, available on CD



Lover I Don�t Have to Love  performed by Bright Eyes  2002
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

This song is the perfect song for anybody who is angry with love, or coming off a bad relationship. Connor Oberst is a great lyricist and this song captures that feeling of just wanting somebody, anybody so bad, and not caring who it is.

from Lifted, or the Story is In the Soil, Keep Your Ears to the Groun (Saddle Creek)



Lying is the most fun  performed by Panic at the Disco  2005
Recommended by sparkling.inferno [profile]

it's not the most beautifully written song -or the most appropriate, for that matter- but i love it for the way it was performed, the way Brendon's sometimes high-pitched vocals harmonize so well with the instruments, and its memorability. this song stuck with me for a very long time, however i am also very attached to it on account of more personal reasons.
the intellectual aspects are also what struck me as being meaningful- how often do you hear the word 'harlequin' or 'testosterone' in a song? i enjoy listening to tunes with at least some signs of intellect, rather than hearing a string of curses or slang in an entire three minutes. although there are some profanities in Lying, it's not as bad as many other songs out there, that's for sure.

however, there is a sad aspect to the song as well. apparently, it was inspired by guitarist Ryan Ross' recent breakup with his girlfriend on account of her cheating. he stated:
"At the time it felt like the world had ended. I hated everything. It affected that whole album. I guess it's good that I wrote it down. I might have stabbed somebody."

overall, i think it's a great composition, with an enjoyable melody and a catchy chorus, despite its melancholy roots.

from A Fever You Can't Sweat Out


Mad World  performed by Gary Jules  2001
Recommended by cryofthecelt [profile]

"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.

from Donnie Darko (Enjoy)
available on CD - Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets (EMI International)



  malpt: This is a rare occasion where I love the cover more than the original. A very awesome song.
Make it Easy on Yourself  performed by Burt Bacharach  1969
Recommended by Mike [profile]

Such a very sad song, with simply wonderful melody and harmony. This arrangement, originally issued on an album of the same name, makes the very most of its poignancy and drama. Bacharach himself sings beautifully,while carrying all the intelligence and emotion of his song. I don't think I've conveyed what it is that's so superb about this record, so will return to this review at a later date.

from Make it Easy on Yourself
available on CD - Best of Burt Bacharach (A&M)



  Flippet: Cilla Black does a brilliant cover of this song on her 1966 album "Sing A Rainbow". Rich lush orchestration and Cilla at full ballad belt. It was her early interpretations of songs like this that brought her to the attention of Bacharach himself!!
Make The Madness Stop  performed by Free Design  1967
Recommended by charlesives [profile]

Masterpiece! This record, a legend amongst those who know it, with its fine writing, arranging and singing clearly deserves its place in the Pantheon of great pop. It may have failed commercially in its time but the beauty of their pop puts it amongst the best of our times and explains why 37 years after its creation it remains exquisitely artful to our ears. I could write 100,000 words scratching at what I love about this group and their first 4 records, and this song alone.But, the Free Design deserve, rather than my dull hyperbole, a good listen. Rousing and sublime, almost TOO GOOD to have been a big hit. If you read a bit about them you realize that these singing siblings made some naive career choices that favored music over money. Our gain.
Some bonehead on this site claimed The Free Design sound like Stereolab. That writer got it butt backwards. Sadly, Stereolab doesn't have the skill to really reach the musical and spiritual depth of the Free Design. Stereolab's OK, don't get me wrong, but they are often a pale imitation of a much richer source. Letitia from Stereolab cites The Free Design as one of her all-time favorite bands, so at least they have sublime taste and honesty when it comes to revealing their sources.

Guaranteed to lift you up way high.
Buy or download NOW!!!

Fave part: "Wish that I were corny....:

from Kites Are Fun, available on CD



  konsu: No, you have it backwards, because your emotions get in the way. Understandable though, with this group, and particularly this song (which is one of my all-time faves). It "blows your mind but not completely..." is what I like to say. Stereolab have always worn their influences on their sleeves, from the Beach Boys to Can. And it seems like I should explain by saying that they are a gateway group for so many young people to discover older pop, but shallow as some are, they only like the FD songs that sound like more contemporary artists. Not that it's a super bad thing, just a little dissapointing, considering the depth and beauty of this groups entire body of work... Dig? Love, Bonehead.
Married Men  performed by The Roches  1979
Recommended by swaltonb2003 [profile]

A typically folky,eclectic mix of styles that sounds as great today as it did 25 years ago! I'm on a personal crusade to expose more people to the Roches wonderful music. They're three of the most talented people that most people have never heard of.

from The Roches, available on CD


Miss Allen�s Blues  performed by Ernestine Allen  1961
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Maybe it's just me getting older, but I lap this kinda stuff up these days. I can't get enough of ol' style R&B, jump blues or a song like this: swingin', heartbreaking and outstandingly sung by a woman who is undeservedly just a footnote in musical history.

Ernestine (who sometimes recorded under the name Annisteen) works her smooth chords to a blues vocal with light jazzy backing. Almost Peggy Lee like in places, but with the benefit of King Curtis' sax and an amazing rhythm section that Ernestine obviously connects with.

The lyrics are beautiful, too: "You cry so hard, you cry like you never cried before; you moan and you groan so sad, you give the blues to your neighbour next door."

from Let It Roll, available on CD



Miss World  performed by Hole  1994
Recommended by oceanacid [profile]

An incredible emaotional hard rocking song that is totally relatable.

from Live Through This, available on CD


Motel Blues  performed by Loudon Wainwright III  1971
Recommended by magicsteven [profile]

anyone who loves emotional songwriting with inspired lyrics will be blown away by this song, one of the best i've ever heard.

from Album II (Atlantic SD8291)
available on CD - The Atlantic Recordings (www.rhinohandmade.com)


Mr. Dieingly Sad  performed by The Critters  1966
Recommended by artlongjr [profile]

The Critters really came up with a gem in this 1966 top 40 hit, which seems to have a sort of Brazilian influence. I had the lyrics to this for years in a magazine before I heard the actual song. The greatest hits CD I cited is out of print, but this song may be found on various compilations as well.

Another hit the Critters had was their version of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Younger Girl", which was also
done by the Hondells...I like the Critter's version better.


available on CD - Anthology: The Complete Kapp Recordings,1965-1967 (Taragon)



  Major Minor: Yes, Mr. Dieingly sad is pop perfection! For any Critters fans I'd recommend checking out: "The Giant Jellybean Copout" which was basically the same band under a pseudonym.. It's a breezy, jazzy, Beach Boys meets The Free Design amazing vocal harmony track that I would give 5 stars to... recommended to any sunshine pop fan
Mr. Sellack  performed by The Roches  1979
Recommended by swaltonb2003 [profile]

It's sort of your typical folk,barbershop quartet,with a couple of jazz and rock touches. The lyrics are funny and sad and just about anyone can relate to them. The Roches voices are gorgeous and the melody will stick with you for decades(believe me !).

from The Roches, available on CD


Mrs. Bluebird  performed by Eternity’s Children  1967
Recommended by tempted [profile]

A fabulous acid-pop masterpiece featuring one of the most intriguing intros in pop history. Everything I love about psychedelic pop made in the US in the late 6t's comes together in Mrs. Bluebird: the softly mythical, escapist feeling that the harmony and orchestration bring into this music. I frequently use it as a getaway. I think indulging in this music is not sad but it shows you've got the means to make you happy. This song is a Curt Boettcher (The Millennium, Sagittarius) production that cannot have been made while under the influence of drugs!!

from Eternity's Children (Tower)
available on CD - Best of Eternity's Children




  493440: I appreciate the nice comments about "Mrs Bluebird." My name is Bruce Blackman and I wrote Mrs Bluebird. I was the founder of Eternity's Children in 1966. We did not survive because of incredibly bad management. Our two managers had the middle names of "Karl" and "Marion." After I left the group, they tried to cheat me (unsuccessfuly) out of any credit. A few years after Eternity's Children I formed my group Starbuck and we scored a top 3 with my song "Moonlight Feels Right." Three of the members of Eternity's Children were with me in Starbuck.
  john_l: I agree, this is a wonderful song! The organ keeps the beat (after the dreamy intro), the harmonies are great and there's that heavy psychedelic guitar solo in the bridge, although I believe that was edited out of a 45 or radio edit version.
  royjudywhi: In response to Bruce Blackman's comments under response 493440, he is absolutely correct about his penning of Mrs Bluebird. It was a great song off a great album. He is a talented songwriter but a lousey historian. The group was formed by Roy Whittaker when he was at Delta State College in Cleveland Mississippi. Bruce was an important part of the group but failed to survive the rigors of bad management. Bruce and Johnny Walker were the only members of Starbuck who were part of the original Eternity's Children group.
  tbrown: I too am a long time Eternity's Children fan. Grew up in Biloxi, played in a local band in high school. Used to go hear the Children at the Biloxi Hotel and at the Vapors in about 1967. Along with Little David and the Giants, they were the hottest groups around at the time....great memories. I see messages here by Bruce, and it looks like Roy maybe, and also saw one from Charlie Ross. Would love to hear from any of you guys just to find out what you are all up to these days.
  jwalker: Thought you Eternity's Children fans might like an update on another member. Johnny Walker played lead guitar and I believe was the lead vocalist on "Mrs Bluebird". He was also a member of Starbuck with Bruce Blackman later. Johnny's my brother and anybody that wants to contact him may do so through me. He lives 2 miles from here and has no internet access but I'm sure he'd like to hear from anybody out there that remembers Eternity's Children so please feel free to post and date your messages and we'll see that he gets them. Oh, by the way, Charlie Ross, another original member of the Children, is and has been for many years a founding member and the bass player/lead vocalist for the Krackerjacks, a kick-ass band in Greenville, Mississippi, the hometown of Johnny, Charlie and Bruce Blackman. My husband was also their keyboard player for several years.
  luna: For jwalker: Where in the world are you two these days? How's Johnny doin? I'm the other k-board player. Tell Johnny DDD said hello, also hello to your husband.
  trucol: For jwalker: Thanks for the compliment about the KrackerJacks. I have been the drummer since about 1983. Tell Johnny that T.C. said hello. He's one of most incredible guitar players I have ever heard. I first met him in P'cola. He was with another kick-ass band, Lazy Day.
  tempted: Hey guys, have you realized that there's a new 'Children "Lost Sessions" record out on Gear Fab Recs. Congrats!
  tempted: To John_I: the guitar solo remains there on the single version, too. It still gives me shivers.
  musicmars: Hey Bruce, it's an honor to post on a board that you read. I've loved Starbuck since I was 12 or 13. Moonlight Feels Right really is one of the best pop songs of the 70's. All three albums were great. I still have to find the Korona album. Anyway, Mrs. Bluebird, what a song. One of the best pop songs of the 60's. I first heard the remake a few years back from the UK? studio band Sunshine Day. It was a great remake but then my psychedelic record collecting led me to Eternity's Children and their version is even better. I only recently realized that it is the same Bruce Blackman that was in both bands. I'd love to hear some new music from you Bruce.
  luna: For tbrown: I don't you, but I was in Substantial Evidence in the late 60's on the coast.Do you know where Mark Simon,Pat Gill,Ray Zoler,Ted Tearse,Artie Desporte or any of these guys may be? Any info appreciated.
  jscarbo4: Does anybody have pictures of the entire Eternity's Children group? It was always irritating that only four of them were used on the album cover. I'd also like some update info on Roy Whitaker if anyone knows..........Also, does anyone know if Bruce Blackman ever recorded "For Crying Out Loud"? I heard him do it live at Dock-of-the-Bay, and was knocked out by it. Would love to have the recording if it's available.
  jscarbo4: Hey Luna, I wasn't aware of a 6th member of Substantial Evidence...tell me more so that I can add to my site: http://www.artist-murals.com/images/Pictures/Joel_Scarborough/Ray_zoller.htm
  tbrown: to Luna: Drop me an email at [email protected] and I will tell you who I am. WE probably know each other if you were with Substantial Evidence.
  ThomasInPlano: To Charlie Ross: During late '66 and '67 sessions at The Vapors me and some of my Biloxi USAF buddies used to chat with you between sessions talking music and it's direction. I was from Houston so we talked a lot about the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. At the time I didn't know much about acid so we talked like it was a pretty cool thing. I hope that didn't create any problems for you. I later got a tape of one of your reel-to-reel amateur recordings made at The Vapors. Later I was sent to Las Vegas ('67)and then Vietnam('68) so I lost track of how you guys were doing until I came back and was stationed north of Memphis. In '69 Eternity's Children did a TV performance in Memphis and I went to catch that performance on Saturday, only to find that it was taped earlier. I so much wanted to re-establish contact with you and catch up on what had been happening to you while I was away. Well, that was all for not but I hope maybe this will tell you how much your music that we knew back in late '66 and early '67 as Eternity's Children meant to us. Not everyone makes it to the very top, but it doesn't mean that they didn't have a wonderful effect on peoples memories. Your wonderful covers of so many types of music and your great originals will always remain in many peoples hearts. Someday I hope to get to chat with you by phone or email as we did at The Vapors Lounge. Mostly I remember you and Johnny Walker (who was such an inspiration on guitar) and Roy Whittaker. I hope that all of you are doing well as we have all had so many years go by and time starts to take it's toll on the body. Best regards, Thomas
  JKing2: I too am a big fan. I followed the band from Biloxi to Baton Rouge. Why no mention of Linda Lawley? Does anyone know what happened to her and/or her career?
  Roy5: I'm glad so many people remember Mrs Bluebird. I haven't even heard the song since 1968, when it charted, but I haven't forgotten it. I remember staying up one night waiting for our local station to play it. Finally it did--I think about 2:00 in the morning. But it was worth the wait. And I saw them perform on It's Happening, the summer replacement rock show from '68 hosted by Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere. Everything about the song is top of the line. Especially the organ, guitar and the vocal harmonies.
  JohnB: I've been a fan of Eternity's Children since the late 60's when they played the Vapors. Still have an original LP of theirs. God where have the years gone- that was music, and why they didn't go right to the top, well somebody made a big mistake not publicizing them properly. And where is Linda Lawley? Beautiful voice and a beautiful girl.
  dpinsd: In the summer of '68 I had just graduated and was leaving the country during the Vietnam War. I remember Mrs Bluebird by Eternities Children as being the last song I heard in San Diego before I left for New England then on to Portugal. I remember hearing this great song when I was in Rhode Island. I never forgot it. Apparently it is no longer available. I checked on Napster and it is not there either. I really want this song in my music library. It was good to read other comments from others that were also touched by this song that unfortunately did not go high on the charts. Dan in San Diego
  txsdrmr: To all, I grew up in greenville, MS in the 60's and went to Greenville High School with Charlie Ross, Bruce Blackmon and Johnny Walker. Before they hit the big time in the late 60's and 70's they were in some very tight group groups and played gigs in the MS delta almost every weekend. Charlie's original group was the Phantoms while Johnny and Bruce were in the Lancers. Another Greenville native to make the big time was James "Bud" Cockrell, founder of the San Francisco group, Pablo Cruise. If you count Joe Frank Carolla of Hamilton, Joe Fank & Reynolds who was from Leland, MS just 7 miles away, the Delta produced some really great talent. Those of us lucky enough to be there enjoyed some fine music. I've been fans of all these guys ever since and have collected all their 12" vinyls I could find. I'm in Houston, Texas now but still listen to Eternity's Chidren, Starbudk and H,JF, & R to take me back to those great days. -pope-
  raymar: My friends and I used to see Eternity's Children at a club called Jamie's in New Orleans every Wednesday night in 1967-68. We idolized this band and, of course, we were in love with Linda Lawley. It's so great to see that others remeber this group as weel.
  mac: My name is Mike McClain and I played organ with Eternity's Children right after Bruce Blackman left the group. We recorded lots of good music but never really got the push from Tower Records that we needed. I was thrilled when all our stuff that was in the can was released in that album from Europe. It was fun to hear all the old songs again. Wish I knew how to get in touch with Linda. Anyone know?Hey Charlie, Johnny,and Roy,as well as Bo Wagner the great vibe/marimba man that also played on Moonlight Feels Right...(he could also tap dance like crazy..no kidding)What fun those days were..
  luna: I was in substantial evidence briefly in the summer of 1969, after Ted T. quit and went with Flower Power(think that was the name of the group).I sang lead, before the hurricane destroyed everything.Wonderful summer. I now play and sing in the Krackerjacks.
  luna: A few more facts: I've been in touch with Ray Zoller, he's in Colorado. Also, Charlie Ross is our bassist in the KJ's. There was aband in '68' at the Fiesta, called The Omen; the group consisted of;Bruce Blackman on keyboards,Bud Cockrell on bass, Roy Whitaker on drums, Bo Wagner on vibes and percussion,a guy named(believe it or not)David Jones sang lead(should of been me Bruce dammit!),and I think Julie Landry may have been the female vocalist.Lots of known people in lots of groups in those days!I was also in the Lancers' latter days(middle 60's)Ray Z. is doin well.Anyway, just some tid-bits.
  cks6: Does anyone know where I can buy a copy of the Krackerjack's album entilted "Rockin' in the Delta"? Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any information. Thanks!!
  coochiekisser: The band was great. Sista Linda Lawleys rendetion of Hush may be one of the best versions since Billy Joe Royal
  h2obug: jwalker: Were you at anytime ever referred to a 'Fuzzy Walker'? or do you know who may have been? I have a Gibson Custom guitar with a name plate embossed "Fuzzy Walker". Trying to find out who actually owed this guitar before me. email me at [email protected]. Thanks P.S. I was a teenager when 'Moonlight Feels Right' hit the air. I seen the group in concert at Six Flags in St. Louis, MO and had photo's with the band members. I loved that song.
  Outlaw: Some Substantial Evidence info from the mouth of Artie Desporte... of the first (5) original band members, Ted Tearse was the first to leave the band. David Dodd took his place as the singer. David was discovered by Substantial Evidence while he was preforming at a club called the Fiesta. The band members approached David and offered him a spot in their band and he accepted. According to Artie, David was with the Band for about 5 or 6 months and for whatever reasons he left the band, and Ted Tearse rejoined. Substantial Evidence eventually added a 10 piece horn section and became known as Substantial Evidence Showband. They had quite a following but none as strange as 4 girls that called themselves " The Fearsome Foursome. " These girls kept journals on all the members of Substantial Evidence. Somehow they knew everywhere they went, what time they arrived and left. Anyway, about the time the Vietnam War broke out, the band members started to come and go. Eventually the band split up and everyone went their seperate ways. The City of Biloxi offered to pay all expenses to have the Band reunite and play at the Gulf Coast Coliseum for a charity event. The offer was extended by Gerald Blessey who also was our Mayor at the time and who played in a band called The Rocking (Rock'n?) Rebels. By this time everyone had their own lives, family and children. The reunion never took place.
  luna: For Outlaw: What's new putty kat? That's for Artie, if you're not him. The reason I used David as my first name was because they already had a guy named Doug! Great memories, great group!
  luna: Hey Artie; Do you remember when we took a train from Stamford Connecticut to Boston? We played in Rhode Island at a club called "The Edge".Anyway, I met a guy in the Army that heard us there.He lives in NJ.The reason I got out of SE was because my draft # was 3!!!(and big daddy Brad, aka Herchel, didn't like my rebellious ways)! The KJ's will be down that way probably this summer, and I'll give you a call.Did Pat and Carol get married??? She has a bunch of pictures I'd love to see.OutLaw, if you're not Artie, please pass this along to him. Thankx
  jumphigher: hi this is to luna pat gill from substatial evidence still lives on the coast and is not married to carol newman and he still owns a cigar shop in the mall.
  luna: for ck6;We did a double cd for our reunion last yr. and "Rockin In The Delta" was included on it along with some other songs from over the yrs. If you go to thekrackerjacks.com, you can contact us for info. Also our last cd "Timeless" is available.
  luna: For jumphigher: What is the name of your dad's store in the mall, and which mall is it in. I'll call him. Tell him I am David from '69. He'll know me. Thanks
  Outlaw1: Luna, Been a while since visiting this site. Forgot my PW and changed email Address. Had to change my username a bit. I am Artie's sista'-n- law. Now that he has a computer, I am sending him this site. Maybe he will stop by and you can talk over old times.
  luna: For Outlaw1: FINALLY, Im on the right trail to some S.E. players. Thank you for revealing yourself. If you see or know where Mark and Pat can be reached, please let me know. I've been in touch with Ray....Thankx--Luna(David)
  mike mcgann: Bruce...I played Mrs. Bluebird over and over at WLOX in Biloxi when I broke into radio in 1968. Saw the group at The Vapors one night that summer...Often wondered what happened to you, then Starbuck hit...I'm about to play 'Moonlight" on the air in a few minutes at WJAS (on 3-7PM) in Pittsburgh, PA. Thanks for the tunes and best of luck Mike
  Denny: Tower Records sure had an amazing roster in its six year existence and Eternity's Children was one of its hottest prospects! As I am writing this, I am listening to side 2 of the LP. "Mrs. Bluebird" has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid growing up in the 70's. With its unique mixture of mellow and upbeat, along with a stun gun guitar solo for the bridge, it should have gone much higher than its #69 peak on Billboard; at least it made the Top 40 on KQV Radio's survey from my hometown of Pittsburgh. I never heard it on radio itself, but if I ever get my own radio show, I guarantee that Eternity's Children will be among my playlist (none of that "same 50 oldies" stuff here). I'd sure love to see some of EC's televison appearances also, particularly "American Bandstand" and "Happening". Perhaps a DVD could be in the works in the future. And like many, I'd also like to know what has become of the lovely Linda Lawley.
  bwagner: bwagner: My name is Bo Wagner member of Eternity's Children and Starbuck. First of all I would love to thank all of our fans for all of their support and wonderful comments over the years. I know all of the band members appreciate it very much. I have been out of contact with everyone (all the band members for a long time)except for Bruce Blackman. We always seem to semi keep in touch. I send best wishes to all of the band members: Johnny, Linda, Charlie, Roy, Bud, Julie, Davie, and one that is never mentioned Bobby Dominquez (the best man at my wedding), all the other Starbuck members and especially Mike Kidd McClain. Mike I have been trying to find you for years. Would love to hear from you as well as all the other members if any of you would like to reconnect. I have read many versions over the years of who was in the band and how things happen and I feel there has been some mistakes. I would like to give my version. This will have to be lengthy, so please excuse the long story in advance. I don't know how else to do it.I was a LA studio musician and former drummer with the Fifth Dimension and currently a member of Lewis and Clark Expedetion with Michael Martin Murphy when I was hired to play drums, vibes, marimba and percussion for the 2nd Eternity's Children album "Timeless" who I was a big fan of. Having been with the Fifth Dimension I truly appreciated their fine vocals and great music. I played drums on every song on the "Timeless" album and added vibes and marimba on many of the songs. The instruments I played fit well with the Children's songs and I truly loved playing with them and we really took to each other.I had always wanted to feature vibes and marimba within a rock format and it worked well with the Children. Roy had left the band and the group asked me to join them. So I left Lewis and Clark and joined the Children. We added another Mississippi musician Bobby Dominquez to play drums so I could play vibes etc. Bruce and Johnny had left the band earlier and I sort of took the place of a guitar player since they had not replaced Johnny. (How can you ever replace Johnny Walker!!!)I sold everything (my car, home, everything ) and moved to Baton Rouge, LA and we all lived in one apartment. We constantly played gigs all over Louisana, Mississippi in every little town there was and I got very familar with the south very quickly and fell in love with the whole southern lifestlye and music scene. It has been written on sites like this over and over again and on our album, CD sleeves that I wasn't a member of the Children, only a studio player. I don't get that. I move to the south, lived with the band, practiced everyday and performed at every gig, tour, TV show as a full fledge member for quite awhile (almost a year), how can I not be considered a member. No I was not part of the original group but I certainly was a member from the beginning of the 2nd album. I was very happy playing with them and proud to be a member and would like to be considered one. I know if you ask Johnny, Bruce, Mike McClain, Bobby, Charlie or Linda they will tell you I was a full fledge member. I'm not sure who is writing the info on the group but my picture is on the front of the "Timeless" album. That should speak for itself. During this time I had met Bruce and Johnny and became good friends. Because of the bad management that had cause Bruce and Johnny to quit, Bobby Dominquez and I quit too. At first everyone was going to quit but back out and Johnny, Bruce and I decided to form our own version of the group and Roy rejoined us on drums at this time too. Bobby joined another group and worked across the street at the Vapors and we added Bud Cockrell and Julie and started working as the Omen at the Fiesta in Biloxi. We were a carbon copy of the original group. I brought in a friend of mine from LA who was a great Canadian singer, Davie Jones, and we had one hell of a good group. We worked very hard to develope new original songs and I feel we came up with really great material. We moved to Pensacola, FL to work with the producer Papa Don and one by one the other members left the original group and joined us. Finally everyone was there and we had double everything and was trying to work out who was going to do what. We were about to sign a new record deal and the bad managers showed up with fake contracts and prevented us from gettint a new deal and we had to dispand. So a year or less went by and Bud Cockrell called me and wanted to get back together and we did and tried to put a group together in Texas. We soon added Bruce to the group but it didn't quite work out so Bruce and I went back to Biloxi and reformed another group with Johnny Walker, Bob Gauthier and Tommy Allred. It lasted for awhile but again didn't gel for what we were really looking for. Again we separated and another year or so past and again Bruce, Johnny and I got back together (now in Atlanta, GA) and formed "Mississippi" and recorded an album in Nashville with Gary Paxton the producer of the Children's "Timeless" album. A great group but to many lead male vocalist. Couldn't really find our own sound. So Johnny went back to Florida and Bruce and I joined up with Elgin Wells,a guitar player and lead singer, a bass player and once again Bobby Dominquez on drums and the first "Starbuck" was formed. It never did click at all. So we broke up again and I went to Disneyworld. Couldn't handle that gig so came back to Atlanta which is where we had formed "Mississippi" and "Starbuck", and rejoined up with Elgin, keyboard player Sloan Hayes, drummer Brian and added bass player Jimmy Cobb. Very soon I was playing drums and we really wanted to do it right this time so I rented a farm and we all lived there and wrote and recorded songs in the daytime and played at clubs in the evening as "Extravaganza". We added David Snavley on drums and after a year added Bruce back to the band. Bruce had been writing songs all the time we were getting strong as a group and it was a good merger. So in a short time we became "Starbuck" once again. Elgin left and we hire Ron Norris for vocals and guitar and Tommy Strain as lead guitar. Finally we were back in the studio and recorded "Moonlight Feels Right" with Bruce as the lead singer. In all these years he had never sang, maybe a little backup. He sang on our demos and the recorded company like his voice and overnight he was our front man. We released "Moonlight Feels Right" and Bruce and I hit the road and went to radio station after radio station separately for a month. Moonlight got play but didn't take off. We broke up again I move back to CA. and the following spring I get a call from Bruce that "Moonlight" had taken off and we had a hit. So I quit the band I was in, in one second, drove straight thru to Atlanta and joined the rest of the guys who had gotten back toghter and we recorded our album straight thru. We were on a roll and didn't stop. "Moonlight" became a hugh hit with Bruce singing and I finally got to feature my marimba as a solo instrument (the reason I joined them in the first place years and years ago) and it worked. I must thank Roy Whittaker for helping to promote "Moonlight Feels Right". He was head of a major radio station in Florida and promoted and played the hell out our song. He helped us a lot. Thanks Roy. After our second album, Johnny Walker rejoined us and we were on tour all the time and lots of TV shows. We ran into Bud Cockrell all the time when he was with Pablo Cruise and did TV shows with him too. Small world. We started our third album and had a few differences and I left the group. They finished the album without me and the following year the group broke up completely. Bruce and I got back together in '84 and recorded two songs "Another Beat of My Heart" and "The Full Cleveland" just the two of us and released them and they were doing well but we decided not to continue. So that is my story. The whole story involves the same players over and over again so that is why I told all of it. I have never responded to one of these sites in all these years but felt compelled to do so now. So I made all of my comments at one time to get it over with. The real moral of this story is never give up. We were persistent and it finally payed off. Again I thank the fans for supporting us all these many years and it is really nice that people are still enjoying and buying our music even though a lot of it is badly mixed and under ground. Bruce and I talked last year and he said there was interest in "Starbuck" getting back together and doing "Where are they Now" or one of those TV shows. I would love to do it. So who knows, maybe we will do it one more time. I live in LA and am now a doctor and have a natural healthcare clinic and make nutritional products. I can be reached at [email protected]. Hey Johnny, Mike and any of you that would like to catch up let me hear from you. Thanks everyone for listening to me.
  luna: It is with a heavy heavy heart that I must inform all "The Children" fans that Johnny Walker and Linda Lawley,both, have passed away; both after long illness' that I can't elaborate on. I don't know the details,but I do know to all us who knew and loved them, it is shock and there will be 2 voids in my world.Johnny passed away in Florida a few months back, and Linda in CA.thanksgiving wk'end. Two great people and singers and players.GOD rest them, they will never be forgotten.
  Centerfield: The drummer for Eternity's Children used the name Frank Stevens when he was a DJ for us at WTIX New Orleans in the early 70's. I think his real first name was Roy. What was his last name? Thanks. Bob Walker
  funkypoormusician: Hi folks! My name is Ken Hilley and I am a former resident of the MS Gulf Coast. I ran across this site and this post just by chance while thinking about Juli Landry (the search lead me here). At any rate, I was enjoying the read and thinking of good old days until I read about Johnny Walker and Linda Lawley passing... Just couldn't believe it! What a loss of great talent! I remember Johnny playing that Gretsch guitar and making it sound so wonderful... that coupled with his powerful voice my, my, my! Linda of course was a beautiful lady with the look and the talent to impress anyone. I saw Linda once back in the early 70's at a club above the Fiesta in Biloxi one night. We sat and talked and partied (imagine that) for hours. As I remember we said goodbye early the next morning as the sun came up over the parking lot. I also saw Johnny about that time on several different occasions. He was living in Pensacola, FL and was playing music there. His wife Sue was a friend of mine. I introduced them many years back when Johnny and I lived in the Biloxi Hotel. Anybody remember that place? ha... Charlie Ross where are you! Anyway, those days were great cause there was so much great music, the times were a changing! Just in case you should read this I'd like to say hello to Bruce Blackman, Charlie Ross, Roy Whittaker (sister Sue too), Bo Wagner (wow what a dancer) and all the old friends from those times. A special prayer for Johnny and Linda and their loved ones! I now live in Nashville, TN and am still playing and writing music here. You can catch up with me on my website www.funkypoormusician.com and/or see my video's on youtube at www.youtube.com/funkypoormusician Peace
  lbwdog: Eric Watkins here: Great blog folks!! I see some old friends here. In 1969, I left the MS coast to join one of the last incarnations of "The Omen" with Johnny Walker in Pensacola. Bud Cockrell had left and Johnny came to Biloxi looking for a replacement. At that time, the band consisted of Johnny, Billy Haynes on Hammond, & Ralph Nolan on drums. Looking back, I relished the experience working with Johnny and learned a lot (as I was only 17/18 yrs. old). That band was almost a Procol Harum tribute band, as we did most of the first album, several selections from "Shine On Brightly", and some from "A Salty Dog". I'll never forget Walker singing these great compositions, especially "A Salty Dog", not to mention his great playing. This lasted about a year, and as young people will do, I decided to move on to something else. In late fall of 1970, I was called to join a band in Jackson, MS, which was comprised of Bo Wagner, Bruce Blackman, Tommy Aldridge (Later of Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osborne, Whitesnake, etc.) Darell Gunter, Sara Fulcher, and Danny Lancaster who is the most soulful white singer I know (as well as my soul brother). The band was named Om Shanti (I think by Bo) and debuted at B.J.'s to a packed house. After a couple of months there were some musical differences and the band downsized to a four piece (Danny, Tommy, Darrell, and myself) called "Milk & Honey". We played around the south for about a year and went our own ways, some to reunite at times. Anyway, I recently heard of Johnny's passing and somewhere in the back of my mind, I always wished to do a real "Procol Harum" tribute with him. Well....some things are not to be. Let me leave you with a Johnny W. anecdote. I moved back to P'cola in '74 when he played with "Lazy Day". Went to visit at Johnny & Sue's apartment. If you knew Johnny, you'd know he hated cats!! I walk in to his house, and there are four or five Persians lounging around. I said "Walker, I thought you hated cats!" He says " I did, till I found out you could sell the damned things!!" RIP, J.W. and hi to Bo, Bruce, Ken Hilley, et al.....Many thanks E. W.
  lbwdog: Oh, BTW, to answer a four year old question...... [Quote]/03 Apr 04 �jscarbo4: ..........Also, does anyone know if Bruce Blackman ever recorded "For Crying Out Loud"? I heard him do it live at Dock-of-the-Bay, and was knocked out by it. Would love to have the recording if it's available.[quote] I was the bassist for Jerry Fisher & The Music Company at Dock of the Bay in Bay St Louis from '81-'98, Jerry was with B,S,&T in the mid seventies. We recorded an album called "In and Outa the Blues" in '92 and several tracks were written by Greg Barnhill who wrote "For Cryin' Out Loud", but don't know that B.B. performed it at The Dock of The Bay.....for the record....EW
  Telewacker: I met Johnny Walker in Atlanta in 1979. He joined a band I was leaving called Misty Morning. I played bass in the group, & the drummer, guitarist, & I left to form our own group with a keyboard player we knew. I will never forget the night he sat in,
  Telewacker: I was blown away! What a great guitarist! And that voice! OMG! I later rejoined Misty Morning, & had the pleasure of sharing many a stage with Johnny. Later, after leaving the group again & switching to guitar, I used a lot of what I heard Johnny do
  Telewacker: To form my style. I\'ll never be as good as he was, he was just a natural, but whenever someone compliments my playing, I tell them about this guy I knew named Johnny Walker & the inspiration he was to me. If they said they\'d never heard of him, I\'d
  Telewacker: think to myself, \"Your loss\". Before I go, I\'ll leave you with an example of his amazing voice. We got a request for \"Danny Boy\" at a club on St Patricks Day, & Johnny said he could sing it, so we said go for it. He did the tune solo, just his guitar
  Telewacker: and voice. From beginning to end, the joint was silent. No one made a sound, mesmerised by his performance. At the end, applause erupted for what sermed like forever.
  Telewacker: I was actually moved to tears, only time that has ever happened to me on stage. If I live to be 100, I doubt I\'ll ever hear anything like it again. I was heart broken by his passing. R.I.P. Johnny.
Mrs. Robinson  performed by The Ray Bloch Singers  1970
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Wow. This is just...wow. I've just gotta say that I have an absolutely unnatural attraction to this group. Imagine if you will, a chorus of super-square middle-aged white folks, swinging it's way through the rockin' hits of the day, only performing them all with absolutely perfect diction & grammar. The mastermind behind this way one Mr. Ray Bloch, who, according to the back cover to every one of the LPs that I own, was the musical director for the Ed Sullivan Show. All I know is that anything the man touched was gold! Check out his versions of "Penny Lane" and "Light My Fire" on the "Hits of '67" LP, or his absolutely quizzical take on the ENTIRE soundtrack from "Hair".

from Hits of '68 (Ambassador)



  konsu: Too true... I love the cover too. With the spunky teens shopping and sippin' on ice cream sodas in a flower montage.
  tinks: i'm glad i'm not alone in my unholy obsession!
My Weakness  performed by Moby  1999
Recommended by lionson76 [profile]

Instruments are piano and strings (I think). The music is hypnotic; it overwhelms me with a profound sadness yet simultaneously instills a sense of complete joy and satisfaction. The track is entirely too short, which justifies the execution of Moby for such an act of cruelty.

from Play, available on CD




  javaviolet: I love this song. Though I could never explain to anyone to what full extent. The music speaks volumes to me, and makes my heart just melt away.
Name  performed by Goo Goo Dolls  1995
Recommended by Carrie [profile]

And now we're grown up orphans,
That never knew their names,
We don't belong to no one,
That's a shame


Said to be about the singer's past. His parents died when he was young.

from A Boy Named Goo, available on CD


Name  performed by Goo Goo Dolls  2001
Recommended by izumi [profile]

This is probably my favourite Goo Goo Dolls song, and one of my fave songs ever. I loved it up the instant I heard it. The song has quite a simple musical structure to it - just a steady bass line, drum and a recurring guitar melody, but I love the melody and how it sounds really sad. I don't know what the lyrics are about, but most of the meaning you'll get and it's somewhat relaxing to listen to. If you're reading this, please please please check out this song because it's really sweet and deserves to be heard! =)

from Ego Opinion Art and Commerce (Hollywood 0127112HWR)


Narco Montenot  performed by Stereolab  1994
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Very possibly the 'Lab's most beautiful song. Sounds vaguely barouque beneath all those layers of floating voices & technological acumen. The whole thing races by at a dirge's pace, constantly hinting that it's about to be set loose into a frenzy, but always kept reined in. Appeared as a b-side on the "Wow & Flutter" single.

from Wow & Flutter (EP), available on CD



New Song  performed by Judy Mackenzie  1969
Recommended by Ashley [profile]

God-bothereing at its finest. Judy Mackenzie was a late 60s folkie with a Christian perspective who was ushered into the studio in 1969 courtesy of tiny label Key. The album isn't that great, but this uplifting brass-heavy pop tune and the the iredeemably sad strum-along Sally Brown are simply divine. Both can be found on the excellent Resurrcetion CD.

from Judy (Key)
available on CD - Resurrection (Second Coming)


new: sleepy sunset  performed by the uniform tragedy
Recommended by neko mina [profile]

It's a really simple song, musically. just some synth a guitar and two voices. both tinged with sweetness and a bit of innocence and sadness. the best line is probably "i can picture your heart falling to the ground from 13 stories up, i'll drop a penny from where i stand and see which one hits first".




No Time To Cry  performed by Iris Dement  1994
Recommended by Aquatown [profile]

Time to get our your hankies. There aren't too many singers who can make you believe every word they sing but Iris is one of those few. And when she's sings a song this sad, you'll be wiping away the tears long before the 6:49 passes by.


available on CD - My Life (Warner Bros.)


Nothing Left To Borrow  performed by The Jayhawks  1995
Recommended by MoeShinola [profile]

This songs stands in for "Sister Cry", "Settled Down Like Rain", "Clouds". "Two Angels", "Blue", and all the others from The Jayhawks' last two records with Mark Olsen, as well as on it's own. The harmonies are just the most raggedy and pure I've ever heard(sorry, King's X). I used to listen to this one over and over.

from Tomorrow The Green Grass (American)


Ol� Mulholland  performed by Frank Black  1994
Recommended by Fig Alert [profile]

No diss on the Pixies, especially being a big fan myself, but there are times that I think Mr. Black Black has displayed a far more interesting range since breaking up the band. Teenager of the Year will always be up for consideration on my all-time top ten. I think that it's sadly and unfairly dismissed by too many people. But maybe I can assuage and tempt some of those doubters with this gem.

Inspired by real history and/or the movie "Chinatown," the subject matter is about bringing the Colorado river to the thirsty City of Angels, by hook or by crook, and all the fortune and fame to be had by the one to do it, thus the title. That's what makes the lyrics so fun.

But the real thrill is the "fukk yeah!" abandon of this melodically-twisting tune. It plain rocks...and is brain food to boot. I swear Eric Drew Feldman, of Pere Ubu fame, who produced and played on this album, takes Black's songs to magnificent heights. I've yet to hear a better album of his work.

This sample is an outro-guitar slide into homebase supplied by Lyle Workman. Standing as one of my all-time fave guitar parts, it is at once fret-adept, rhythmically punchy, and pure electrical flow exhiliration. Ol�!

from Teenager Of The Year (4AD/Elektra 61618-2)



On Love, In Sadness  performed by Jason Mraz  2002
Recommended by Squince [profile]

from Waiting For My Rocket To Come (Elektra)


One More Time  performed by The Clash  198?
Recommended by mattypenny [profile]

I love the Clash. I love the way they were four disparate individuals each bringing their own stuff to the mix. Topper's excellent drumming, Simonon's cool, Mick Jones musicality and street smarts, and Joe Strummer's....umm...Strummer-ness.

I love the fact they didn't play Top of the Pops. I love the fact that Strummer admitted that this was mainly 'cos he was crap at miming rather than out of any significant political stance or anything.

I love how gooood they were live. And I love the fact that I was lucky enough to see them.

I love the fact that Strummer picked 'Crawfish' as his favourite Elvis song. I also love the fact that sometimes, to my mind, they got things badly wrong, sounded a bit gauche or wrongheaded or worse. I'm thinking of Red Brigade t-shirts, using Belfast as a photo opportunity, and maybe singing about ghettos and Brixton, for the 'romance' of it when they weren't necessarily the closest to either. I dunno. That side makes me feel uneasy at times, but that's fine - makes me think.

This song is great. Reggae influenced rock, Strummer belting out 'one more time in the ghetto...'.

Its been so sad losing Joe, Johnny (Cash) and John (Peel) over the last couple of years. Good men, you feel.

from Sandanista, available on CD


Only a Fool  performed by Clyde Mcphatter  1968
Recommended by geezer [profile]

An attempt to bring a former soul legend up to date at least in 1968,a beautiful soulful ballad composed by Apple man Jackie Lomax and put out by brit psych label Deram .as it happened it sank without trace audible only to collectors of rare soul and sixties pop compilations which is a shame because this is a fine song tinged with a sense of audible regret and sadness that proliferated many a late sixties chart hit of inferior quality

from Best of


Out The Window  performed by Violent Femmes  1991
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Yeah, yeah, just about everyone has heard the classic first album by the Milwaukee trio... however, some of their truly best efforts are to be found on later releases. "Out the Window" is one of those femme-gems that many people are sadly unaware of. Gordon Gano is in top form in this ode to unfortunate clumsiness ("life was short and life was sweet", I was thinking as I hit the street, I could hardly believe, I could scarcely conceive, that I had gone out the window).
The femme-enized remake of 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me' on this album is also not to be missed!

from Why Do Birds Sing, available on CD


Paint A Vulgar Picture  performed by the Smiths  1987
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Morrissey, ever the angry young vegan, sings a beautiful tribute to a music idol who has recently died and then proceeds to lash out at the big record companies that repackage and reissue the work of the artist all in the name of the almighty dollar. Sadly the very same thing would happen to the Smiths' catalogue just a few years later. Define 'irony'. Of course I sit here at this computer just 14 feet away from a record shelf that is stuffed with the reissues and repackages of the above named catalogue but I just couldn't resist those cute little 10-inch limited edition vinyl LPs that Warner UK put out in the early 1990s including the very album this song appears on...

from Strangeways Here We Come, available on CD



  jmurray: Am I the only one who thinks this song is about Ian Curtis and Factory Records? Think about it. Morrissey would have certainly gone to JD shows in the late 70's. Reportedly, he was at the 4 June 1976 Pistols show at Lesser Free Trade Hall. Clearly, Moz and the Smiths rejected Factory Records when their time came about to find a label. Maybe, Moz was not only disgusted with Factory's obsession with repackageing JD material into new releases, but perhaps Moz had a romantic eye for Curtis. Perhaps, they touched "at the soundcheck." And though somewhat morbid, he sang about never tainting his love for Curtis because Curtis was "on their hands a dead star."
  n-jeff: I wouldn't have thought it was the case, it must have been 20 years before factory compiled Joy Divisions stuff. When he died they bought out the scheduled releases: "love will tear us apart", "Closer" and then I think it was a few years before "Still" appeared. They got on pretty quickly with developing new Order IIRC, it couldn't have been that long before "ceremony" appeared.
I'm not Tony Wilsons biggest fan, but I think Factory did a pretty good job of handling Curtis' suicide. And they weren't really that popular anyway, at that time.
Now, the frenzy that marked John Lennons death. That was something else.

  jmurray: Paint a Vulgar Picture was 1987, long after Factory, and the remainder of JD had moved on to New Order. By that time, NO had released numerous 12" singles and LP's all the way through FAC 150, Brotherhood. For the record, FAC 37 was a video release called Here Are The Young Men of JD in Aug '82, FAC 40 is the JD compilation Still released in Oct '81, and NO's first release Ceremony is FAC 33 in Jan '81. There are also many JD appearances on various Factory Records compilations, both LP and video. All of this, of course, going on long before Moz, Marr, Rourke, and Joyce ever were together as the Smiths. One final thought, and please excuse the macabre, listen very closely to the last line of lyric in Vulgar, there is a distinct, but obvious choking sound just after the last word. If Moz hadn't made a career of singing about the "romantic" side of death, suicide, et. al. I would dismiss it as just a gutteral noise, but...
  n-jeff: I bow to your superior research.
And wince to your final thought!

  lasinge: I just tonight thought for the first time about who the song might be about (bizarre, since it's one of my favorite songs) and the first person I came up with was Ian Curtis. This story is old (I know) but it goes on...
  FlyingDutchman1971: The new Smiths bootleg "Unreleased Demos and B-sides" has a great rendition of this song with slightly different lyrics. Grab a copy of you have the chance.
  delicado: It has literally never occurred to me that this could be who it's about. I guess it's possible but it just seems wrong to me somehow. And I don't remember any tacky badges on Factory releases (unless I missed them). Interesting bootleg for sure...
Passenger Seat  performed by Death Cab For Cutie  2003
Recommended by shakebear [profile]

'Passenger Seat' is slow, beautiful and envokes many emotions. It's definitely my favourite song by Death Cab For Cutie, it is the kind of track that you can listen to whether you're sad and need to cry, or hyper and need to calm down :)

from Transatlanticism (Barsuk Records)


Past, Present & Future  performed by The Shangri-Las  1966
Recommended by 4givemyNglish [profile]

Haunting melody inspired by the Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
Lyrics are truly depressing for a so called "girls band" and this song so unique has been qualified as one of the saddest ever made in the sixties. The Shangri-Las is a fascinating and under-rated band that deserves to be re-discovered. Quick list of recommended songs : Remember (Walkin' in the Sand) -yes they did this too!-, I Can Never Go Home Anymore, Give Us Your Blessing, Leader of the Pack, etc...


available on CD - The Best of the Shangri-Las (Polygram)




  delicado: This song is utter genius. 'just don't try to touch me... because that will never happen again'. They are indeed under-rated. It's strange really. There are CD compilations out there, but they all seem to marketed in a budget kind of way.
  jeanette: There's hot debate as to what this song means... I've read that it's about a rape survivor which kind of makes sense but I think it has too much mystery to it to define completely. George "Shadow" Morton surpasses even the greatest hopes for girl-group trash-drama. As to the compilations, there's a great one on RPM called "Myrmidons Of Melodrama". Strangely, its available in two different covers, with slightly altered tracklisting (a few songs on one not on the other and vice versa) but either one contains all their best tracks and some amusing "Radio Spots" with Mary Weiss (lead singer) giving tips on how to behave on a date. "Don't barge on ahead like a baby elephant" she advises; "you'll get attention all right, but it won't be favourable".
  milhouse-paris: The two different versions of "Myrmidons of Melodrama" are quite different, not only because of the tracklisting, but also becouse the most recent one(2002, by RPM) has stereo versions of 5 songs. I'm not sure that these songs sound better in stereo than in mono...
  delicado: I now have the newer 'Myrmidons' comp. So many great tracks. My favorite bit of this song is right at the end when she says "I'm all packed up and I'm on my way - and I'm going to fall in love ... but at the moment, it doesn't look good ... At the moment, it will never happen again."
Phantasmagoria In Two  performed by Tim Buckley  1967
Recommended by mcinto_i [profile]

After years of thinking (quite selfishly) how tragic it was that Jeff Buckley only gave us two beautiful albums plus a few bits and pieces, I started to think that even though his old man died young as well, he released 9 albums and that there was almost certainly an untapped resource just asking for the tapping. I've only got a couple so far (Goodbye and Hello, and Greetings from LA) but the similarities with Jeff are amazing. They both have this sort of (and I'm sure I'm not the first to use this term in reference to the Buckleys) 'sad beauty' about the melody and changes which just never fails to give me a lift. This song is a prime example of that.

from Goodbye and Hello




  4givemyNglish: From Tim Buckley, i only knew the covers made by This Mortal Coil on their 3 LPs. I recently listened to the original versions of songs like Song to the Siren or I must Be Blind. Buckley had simply an awesome voice and that song you recommend is just beautiful.
Photobooth Curtain  performed by School for the Dead  2004
Recommended by catmarigold [profile]

Poppy Rocky Indie. This song is kind of funny but also kind of sad. Power-pop instrumentation with lots of harmonies. Great lyrics and melody, very cool arrangement.

from The New You, available on CD


play crack the sky  performed by brand new  2003
Recommended by always_lazy [profile]

a superb acoustic song with great lyrics. It's so beautiful it brings tears to my eyes.

from deja entendu (razor & tie)


Reckoner  performed by Radiohead
Recommended by Colezoll [profile]

It's quiet and sad, there is a smoky ride cymbal and some shakers that repeat a syncopated rhythm throughout the song, with clean electric guitars, interesting synthesized sounds, and Thom Yorke's voice carrying the melody.

from In Rainbows


Red  performed by Okkervil River
Recommended by Reina [profile]

Sad, beautiful, tender song. If you like it, check out more Okkervil River.

"Red is my favorite color...red like your mother's eyes after a while of crying about how you don't love her..."




Rest in Peace  performed by Chad & Jeremy  196?
Recommended by konsu [profile]

An amazing trippy piece of social commentary, from their genius concept LP. The opening track, and it goes all over the place with this completely mad arrangement by Chad Stuart, and produced by Gary Usher (of "Pet Sounds" fame). The track seems to pertain to mortality, and the sad truth of time and the forgotten... It sets the tone for the whole album, which seems inspired by atmosphere of the time, when singles were exchanged for huge concept pieces, more likely due to the success of "Sgt. Peppers" and the like, but taking a much more delightfully cynical view! A sometimes overlooked part of the britpop puzzle, Chad and Jeremy are full of surprises.

from Of Cabbages & Kings, available on CD


Road to Happiness  performed by the Lilac Time   1989
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A melancholic slice of tranquility,little in the way of instrumentation save for an accordion,and some percussion and acoustic guitar,so sad and lonely it makes you feel better about yourself and the drone like melody will stay in your head long after your gone .

from The Lalac Time
available on CD - The Liac Time


Rockets  performed by Cat Power  1995
Recommended by spinspin [profile]

Driving and discordant, bittersweet, sad. This song is the most beautiful thing I've heard this week. In the mixtape of my head this comes right before Johnny Cash's "Don't bring your guns to town." A song you should listen to after you watch the evening news tonight... (released free as part of the protest records project: http://www.protest-records.com/ which is somehow associated with sonic youth.)


available on CD - Dear Sir (Runt)


Romance  performed by Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man  2002
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

A great track from the excellent "solo" LP by the Portishead vocalist (actually it’s a collaboration with Paul Webb - one time member of sublime 1980's pop group Talk Talk - calling himself Rustin Man for some reason.) The arrangement suggests a low-key take on one of Bacharach/David's statelier ballads, (like say "Aprils Fools" or "Trains and Boats and Planes"), which develops a wonderfully sad groove on the chorus. There are lovely strings, a great, woozy horn solo, and some inspired use of subtle, dissonant electronic textures and spooky female background vocals (both very Ennio Morricone.) Meanwhile, Gibbons does her most stylized take on Billie Holiday at her most stylized - which really shouldn't work, but somehow ends up being just right. Strong song from a very strong album.

from Out of Season, available on CD



  bobbyspacetroup: Agreed. This track and "Drake" are my favorites from the album -- especially "Drake." Good recommendation.
Runaround Sue  performed by Dion & the Belmonts  1962
Recommended by fantasticsupremedeluxe [profile]

"I should have known it from the very start
This girl would leave me with a broken heart
Now listen people, what I'm telling you
keep away from Runaround Sue


I miss her lips and the smile on her face
touch of her hands and this girls warm embrace
so if you don't wanna cry like I do
keep away from Runaround Sue"


Half sad, half funky. A very groovy Doo Wop - track with a funny melody that makes it hard to believe that the guy is really blue...


available on CD - Dion Hits (1958-1963) (Ace)


Sad and Crazy  performed by Photo-Poetic  2007
Recommended by drjonez [profile]

Chill and cozy. Kind of epic. I love it

from unknwon (?)


Sad, Sad Sunshine  performed by Al Kooper  1970
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Al Cooper is a great overlooked songwriter.His album,Easy Does It,is a double length tour de force.He wrote more than half the tunes for this double LP,and played a myriad of instruments as well!This one is my favorite right now, mainly because it mixes well with my miserable winter. Instumentally, it has a sort of"Indo-blues"quality, with sitar(played by Mr. Cooper himself) and tablas against a lilting string ensemble.It's a song of lost love and it's dreaded illumination:"...As the sun it slowly rises, there is judgement in it's glare/And it seems too much to ask, to light a face that isn't there..." A real treat of a tune, and a must for any fans of american songwriter stuff with a touch of sad humor.Also check out his sprawling version of the Big Joe Williams tune "Baby Please Don't Go" and another original,"She Gets Me Where I Live".

from Easy Does It, available on CD


Say Hello to the Angels  performed by Interpol  2002
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

Interpol are a great band... This track stands out for me because it's fairly uptempo. It's angry and sad and menacing all at once. That's kinda cool.

from Turn on the Bright Lighs (Matador)



Season of the Shark  performed by Yo la tengo  2003
Recommended by megara [profile]

Due to the constant everyday trippings, one learns to walk looking down, watching the cracks, watching the steps, watching the pebbles. That's how I found this track. I took a dive recently and came back to the surface with this song.
One little tune, one refrence and one image, these three combined make a lonely humming of this indie tune almost orchestral, de description of the saddest episodes or maybe just the most difficult ones, the unexplainable feeling, translated into a postcard of the big ocean, the clouds, the sun, the isolation, the danger, the sharks down by the surface surrounding your tiny boat, a breeze, a guitar, however you dive, always assured that seasons come and go.

from Summer Sun, available on CD


she makes me wanna die  performed by tricky
Recommended by javaviolet [profile]

A very melancholia song. Tricky, with the help of a female singer (though I don't know who) set you adrift the feeling of sadness and depression. If you ever felt like you were nothing from a friend, this is your song.




Sick Sad Little World  performed by Incubus
Recommended by Ninjujitsu [profile]




Snake Hill  performed by Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band
Recommended by DearPrudence [profile]

Weird song. Great Song. Taylor Hollingsworth sings this one and its the perfect closure to the great album that is Outer South. It's sad and slow and yet it is able to make you smile and sing along.




Sola (Then)  performed by Rocio Durcal  1977
Recommended by RCA76 [profile]

This is my most favorite song in the world. I love it because it is a classic, latin, late 1970's, sultry, soft, dinner party or alone-with-someone-special type of track. The instrumentation is not totally typical of latin music (fast rhythm, very ornate), it is soft and easy. The vocals are absolutely velvety and very sensual. Although it is a "sad" song, it is one of those songs that makes you want think about that special certain someone.

from Una Vez Mas (Ariola LA-045)
available on CD - Rocio Durcal � Su Historia y �xitos Musicales Vol. 1 (BMG/Ariola (2004))


Someone To Watch Over Me  performed by Blossom Dearie  1959
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Just about everyone has a favorite version of this song and Blossom Dearie's recording is mine. Sitting quietly at the piano with bass and percussion joining in Blossom maps out the man of her dreams and what she plans to do when she finds him. Another gem from the sadly out-of-print album 'My Gentleman Friend'.

from My Gentleman Friend (Verve MGV 2125)
available on CD - The Gershwin Songbook / Blossom Dearie - Verve Jazz Masters 51 ((Verve 314 513 928) / (Verve/Polygram 529906))



  FlyingDutchman1971: a reliable source tells me that this original album will be released to CD sometime in late 2003. I highly recommend it!
  Nycteris: Una cancion conmovedora, en el registro que solo Blossom puede ofrecer, como curiosidad la version de Blossom de esta cancion y "Manhattan" estan catalogadas como insuperables. La puedes encontrar en el disco de Verve "Jazz Masters" vol. 51 (que es una joya).
Story Of a Girl  performed by Nine Days  2000
Recommended by Carrie [profile]

And while she looks so sad in photographs,
I absolutely love her, when she smiles


Amazing lyrics.


from The Madding Crowd, available on CD


Suffer Little Children  performed by The Smiths  1984
Recommended by missewon [profile]

I was recently scouring the web for information on Morrissey and The Smiths - as i sometimes do from time to time. There was a poll on morrissey-solo.com that had already been archived, so I couldn't add my 2 cents to the discussion. The poll was something like "what is the saddest Smiths/Morrissey song"? You could only pick from a select few. Much to my surprise "Suffer Little Children" was NOT on the list of songs to chose. The song is about the Moors Murders - which happened in the sixties, not too far from Manchester. Several children were murdered and buried out on the moors. The line that gets me is "You might sleep BUT YOU WILL NEVER DREAM!"

from The Smiths, available on CD



  executiveslacks: Great song. The laughing girl towards the end of the song gets me everytime.
  MickeyPeas: Very powerful song indeed that provokes equally powerful emotions. The laughing girl is Annalisa Jablonska who also provides the "Oh really?" on "Pretty Girls Make Graves".
  FlyingDutchman1971: This one is definitely the saddest Smiths song. I would vote the song 'Asleep' as a close second. One of the murderers, Myra Handley, died just one year ago in November 2002 and the other one, Ian Brady, was in court this past September for a sanity hearing. He wants the mental health tribunal to move him to an ordinary prison, where the authorities would be powerless to prevent him deliberately starving to death. He has been force-fed since 1999. I say let him starve!
  daveshaw5: Its nice to see the power of the Smiths still at work. As a child of Manchester growing up in the eighties they had a profound effect on me. I rarely listen to them now but occasionally I dust off a 7" inch single and remember them fondly. There is a lot of humour in their songs as well so dont get too dark. Joy division were also massively influential and their music has survived a lot better.
Swamp Thing  performed by Chameleons  1986
Recommended by lil_ze [profile]

Johnny Marr once said that he wanted to write a song with an unforgettable guitar intro, like Eric Clapton's "Layla". He was, at the time, talking about the penning of the Smiths' "How Soon is Now?" The Chameleons' "Swamp Thing" does everything still that "How Soon is Now?" did for me when I was 16. Difference is, I haven't popped in a Smiths mixtape since I was 20.

There's somthing very romantic about this song. I've never really paid too much attention to the lyrics of this particular Chameleons track, although Mark Burgess' oddly peotic songwriting skills on other tracks have haunted my mind years after I had heard them. This tune is led and driven by the chord structure more than just the delayed, jangly guitar, or the powerfully precise drumming. Midway into the tune, the song goes from minor chord structure to major chord structure, even though the lyrics remain as bleak as a Manchester weather report.

Whenever I hear this song, one word always pops into my head, "pretty". That's what this song is. Pretty.

from Strange Times, available on CD



  kohl: yes. excellent.
Talk Show Host  performed by Radiohead  1996
Recommended by penelope_66 [profile]

Super-dark-sexy...This song is an honest portrayal of the paradoxes involved with desire; happy/sad, pleasure/pain, love/hate...etc. I find it terribly gloomy yet wonderfully uplifting at the same time. Just beautiful.


available on CD - Street Spirit (Fade Out) EP


Te Quiero Tal C�mo Eres (Just The Way You Are)  performed by Jose Jose  1977
Recommended by RCA76 [profile]

This is an "excelente" version of Billy Joel's version of "Just The Way You Are". This album was recorded in 1977, beginning his era with BMG/ Ariola records. The executives, happy to have a performer like JOSE JOSE, provided him with the best musicians, numbers and producers of the time. Included in this album are 2 numbers by Mexico's greatest: Juan Gabriel ("Ya lo pasado, pasado" & "Ahora No !"). Among others credited are Napoleon ("Lo que no fue, no sera"), Adan Torres("Almohada"). Of the 10 numbers included, 7 were top ten hits in Mexico, Colombia and the U.S. Leaving disco to other performers that needed to launch their productions to the international market, Jose Jose's album is just pure old-fashioned latin love songs, songs still heared today.

from Lo Pasado, Pasado, available on CD


Tereza and Tomas  performed by Bright Eyes  1998
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

'Bright Eyes' O'Connor Oberst is a gifted lyricist and probably the best for his age (19 at record release). With his literary references and unconventional recording, listening to Bright Eyes is quite an experience. In this instance we meet the protagonists of the novel, 'The Unberable Lightness of Being,' and find in their weightlessness the desire to escape. Slow acoustic struming by O'Conner steady his intense vocals and between the chimes and reverberating forte piano we experience a disjointing storm used to great effect. The song has us drifting at sea with a delicate melody until we are at last erased like a skeleton in chalk. Bright Eyes sings - 'Let's sail away disappearing in a mist. Let's sail away with a whisper and a kiss. Or vanish from a road somewhere, like Tereza and Tomas, suspended in this bliss.' We feel his expressive words and sound pass through us, and late in the day we find it echoing softly in our heads. Quite an accomplishment for someone who couldn't drink yet, I look forward to following his career.

from Letting Off the Happiness (Saddle Creek Records lbj - 23)



the big country  performed by talking heads
Recommended by [email protected] [profile]

slide guitar David Byrne's sad voice goo goo gaa gaa gaa

from more songs about people and food


The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot  performed by Brand New  2003
Recommended by nospmohtetak [profile]

long name for a very, very good song about someone wishing to better than what he really is

from Deja Entendu (Razor&Tie Music 82896)


The Conductor  performed by the faint  2001
Recommended by elvisneedsboats [profile]

arguably one of my favorite faint songs. but they're all good. the faint is all about the eighties synth-pop aesthetic, but they reach out of that style enough to keep it interesting. a lot of their stuff, this song in particular, shows this keen sense of being able to combine the dark("macabre" even, if you will.) synth/drum machine sound and equally dark lyrics with catchy riffs in a way that keeps the pessimistic, shadowy side bubbling at the surface. kinda reminds me of joy division, not so much in the style (even though there are some points where the two sound similar) but in the general tone. 'the conductor' is all about the atmospheric key board drones and 'plunk' sounds, plus the vocoder thing they use on the vocals.

from danse macabre, available on CD



The Golden Age  performed by Beck  2002
Recommended by Sulku [profile]

from Sea Change


The Happiest Day Of My Life  performed by Queen Anne’s Lace  1968
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

Soft-rock magic. This song is breathy, light, and perversely sad-sounding. Maybe wistful is the word. The album is in the finest Free Design-sounding tradition, including covers of Beatles, Bacharach, Paul Simon, "Sally Go Round The Roses," and such top-shelf originals as this. Truly splendid.

from Queen Anne's Lace (Coral CRL 757509)



The Lament Of Pretty Baby  performed by Cursive  2000
Recommended by malpt [profile]

This is a powerful and deep song. I love it. It moves me. Every time I listen to it, it moves me.

from Domestica, available on CD


The Mahabharata Original Soundtrack  performed by Svetasvatara Upanisad  1990
Recommended by flange1515 [profile]

Sarmila Roy the end song from the play not really indian a western take...




The Nightingale  performed by Julee Cruise  1989
Recommended by JoNZ [profile]

This song breaks my heart every time I hear it. Musically, it's like "Leader of the Pack", but at a snails pace. the thing is that the lyrics and Julee Cruise's delivery are so full of sadness and desire. The feeling grows as the song progresses, especially when the background wail kicks in. It illuminates dark places in the heart. This song is also included on the Twin Peaks sound track.

from Falling Into the Night, available on CD


The River(live)  performed by Bruce Springsteen  2000
Recommended by giant [profile]

Ok, Ok, cut it out, we all know Bruce went ultra commercial and slightly "rock n roll artificial" there in the eighties but what the mainstream listener doesn't know, is that Springsteen has some very powerful songs tucked under his belt. Similar to the Beach Boys, Bruce is widely known on the weight of his biggest commercial succeses, ie. "Born in The USA", however he has written some incredibly moving songs, most of them acoustic on such albums as "Nebraska" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad." Here is Bruce in the vein of our great American folk singers like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash(who has covered a Springsteen Song)in one of the most tender and haunting songs, sung live, Harmonica by bruce as well, and it is called "The River" This concert was also televised, and the tear I noticed in his eyes as he performed this lovely and sad song further shows how much he brings and to what depth he is able to express.

from live in New York City
available on CD - live in New York City



  phil: Hm - a very good friend of mine is really into Bruce Springsteen, and out of the respect I hold him in I have tried listening to the Boss' stuff. And I really began to like this one - I have a live version of this from Barcelona which is really very moving, in which Bruce talks about failing his medical for the Vietnam draft.

It always strikes me as - er - outdoor music, quite different from the hair-splitting, neurotic, urban stuff I usually listen to. Definitely worth a listen if you have previously sniffed at the springsteen but are willing to have another go - as giant says, it's real great american folk singer stuff.

Incidentally, while recording my band's last demo, the rest of the band described a solo I played as 'sounding like bruce springsteen'. A small chill ran down my spine.

The Road to Happiness  performed by The Lilac Time  1988
Recommended by geezer [profile]

Recorded early in Stephen Duffys long and mostly un recognised consistantly brilliant career ,this from the first Lilac time L.p ,itself,an eclectic jewel amidst late 80,s polished mediocrity .A mournful folky number played out on a harmonium,accordion and light percussion ,sadness never sounded so uplifting and hopeful.Everytime i hear Duffy now i cam imagine Robbie williams covering .

from Lilac Time, available on CD


The Saddest Song  performed by The Ataris  2003
Recommended by izumi [profile]

I love the meaning and melody of this song. It's not about love or death or anything, but about how the singer feels sorry because he doesn't spend enough time with his daughter. It always makes me feel sad listening to this because I can relate to it on a personal level. There are two versions of this song, a guitar/drum version (which I prefer), but the acoustic version is just as good and the same piano theme occurs in both.

from So Long, Astoria (Columbia 5105302)


Thousands Are Sailing  performed by The Pogues  1988
Recommended by Bus [profile]

A song about mass Irish emmigration to the United States which happend during the The Irish Famine of 1846-50 (the population droped from 8 million to 5)and also refers to the second wave that left during the 1970s/80's due to unemployment.

A sad and bitter song with strong Irish pipe/fiddle playing.

from If I Should Fall From Grace With God (WEA Records Ltd.)
available on CD - The Best Of The Pogues


Ticket To The Moon  performed by Electric Light Orchestra  1981
Recommended by Goldtransam [profile]

The song is somewhat reminiscent of their earlier output, featuring grand piano and more strings than their past few singles. Beautiful song by a brilliant band.

"I've got a ticket to the moon, but i'd rather see the sunshine in your eyes"

from Time (Jet Records & Columbia Records)



  Mike: Nice to see this recommendation! Simple song with a pretty post-Beatles melody. I've just dug out my LP of Time and have been playing side 1. It really sparkles!
  Mike: My favourite song on the album is "21st Century Man" on side 2, which I thing rates highly among their overall output and is maybe the last great song they produced. The weakest song on the album has to be the single "Hold on Tight" which sounds as though they were trying to compete with Shakin' Stevens!
Tim McGraw  performed by Taylor Swift
Recommended by mklinsao [profile]

A song that Taylor Swift wrote as a freshman in high school about her senior boyfriend. She knew that when he left for college, they would have to break up, so the song talks about all the memories she wants him to keep.

from Taylor Swift


To know him is to love him  performed by The Teddy Bears  1958
Recommended by valesca [profile]

This brilliant song was a number 1 hit in the United States in 1958. It was sold over 1 million times between the release date in oktober and Christmas. It was written by Phil Spector, who was the songwriter, guitarist and composer of The Teddy Bears. (The band`s name is based on the number 1 hit "Teddy Bear" by Elvis Presley)The inspiration for the songtext was the inscription of the grave of Phil Spector`s father, who commited suicide.

The arrangement of "To know him is to love him" is very light an pure, so that the sad and loving words come to the fore. The angle-like vocals sung by Annette Kleinbard create a heavenly ambience. To me "To know him is to love him" is one of the most affectionate and beautiful songs I`ve ever heard. Although the song is performed by many bands and singers(for example "The Chordettes") the version of The Teddy Bears is according to my taste the best of them all.


available on CD - Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits (Rhino)


Tugboat  performed by Galaxie 500  1988
Recommended by Stian______ [profile]

Guess u can call this a love-song , it manages to be pretty sad and still come through as pretty light-hearted. It doesnt take many hearings before its a classic in your ears. The instrumentalisation (is that even a word lol) is pretty simple ,and yet so very effective.

from Today, available on CD



Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad  performed by Nancy Sinatra  2004
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Nancy Sinatra joined the Attack Records family with the 2004 self-titled release, "Nancy Sinatra". She contacted artists that she and her daughters admire such as Morrissey, Jarvis Cocker, and Thurston Moore among others and found that these artists were also fans of hers and were eager to collaborate with her on the new album.

This song is U2's contribution to the album. Bono and The Edge wrote the song and Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen provided bass and drums on the recording.

The song is a beautiful slow jazzy ballad in which the lyrics compare the good things in life as shots of "happy" and the harsh moments as shots of "sad".

from Nancy Sinatra, available on CD


Wait and See  performed by Lee Hazlewood
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

I didn't notice this great song the first time I heard it, but now that I have, I can't get out of my mind. This is one of Lee's sadder songs, but don't let that turn you away. The piano on here (played by Don Randi) reminds me SO MUCH of a specific Nick Cave song, but I haven't been able to place it. Didn't Lee and Nick perform together recently?

from Love And Other Crimes (Reprise RS 6287)




  delicado: alas, my copy of this album is not with me, but yeah, Nick invited Lee to perform at the Meltdown festival in 1999, and I'm sure he was an influence. On a related note, Lee's song 'Forget Marie' starts off sounding exactly like the Tindersticks to me. I actually originally got into Lee through cover versions of 'A cheat' and 'Look at that woman' on early 90s releases by London bands Gallon Drunk and The Earls of Suave.
Walk The City Streets  performed by Mary Wells  1992
Recommended by Arthur [profile]

Disco thumper ala Pet Shop Boys.
This is actually a remix of the song and as far as I know only came out on this CD. Recorded as part of the massive Motorcity project, Mary was unwell at the time of recording and sadly died a few years later. It was the last thing she ever recorded.

from The Best Of Motorcity (Motorcity/ Hot HTCD7701)


Waltzing Matilda  performed by Tom Waits
Recommended by eve [profile]

Tom Waits is so cool. All of his songs do a really good job of making you feel like you remember a time and place you've never seen... his world is one of boxcars, whiskey, and five o'clock shadow. This song is much less bizarre than some of his others; it's more mournful. But it's just... nice to hear. He is a sad old man.





  Jackamaku: Great tune, although the name of this song is actually "Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)"
wave  performed by david sylvian
Recommended by mfem [profile]

romantic mood with a sad edge
including one of the best guitar solos ever, by robert fripp

from gone to earth


Waves of Grain  performed by Two Gallants
Recommended by DearPrudence [profile]

Two Gallants are a Saddle Creek Records band, and unfortunately they don't get half the attention they should. They are very impressive and soulful. Great lyrics and the instrumental is brilliant as well.

This is a seven minute song that can blow your mind.




We Ate Each Other  performed by The Robot Ate Me  2002
Recommended by ispoketofoxes [profile]

San Diego's Ryland Bouchard could be one of the most gifted musical persons to have ever lived. Bouchard's creativity is astonishing. With only three albums, Bouchard (The Robot Ate Me) has created a universe that tells stories of various images.
His first release, They Ate Themselves, was released in 2002. It is a story strange sounds ranging from different musicians. Ranging from Radiohead to Neutral Milk Hotel and maybe even The Microphones. Among the 17 tracks there is great variety and creativity; this makes it hard for one to pick a favorite track. After owning the album for a while now I think I've come to a conclusion. Entitled "We Ate Eachother," this song displays peaceful picking while Bouchard sings quietly and very saddened. It describes the basic concept of the whole album. The lyrics are also both descriptive and secretive.

Anyone who likes Radiohead, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Microphones and anything on K Records, I strongly suggest listening to The Robot Ate Me.

from They Ate Themselves, available on CD


We Belong Together  performed by Rickie Lee Jones  1981
Recommended by komodo [profile]

An American tale with references to Brando, Dean and Natalie Wood, and characters like "Johnny the King". A series of melancholy snapshots of hope set to a jazz inflected soundtrack. Top-notch, both musically and lyrically.

With the companion piece (in my eyes, anyway) "Living It Up" (introducing us to "Eddie", "C***-finger Louie" & "Zero") which directly follows it on the album, it represents the pinnacle of Rickie Lee Jones career.

The rest of the "Pirates" album has its moments, such as the title track, as well as some less successful songs, and is well worth a listen if you get a chance.

I�ve listened to quite a lot of other stuff by Rickie Lee Jones and sadly it seems she has never come close to reaching the heights achieved by these two fine tracks, IMO.

from Pirates, available on CD


We're Still Free  performed by Skeleton Crew  1983
Recommended by havadonut [profile]

The best political song ever written, "We're Still Free" concerns the famous tragedy of a Korean passenger jet shot down by fighter planes when it strayed into Soviet airspace. Yet in recounting this act of barbarism on the part of the Soviets, it also implicates the righteousness of the American side of the Cold War ("We're still free here in America"). The song sets up a chilling contrast in the singing of the two performers, with Frith crying out almost desperately against believing what the media tell us, while Tom Cora gently croons the part of the Soviet air controllers as they decide to destroy the plane. Skeleton Crew was a two-man band with both performers playing drums with their feet along with electronics and strings. Here they set a contrast between the grand, arcing lines of the cello and a homey picking of the violin that's almost shockingly sweet and funny. Critical of anti-democratic trends in the West, Skeleton Crew was criticized by fans in Eastern Europe for taking freedom for granted.

from Learn to Talk (Rift (US)/RecRec (Switz) Rift/RecRec 08/05)
available on CD - Learn to Talk/Country of Blinds (RecRec (ReCDec 512))


Well Worn Hand  performed by Editors
Recommended by mateunio [profile]

sad




What Sarah Said  performed by Death Cab for Cutie  2005
Recommended by nospmohtetak [profile]

This song is a very sad revelation of what it means to truly love someone. Gibbard is telling a story of what it's like to be awaiting bad news in a hospital. The piano reflects the sad realization that at some point, the person you love will die, and if you're really going to be there for them, you have to watch them. The best lyric is "but I'm thinking of what Sarah said: 'love is watching someone die.'" It's a very well written, thought-provoking song.

from Plans (Atlantic Records)


What You Don’t Want To Hear  performed by Sam Phillips  1992
Recommended by Yammer [profile]

The former Leslie Phillips once recorded songs sold in Christian supply stores, disguising (presumably) the moist, carnal, and otherwise unholy drives behind The Indescribable Wow, her first release on the in-retrospect-mildly-ironic Virgin label. At a time when those of us with unslaked appetites for well-crafted Beatlesque pop were having to suck it up and try to get into rap or grunge, The Indescribable Wow appeared like a shimmering beacon of joy. This track's music is as perky and sunny as the beginning of a summertime fling, while Phillips's yearning voice and cutting lyrics have the sad truthfulness of the ending of a summertime fling.

from The Indescribable Wow (Virgin)


When I Am Gone  performed by Sparrow House
Recommended by softindierocker [profile]

I know this is incredibly cliched, but words cannot describe how beautiful this song is. So sad and sweet. Especially the lyrics. It's love the way the guy doesn't lay any blame, even though he's heartbroken.

This song didn't really stick out to me at first, but I read the lyrics and listened to it a bit more. Now, I totally love it!

If you've listened to this song but don't particularly like it, you should definitely give it another shot!




Whistle Down the Wind  performed by Nick Heyward  1983
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A lush orchestrated pop song that carries the sadness of autumn and the hope of spring in its stunning almost visual arrangement ,piano ,acoustic guitar and strings weave in and around a deceptively simple song whose chorus will stay with you long after music ends.Very close to perfect pop ,if such a thing exists,thoughtful ,intelligent ,sensitive and humourous .

from North of a Miracle
available on CD - North of a Miracle (Bonus)


Whistle for happiness  performed by Peggy Lee  1969
Recommended by mattias [profile]

A selldom heard song from Peggy Lee's most famous album, but probably one of the best. It is a sad song although she sings "whistle for happiness and it will come..." sad, emotional and great

from Is that all there is? (Capitol)
available on CD - Is that all there is/A natural woman


who needs forever  performed by astrud gilberto  1966
Recommended by coffman [profile]

This exceptionally haunting and lyrical song by Quincy Jones has received its definitive interpretion by Astrud Gilberto with arrangement and accompaniment by the Brazilian organist Walter Wanderley. The melancholy urgency of the piece resonates well with the dark/sad tonality that pervades so much of Bossa Nova music, though its character is also reminiscent of certain otherwise very different pieces from the bebop era, which had a formative influence on Quincy Jones' music. There is definitely the remote influence of Charlie Parker and especially Dizzy Gillespie. It's truly a completely unique piece. The drifting melody which seems to skirt over the chord changes has a beautiful inevitability. Only a very gifted and skilled musician could have contrived such a beautiful work. So Quincy Jones deserves especial credit for crafting this song from the film "The Deadly Affair."

Astrud's delivery, so typically limpid and restrained, only serves to heighten the intensity of this darkly passionate song. The subtle but somehow fierce organ playing of Walter Wanderley acheives a sizzling romanticism that perfectly complements the reading of Astrud's apparently detached fatalism.

In my opinion, this track is a true musical masterpiece. Its remarkable economy of means is a testament to the skill of the composer as well as the artistry of the performers. In fact, it's a nearly perfect combination of expressive means and poetic intent. The beautiful resolution, with Astrud's perfect striking of the high B-flat over the half-diminished F-minor seventh, is a moment of sublime dramatic intensity, though profoundly understated, as is typical of her finest artistic moments. One is reminded of Miles Davis. Her poetic skill is rooted in subtlety.

I have listened to this extraordinary track hundreds of times, and always experienced chills rising up on the back of my neck. How amazing that this incredible musical gem was omitted from the original album A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness. Perhaps it was too intense, too heavy; whatever the case, it's a truly remarkable piece of music.

I'm truly grateful to have discovered this great albeit minor musical masterpiece. There's really nothing else quite like it! The sizzling but subtle sensitivity of the rhythm section (Claudio Slon on drums, possibly Joao Gilberto on guitar and Jose Marino on bass) adds an intensity to the piece which helps project the almost existential tone of the song.

I'm really swept away by this obscure and neglected work, which attains -- for me at least -- to a peak of poetic intensity really rare in music. As is usual with Astrud at her best, it accomplishes its artistic ends with what seems like the most minimal of means. But subtlety is always the avenue to the most profound of artistic experiences. I think this is a remarkable example -- one of the greatest -- of the wedding of popular music and high art. It is a truly perfect performance. In my opinion, its greatness increases rather than diminshes with repeated listenings. There is only one word for that -- it's magic!

from A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness, available on CD



  rio: you must pick-up the quincy jones soundtrack (released with the score to "the pawnbroker") with astrud singing "who needs forever". The lush quincy jones score is hauntingly beautiful, and astrud never sounded better. This version is the real deal for me..
  rferus: Amazing guitar on this piece.
Wild is the wind  performed by David Bowie
Recommended by vleta [profile]




Write To Your MP Today  performed by McCarthy  1990
Recommended by john_l [profile]

Another fast and furious assault with incendiary guitars! There's really not much more to say than that. They have a number of other great songs, like "The Well-Fed Point of View" (also on this LP, their third and best) the single "This Nelson Rockefeller" (which is on the compilation "That's All Very Well But"), and a handful on their first LP "I Am A Wallet". Their second LP had the best title, "The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth", but the weakest material.

The "MP" in the title means Member of Parliament, from which you can guess that McCarthy wrote mostly political songs. They were together from about 1985 to 1990, at which time they split up (Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier went on to form Stereolab, of which I have a couple of CDs that so far do little for me).

from Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today, available on CD


Yesterday  performed by The Beatles
Recommended by yawgm8th [profile]

Under the right conditions this song almost makes me cry.




Yesterday when I was young  performed by Blossom Dearie  1970
Recommended by mattias [profile]

This song is just one of the great songs from the Fontana album "Thats just the way I want to be". The song is written by Charles Aznavoir and this is the definitive version of it. Blossom is singing i front of a huge orchestra and her voice is clearer than ever as she sings this sad song to the happy bossa nova arrangements. Very nice!
See my website for more info: http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/blossomdearie/blossomdeariediscography.html

from That's just the way I want to be (Fontana)
available on CD - Whisper for you



  delicado: I love this version too, but oddly enough I once played it to someone I met on a plane who was a huge Aznavour fan. She felt that Blossom's version deprived the song of its drama. I agree with you that the contrast of the sad song and the light, happy bossa arrangement works very well.
You Got To Die  performed by Blind Willie McTell  1949
Recommended by magicsteven [profile]

A beautiful performance featuring Willie's voice and guitar alone.

from Atlanta Twelve String, available on CD


You remain an Angel  performed by Danny Wilson  1987
Recommended by geezer [profile]

An eighties incarnation of the epic sadness and yearning that the Walker Brothers did so well with the songs of Jaques Brel and Bob Gaudio(Sun aint gonna shine Anymore).This band was a rare thing at this point ,they had aspirations to write great timeless songs when drum machines ruled the world.On this ,they suceeded ,the songs heartbreaking climax could make a man cry,awash with brave brass and orchestral tears leaving a man broken in two and drowning in his own tears by the time the song fades into an eerie percussive silence .

from Meet Danny Wilson, available on CD


You’ve change  performed by Billie Holiday  1958
Recommended by mattias [profile]

I've been absolutly crazy about this song ever since I first heard it on the radio. It's from the great Lady in satin album. A very sad song, some of the last she recorded, and many people said that she couldn't sing anymore. Her broken voice is perfect for this song

from Lady in Satin


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