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We all need a good cry every now and then. These sad songs will do the trick.
By Liz Abere — Written on Oct 26, 2021
It's totally normal to need a good cry sometimes, and there's nothing that does the trick quite like the best sad songs can.
Hearing your favorite artists of all time singing the saddest lyrics and capturing the depth of your emotion has a way of breaking through even the most stoic exterior, so you can finally let all of those emotions come pouring out with your tears.
Bottling up your emotions is rarely beneficial for either your physical or mental wellbeing. In fact, according to Dr. Alicia Clark, crying "helps mobilize intense feelings, provide their cathartic release, and is one of our most efficient balancing tools."
We hand-picked the list of sad songs below to help you bring on the tears when you feel like it's all getting to be too much. Feel free to cry along to your own favorite (or go ahead and bawl your eyes out to the entire playlist if you're so inclined).
100 Saddest Songs Of All Time With Painfully Sad Song Lyrics
1. "If I Die Young" sung by Naya Rivera on "Glee"
What makes this song so incredibly sad is that it was sung by "Glee" star, Naya Rivera, who tragically drowned in July 2020.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
If I die young bury me in satin / Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn / Send me away with the words of a love song
2. "Angie" by The Rolling Stones
One of the Rolling Stones' only ballads, the song is about the darkest addiction: heroin.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
With no lovin' in our souls / And no money in our coats / You can't say we're satisfied
But Angie, Angie / You can't say we never tried
Angie, you're beautiful / But ain't it time we say goodbye
3. "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails
While many speculate that the song is a suicide note, others believe it's about self-harm, depression, and drug use. Johnny Cash even recorded a version of the song in 2002.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I hurt myself today / To see if I still feel / I focus on the pain / The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole / The old familiar sting / Try to kill it all away / But I remember everything
What have I become? / My sweetest friend / Everyone I know goes away / In the end
4. "Tear In Your Hand" by Tori Amos
There's a certain sadness that comes with nostalgia, and a longing for things and people from the past.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
All the world just stopped now / So you say you don't want to stay together anymore
Let me take a deep breath babe / If you need me, me and Neil'll be hangin' out with the dream king
Neil says hi by the way / I don't believe you're leaving cause me and Charles Manson like the same ice cream
I think it's that girl and I think there're pieces of me you've never seen / Maybe she's just pieces of me you've never seen well
5. "Canvas" by Shane Smith & The Saints
Sometimes in life, we grow distant from those closest to us. But just remember that there's always time to go back and reconnect.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
He said, "Your life is a canvas, you paint some everyday / And when you think you've got it all figured out in your head you know the Man's got your final say
And look back on all your memories, if we go our separate ways / Don't forget your life's a canvas, we might get painted back someday"
6. "Don't Speak" by No Doubt
Famously written about Stefani's breakup with band member Tony Kanal, the pain of losing your best friend and lover is not easily overcome.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
You and me, we used to be together / Every day together, always
I really feel that I'm losin' my best friend / I can't believe this could be the end
It looks as though you're lettin' go / And if it's real, well, I don't want to know
7. "Re: Stacks" by Bon Iver
Falling in love is a gamble, as the lyrics suggest; sometimes, you lose your hand and end up with a failed relationship.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I keep throwing it down two-hundred at a time / It's hard to find it when you knew it
When your money's gone / And you're drunk as hell
On your back with your racks as the stacks are your load / In the back and the racks and the stacks of your load / In the back with your racks and you're un-stacking your load
8. "Heaven" by Beyoncé
Before giving birth to Blue Ivy, Beyoncé sings about the heartbreak of losing a baby to miscarriage, and that their soul was so good and pure, Heaven needed them.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I fought for you / The hardest, it made me the strongest
So tell me your secrets / I just can't stand to see you leaving
But Heaven couldn't wait for you
9. "Shallow" by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper from "A Star Is Born"
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper had undeniable chemistry in "A Star Is Born," and "Shallow" speaks to their deep connection, eventually ending in tragedy.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Tell me something, boy / Aren't you tired tryin' to fill that void?
Or do you need more? / Ain't it hard keeping it so hardcore?
I'm falling / In all the good times I find myself / Longing for a change / And in the bad times I fear myself
10. "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure
When you're in love with someone, you'll do anything to make them happy. But that love isn't always reciprocated, leaving you lonely and sad.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Spinning on that dizzy edge / Kissed her face and kissed her head
Dreamed of all the different ways, I had to make her glow
Why are you so far away she said / Why won't you ever know that I'm in love with you? / That I'm in love with you?
11. "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak has said that "Wicked Game" was inspired by a woman who called him wanting to come over, this haunting song describes obsessive love, and how giving into it will only break your heart.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way / What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way / What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you
And I don't wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart) / No, I don't wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart) / With you
12. "What About Us" by Pink
When you've given so much to a relationship, it's hard to let it go and cut your losses. But this song also doubles as a plea to politicians regarding the current social and economic climate.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
What about us? What about all the times you said you had the answers? / What about us? What about all the broken happy ever afters?
What about us? What about all the plans that ended in disaster? / What about love? What about trust? What about us?
13. "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.
Aimed at those struggling with depression, the lyrics are a reminder that even if you feel alone, you aren't. Because everyone has felt the same way you have at one point or another.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
If you're on your own / In this life
The days and nights are long / When you think you've had too much
Of this life / To hang on
Well, everybody hurts sometimes / Everybody cries / And everybody hurts sometimes
14. "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart" by Alicia Keys
You can love someone so deeply that you feel it in your core, but that person isn't always right for you. And it's painful to let go of what could have been.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Anybody could've told you right from the start it's 'bout to fall apart / So rather than hold on to a broken dream I'll just hold on to love
And I could find a way to make it, don't hold on too tight / I'll make it without you tonight
So tonight, I'm gonna find a way to make it without you / Tonight, I'm gonna find a way to make it without you (oh, hold on)
15. "Stick Around" by Lukas Graham
Part of the human experience is realizing that one day, you will die. But for now, you can bring comfort to your loved ones by staying present.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I'm sorry to say that the smiles that I give you / One day will be tears in your eyes
I'm sorry to give you these memories / 'Cause memories like this will one day make you cry
But I'ma stick around / I promise you that I will stick around for now
16. "Into The Ocean" by Blue October
Written by the lead singer, Justin Furstenfeld, while standing on the bow of a cruise ship, "Into the Ocean" describes a young boy who jumped from a ship, who then watches the boat drift away while he thinks about his actions.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I want to swim away but don't know how / Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean
Let the waves up and take me down / Let the hurricane set in motion
Let the rain of what I feel right now come down / Let the rain come down
17. "Stay" by Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
Most people have lived through toxic relationships, but no matter how hard they try to let go, they want their partner to stay because their world feels empty without their love.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Ooh, the reason I hold on / Ooh, 'cause I need this hole gone
Well, funny you're the broken one / But I'm the only one who needed saving
'Cause when you never see the light / It's hard to know which one of us is caving
18. "Lucid Dreams" by Juice WRLD
Every relationship has its ups and downs, but when two parters are really struggling, ending that love is what causes the most strain.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I still see your shadows in my room / Can't take back the love that I gave you
It's to the point where I love and I hate you / And I cannot change you so I must replace you (oh)
Easier said than done / I thought you were the one
Listening to my heart instead of my head / You found another one, but
I am the better one / I won't let you forget me
19. "Cats In The Cradle" by Harry Chapin
When parents don't put their children first, it can cause a rift in the relationship. That's highlighted in this song about a boy and his father who just can't find the space for quality time.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon / Little boy blue and the man in the moon
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when / But we'll get together then, son
You know we'll have a good time then"
20. "Love Lies" by Khalid and Normani
It's normal to be hesitant to jump into a new relationship with someone, and handling that uncertainty due to past relationship trauma can be something positive.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
So baby, tell me where your love lies / Waste the day and spend the night
Underneath the sunrise / Show me where your love lies
21. "Sad!" by XXXTentacion
When a relationship is on the rocks, it's not unheard of to slip into a depression and unwavering sadness.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I gave her everything / She took my heart and left me lonely
I've been broken, heart's contentious / I won't fix, I'd rather weep
I'm lost and I'm found, but / It's torture being in love
22. "Ghost" by Halsey
Speaking with MetroLyrics, Halsey has this to say about "Ghost," the first sing she wrote: "'Ghost,' for me, is a song about being in a relationship with someone who is not emotionally invested and then finally making up your mind to leave that situation and decide that you deserve better. And I did."
Rings true for us.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
You say that you're no good for me / 'Cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve
And I swear I hate you when you leave / I like it anyway
My ghost / Where'd you go? / I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me
My ghost / Where'd you go? / What happened to the soul you used to be?
23. "Chandelier" by Sia
Sia has opened up about her struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and puts all those feelings into "Chandelier," a song about seeking out partying, even though that feeling is fleeting.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
And I'm holding on for dear life / Won't look down won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light / 'Cause I'm just holding on for tonight
Help me, I'm holding on for dear life / Won't look down won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light / 'Cause I'm just holding on for tonight
24. "Neon Gravestones" by 21 Pilots
Society's misconception of suicide sees the act as selfish, and with a song so deeply connected to depression and taking one's life, it's important to remember that help is out there.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
What's my problem? / Well, I want you to follow me down to the bottom
Underneath the insane asylum / Keep your wits about you while you got 'em
'Cause your wits are first to go while you're problem-solving / And my problem?
We glorify those, even more, when they / My opinion
Our culture can treat a loss / Like it's a win and right before we turn on them
We give them the highest of praise, and hang their banner from a ceiling / Communicating, further engraving
An earlier grave is an optional way / No
25. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
Originally sung by Dolly Parton, "I Will Always Love You" is one of the most beautifully written love songs... that's also incredibly heartbreaking and sad.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Bittersweet memories / That is all I'm taking with me
So, goodbye / Please, don't cry
We both know I'm not what you, you need
And I will always love you
26. "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron
Breakups are never easy, especially when you can't stop thinking about what your ex meant to you and all the good times you shared.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I had all and then most of you / Some and now none of you
Take me back to the night we met
I don't know what I'm supposed to do / Haunted by the ghost of you
Oh, take me back to the night we met
27. "Out Here On My Own" by Irene Cara (from "Fame")
When you feel lost and all alone, it can be equally comforting and sad to think about the distance between you and your loved one.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
When I'm down and feelin' blue / I close my eyes so I can be with you
Oh, baby be strong for me / Baby belong to me
Help me through / Help me need you
28. "Fix You" by Coldplay
Chris Martin wrote this song about his ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, who lost her father. But it's also about leaning on your partner or loved one to pull you out of your darkest time.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
When you try your best but you don't succeed / When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep / Stuck in reverse
When the tears come streaming down your face / 'Cause you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste / Could it be worse?
29. "When The Party's Over" by Billie Eilish
Even love can't keep two people together if one of them isn't putting in the work. And sometimes, when that drama and careless attitude become too much, it's best to leave it all behind.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Don't you know too much already? / I'll only hurt you if you let me
Call me friend but keep me closer (call me back) / And I'll call you when the party's over
Quiet when I'm comin' home and I'm on my own
And I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
Yeah, I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
30. "So Sick" by Ne-Yo
Mourning the loss of a relationship can bring you to your lowest of lows. But while listening to love songs can make you feel sad, it can also remind you of the memories shared with your ex.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I'm so sick of love songs, so tired of tears / So done with wishin', you were still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs, so sad and slow / So why can't I turn off the radio?
31. "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
Believe it or not, this song isn't about cars; in fact, it's actually about poverty and the struggles of people trying to better their lives.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
You got a fast car / And I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar / See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better / Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere / So take your fast car and keep on driving
32. "Someone Like You" by Adele
You can want the best for your ex while still feeling incredibly heartbroken over your breakup.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Never mind, I'll find someone like you / I wish nothing but the best for you, too
Don't forget me, I beg / I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead
33. "Let Her Go" by Passenger
The song's writer and singer explained that the song is about letting go after a breakup, but finally coming to realize that you don't know what you have until it's gone.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Well you only need the light when it's burning low / Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low / Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go / And you let her go
34. "Die For Me" by Post Malone ft. Future and Halsey
Having a toxic partner or ex-partner can cause you to resort to some not-so-healthy habits. But it's essential to realize that you can overcome heartbreak and betrayal in other ways.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Ooh, I surrender (ayy), time to forget ya (ayy) / I'm too tired to forgive ya (ayy), it's too hard on my liver (ayy)
And you know (ayy) it's all (ayy) over now / All your friends (ayy), you know (ayy) they sold you out
Said you'd take a bullet, told me you would die for me (die for me) / I had a really bad feeling you've been lying to me (lying to me)
We were on the low, but you were getting high with me (high with me) / When it's past 11, that's a different side I see (side I see)
Said you'd die for me, you'd die for me, you'd die for me (die, die, die) / But you lied to me, you lied to me, you lied to me (lie, lie, lie)
35. "1-800-273-8255" by Logic ft. Alessia Cara and Khalid
The title of Logic's song is the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Logic purposely titled his song like this to inspire his listeners to seek help and understand that they are never alone.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I been taking my time / I feel like I'm out of my mind
It feels like my life ain't mine / Who can relate?
I've been on the low / I been taking my time
I feel like I'm out of my mind / It feel like my life ain't mine
36. "Stay Or Leave" by Dave Matthews Band
Looking back on a past failed relationship can bring clarity you need, but can also serve as a reminder of the pain.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Stay or leave / I want you not to go / But you should
It was good as good goes
Stay or leave / I want you not to go / But you did
37. "My Immortal" by Evanescence
"My Immortal" is about a spirit haunting you, wishing it would leave you alone. But it also doubles as a moving ballad about the pain of loss.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real / There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears / When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years / But you still have all of me
38. "Atmosphere" by Bebe Rexha
When you first fall in love with someone, it seems like they are the answer to all your prayers. But even the deepest love isn't immune to heartbreak.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
There isn't enough love in the atmosphere / To keep you here, ah
There isn't enough love in the atmosphere / Don't leave me here / All alone
I ride for my baby / I died for my baby / I'd die for my baby no lie
There isn't enough love in the atmosphere / In the atmosphere
39. "Alone" by Armin van Buuren ft. Lauren Evans
Our fast-paced lives sometimes make us forget what is important: interpersonal connections. And if you don't stop to make them, you'll find yourself all alone.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Everyone is broken, only day in your life / Like the ghosts that are shattered, barely alive
Even time's in a rush / But it's going nowhere
Everyone's connected but no one is connecting / The human in me is long and missing
Tell me, have you seen it? / Have you seen it?
40. "On My Own" by 3LAU ft. Nerve
Whether it's by dreaming or substances, you don't want to let go of the feelings you have toward someone you've lost.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Dancing through a hurricane / Soaked in technicolor rain
Time is melting in my brain / Paint the roses black as night
Swimming with the satellites / Never wanna know, never wanna let go
No, don't wake me yet, don't give it away / Hold my breath, I just wanna stay
41. "On My Mind" by Anis Don Demina
When you've been with someone for a long period of time, it's hard to see that the relationship is failing. And you'll hold on, no matter the cost.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I've been addicted to your glow / But shadows been growing deeper
I can't see that smile I used to know / But you're still a keeper
42. "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John
Written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, and later dedicated to Princess Diana, Elton John sings about how being in the spotlight comes with a painful reality.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
And it seems to me you lived your life / Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to / When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you / But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before / Your legend ever did
43. "Her Favorite Song" by Mayer Hawthorne
No matter how depressed or sad we feel, music can always make things better. But it serves as a reminder that we can't escape forever.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
But when she gets home, she puts her headphones on / She plays her favorite song and fades away
And when the musics on she can do no wrong / And she feels safe and calm and it's okay
And she says, ba ba dum ba dee ah dum ba / Ba ba dum ba dee ah dum ba
The world keeps turning, life goes on
44. "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars
There's something to be said about not knowing what you have until it's gone, and thinking back to all the things you could have done differently to save your relationship.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish ways / Caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life
Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made, oh / And it haunts me every time I close my eyes
45. "Your House" by Alanis Morissette
When your love isn't reciprocated, it can cause you to spiral into an obsession. But even that façade will fall away to reveal the true agony deep down.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
So forgive me, love / If I cry in your shower
So forgive me, love / For the salt in your bed
So forgive me, love / If I cry all afternoon
46. "Lightning Crashes" by Live
This song was written about the transference of life, according to lead singer Ed Kowalczyk:
"I envisioned it taking place in a hospital, where all these simultaneous deaths and births are going on, one family mourning the loss of a woman while a screaming baby emerges from a young mother in another room. Nobody's dying in the act of childbirth, as some viewers think. What you're seeing is actually a happy ending based on a kind of transference of life."
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Lightning crashes a new mother cries / Her placenta falls to the floor
The angel opens her eyes
The confusion sets in / Before the doctor can even close the door
47. "Dear God" by XTC
Throughout life, your faith may be tested based on the ups and downs you face. And sometimes, it may cause you to question your own existence.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Dear God, sorry to disturb you but / I feel that I should be heard loud and clear
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image / See them fighting in the street
'Cause they can't make opinions meet about God / I can't believe in you
48. "Love's Recovery" by The Indigo Girls
As a young person, you have a certain idealized version of what love is. But as you grow up, you realize you couldn't have been more wrong.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
There I am in younger days, star gazing / Painting picture perfect maps of how my life and love would be
Not counting the unmarked paths of misdirection / My compass, faith in love's perfection
I missed ten million miles of road I should have seen
Meanwhile our friends we thought were so together / Left each other one by one along the road of fairer weather
And we sit here in our storm and drink a toast / To the slim chance of love's recovery
49. "Sullen Girl" by Fiona Apple
Rape survivors often deal with subsequent trauma. In Apple's case, her rape at 12 years old led to an eating disorder and other effects of trauma.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Is that why they call me a sullen girl, sullen girl? / They don't know I used to sail the deep and tranquil seas
But he washed me ashore / And he took my pearl
And left an empty / Shell of me
50. "Say Something" by A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera
When you love someone, you'll do anything to keep your relationship alive. But sometimes, your love isn't enough.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Say something, I'm giving up on you / I'll be the one, if you want me to
Anywhere, I would've followed you / Say something, I'm giving up on you
51. "Back To Black" by Amy Winehouse
Though many of Winehouse's songs were about her struggle with alcohol and substance abuse, "Back to Black" focuses on the heartache of knowing your lover has moved on to someone else.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
We only said goodbye with words / I died a hundred times
You go back to her / And I go back to black
52. "Nothing Compares 2U" by Sinéad O'Connor
No matter how hard you try to move on from your ex, you'll always have your memories of your time together. And that can make you feel like you'll never love again.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I could put my arms around every boy I see / But they'd only remind me of you
I went to the doctor and guess what he told me? / Guess what he told me?
He said girl you better try to have fun / No matter what you do, but he's a fool
'Cause nothing compares / Nothing compares to you
53. "Goodbye My Lover" by James Blunt
The loss of a former flame can be devastating, and when they are still out in the world living without you, saying goodbye can only do so much.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Goodbye my lover / Goodbye my friend
You have been the one / You have been the one for me
54. "Say Goodbye" by Cheat Codes
You can be so entangled in someone else's life that ending your relationship is the most difficult thing. Try as you might to move on, you just can't.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
And it's hard to pretend that I'm alright / Hard to forgive, I can't empathize
And it's hard to relax, I don't know why / But you make it hard to say goodbye
55. "Stay" by Zedd and Alessia Cara
In relationships, partners sometimes grow apart. And though you attempt to salvage the feelings that were there in the beginning, there's no going back.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Waiting for the time to pass you by / Hope the winds of change will change your mind
I could give a thousand reasons why / And I know you, and you've got to
Make it on your own, but we don't have to grow up / We can stay forever young
Living on my sofa, drinking rum and cola / Underneath the rising sun
I could give a thousand reasons why / But you're going, and you know that
56. "Apologize" by Timbaland ft. OneRepublic
Relationships can turn toxic when one person depends on the other. But, at the end of the day, that person will realize they can no longer stay.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I'm holding on your rope / Got me ten feet off the ground
And I'm hearing what you say, but I just can't make a sound
You tell me that you need me / Then you go and cut me down, but wait
You tell me that you're sorry / Didn't think I'd turn around, and say
That it's too late to apologize, it's too late / I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
57. "All We Know" by The Chainsmokers ft. Phoebe Ryan
Getting back with your ex is one thing, but trying to save a failing relationship is quite another.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
We're falling apart, still we hold together / We've passed the end, so we chase forever
'Cause this is all we know / This feeling's all we know
58. "Heartbreak Warfare" by John Mayer
Sometimes, the only way a person can feel truly loved by their partner is by inflicting pain on them.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Lightning strike / Inside, my chest to keep me up at night
Dream of ways / To make you understand my pain
Clouds of sulfur in the air / Bombs are falling everywhere
It's heartbreak warfare / Once you want it to begin
No one really ever wins / In heartbreak warfare
59. "Blasphemous Rumors" by Depeche Mode
A song about faith and God, "Blasphemous Rumors" tells the story of a young woman's unsuccessful suicide and eventual commitment to Jesus, only to end up on life support.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I don't want to start / Any blasphemous rumors
But I think that God's / Got a sick sense of humor
And when I die / I expect to find Him laughing
60. "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
This song is a tribute to the late actor Paul Walker, who passed away in a tragic car accident.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
It's been a long day without you, my friend / And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began / Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again
61. "Blue" by Joni Mitchell
A song about deep emotions on a range of situations, Mitchell drew inspiration from her relationships as well as giving her child up for adoption.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Hey Blue / And there is a song for you
Ink on a pin / Underneath the skin / An empty space to fill in
Well there're so many sinking / Now you've got to keep thinking / You can make it thru these waves
62. "Dancing With Myself" by The Knocks
When your friends aren't there for you, it makes existence lonely. And that means drinking away the pain and dancing along.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
People come and go yeah / Feels like you are so untied
And it feels like I keep falling / You are the wrong I can't get right
63. "i hate u, i love u" by Gnash ft. Olivia O'Brien
Loving someone who loves someone else brings its own feelings of heartbreak and loneliness.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I hate you I love you / I hate that I love you
Don't want to, but I can't put / Nobody else above you
I hate you I love you / I hate that I want you
You want her, you need her / And I'll never be her
64. "Dancing With A Stranger" by Sam Smith and Normani
Reeling from a breakup or the loss of a relationship may entail a rebound of some sort. All in an effort to not be alone.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I don't wanna be alone tonight (alone tonight) / It's pretty clear that I'm not over you (over you, over you)
I'm still thinking 'bout the things you do (things you do) / So I don't wanna be alone tonight, alone tonight, alone tonight
Can you light the fire? (light the fire, light the fire) / I need somebody who can take control (take control)
I know exactly what I need to do / 'Cause I don't wanna be alone tonight, alone tonight, alone tonight
65. "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye ft. Kimbre
Even though you think your relationship is perfect, after you break up you realize that you never really knew the person you loved.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Now and then I think of when we were together / Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me / But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember
66. "Heavy" by Linkin Park ft. Kiiara
A song about struggling with your own mind, lead singer Chester Bennington ended his life just five months after the single's release.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I'm holding on / Why is everything so heavy?
Holding on / So much more than I can carry
I keep dragging around what's bringing me down / If I just let go, I'd be set free
Holding on / Why is everything so heavy?
67. "Used To Love You" by Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani was inspired by her divorce from Gavin Rossdale, channeling her pain and questioning why she ever loved him.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Suitcase, band-aids / Pulling back out the driveway
You go, I'll stay / You can keep all the memories
I thought I was the best thing that ever happened to you / I thought you loved me the most
I don't know why I cry / But I think it's 'cause I remembered for the first time
Since I hated you / That I used to love you
68. "June" by Florence + The Machine
"June" references both the Pulse nightclub shooting as well as the Stonewall Riots, both of which took place during Pride Month.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I hear your heart beating in your chest / The world slows 'till there's nothing left
Skyscrapers look on like great, unblinking giants (oh) / In those heavy days in June
When love became an act of defiance / Hold onto each other
69. "Dark Paradise" by Lana Del Rey
We all know what it's like to be unable to move on from heartbreak. And sometimes, it can even cause dark thoughts to surface.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Every time I close my eyes / It's like a dark paradise
No one compares to you / I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side
Every time I close my eyes / It's like a dark paradise
No one compares to you / I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side
70. "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" by The Script
After a breakup, you might go to great lengths to stay on your ex's mind, even making sure you stay close to where they live.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me / And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be
Thinkin' maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet / And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I'm not moving, I'm not moving
71. "Imagine" by Ariana Grande
When you first meet someone, you think of how great your life together could be. But as the fantasy fades, the reality isn't as sweet.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Imagine a world like that / Imagine a world like that
We go like up 'til I'm 'sleep on your chest / Love how my face fits so good in your neck
Why can't you imagine a world like that? Imagine a world
72. "Happier" by Marshmello ft. Bastille
You can't force a relationship to survive if one partner isn't happy.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Then only for a minute / I want to change my mind
'Cause this just don't feel right to me / I wanna raise your spirits
I want to see you smile but / Know that means I'll have to leave
73. "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks wrote "Landslide" while thinking about whether or not to end her relationship with bandmate, Lindsay Buckingham.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Well, I've been 'fraid of changin' / 'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder / Even children get older
And I'm gettin' older, too
74. "What About Love" by Heart
Try as you might, you can't save someone by loving them. But when you don't have love, life is empty.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
You've been hiding, never letting it show / Always trying to keep it under control
You got it down and you're well / On the way to the top
But there's something that you forgot
What about love / Don't you want someone to care about you
What about love / Don't let it slip away
What about love / I only want to share it with you
You might need it someday
75. "Anyone" by Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato sings about her struggle with depression and addiction, begging for someone to listen.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
A hundred million stories / And a hundred million songs
I feel stupid when I sing / Nobody's listening to me
Nobody's listening
I talk to shooting stars / But they always get it wrong
I feel stupid when I pray / So, why am I praying anyway?
If nobody's listening
76. "Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga
If you're in a dead-end relationship, you might try to convince yourself that despite all the bad things, there's at least one reason to stay.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I bow down to pray / I try to make the worst seem better
Lord, show me the way / To cut through all his worn out leather
I've got a hundred million reasons to walk away / But baby, I just need one good one to stay
77. "Bleeding Love" by ASTR
When love makes you blind to the toxic reality of your relationship, you become so immune to all the things that should be deal-breakers.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Heartbeats full of fire / Now we're caught up in emotion
Cut me with your lies / Now we're never gonna slow down
We keep bleeding love / 'Til we come down
We keep bleeding love / 'Til we come down
78. "Always" by The Him
When you're young, the idea of "always" comes crashing down once you grow up. And the love you thought would last forever is just a thing of the past.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Remember we were running wild / Never ever felt like we were broke
Using friends as alibis / No one ever knew just where we going
Broken down in bathrooms / Listening to bad news
Thought you'd never let me go / And are we just too late?
79. "Foolish Games" by Jewel
When love isn't reciprocated, it feels like pure agony. And it's not only painful, but frustrating.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Well in case you failed to notice / In case you failed to see
This is my heart bleeding before you / This is me down on my knees, and
These foolish games are tearing me apart
And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart / You're breaking my heart
80. "Jolene" by Dolly Parton
The thought of losing your partner to a younger, beautiful woman is devastating. You can reason with the other woman all you want, but it doesn't mean your relationship will ever be the same.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
He talks about you in his sleep / And there's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name / Jolene
And I can easily understand / How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me / Jolene
81. "Fake Love" by Drake
After a betrayal or lying and cheating, your relationship will change... sometimes, for worse.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I can tell that love is fake / I don't trust a word you say
How you wanna click up after your mistakes?
Look you in the face and it's just not the same
82. "A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan
The evil we see in humanity can feel overwhelming at times, and Dylan famously referred to this song as "one long funeral song."
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son? / Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it / I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’ / I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’
I saw a white ladder all covered with water / I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children / And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
83. "Just A Dream" by Nelly
Rumored to be about his ex, Ashanti, after the end of their 11-year relationship, many can relate to that feeling of wishing you could go back in time.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I was thinking bout her, thinkin' bout me / Thinkin' bout us, what we gon' be
Open my eyes yeah, it was only just a dream / So I traveled back, down that road
Will she come back, no one knows / I realize yeah, it was only just a dream
84. "Secrets" by OneRepublic
After being lied to by people around you, it becomes painful to start living life free from worry.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I need another story / Something to get off my chest
My life gets kinda boring / Need something that I can confess
'Til all my sleeves are stained red / From all the truth that I've said
Come by it honestly I swear / Thought you saw me wink, no
I've been on the brink, so
85. "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb
Even though someone may treat you well in a relationship, that doesn't mean this person is good for you. And looking back, you'll finally realize.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
And you said that I was naive / And I thought that I was strong
I thought, "hey, I can leave, I can leave" / Oh but now I know that I was wrong
'Cause I missed you / Yeah, I missed you
86. "The One That Got Away" by Katy Perry
There's sometimes regret at breaking up with someone, only coming to understand much later that they could have been the one for you.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
In another life, I would be your girl / We keep all our promises, be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay / So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away
87. "Beloved Wife" by Natalie Merchant
Whether it's through death or a divorce, longing to be with your ex-wife is completely relatable.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
You were the love / For certain of my life
You were simply my beloved wife
I don't know for certain / How I'll live my life
Now alone without my beloved wife / My beloved wife
88. "Just A Dream" by Carrie Underwood
This tearjerker is about a young woman about to marry her lover, a soldier, but what starts as a happy occasion turns to devastation.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go / I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance / Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now / This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
89. "OVRBRD" by HARIZ
The end of a relationship feels like the end of the world, and sometimes that feeling turns to desperation.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I wanna sink this ship / And throw us overboard
A numb awakening / Can't hold on anymore
'Cause it hurts / And it's getting worse
90. "Dear Society" by Madison Beer
No matter how much of a mess you may feel like in your own life, a toxic relationship is the ultimate failure.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I'm a natural disaster / But even after all that I do
It's you who's gonna be the death of me / And none of this matters
Baby, it's you, it's you
91. "Paranoid" by Lauv
If you've been hurt by a past relationship, going into a new one may bring with it those same feelings of resistance and paranoia.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Maybe it's a case of paranoia / Nervous that I'll never really know ya
What do I feel? Who do I trust? / Maybe it's real, or maybe I'm just
Paranoid, paranoid / Maybe I'm just
Paranoid, paranoid / Maybe I'm just
92. "Where Do We Go" by Xuitcasecity
Putting up with criticism and blame in your relationship can be the end of the love you once had, leading to resentment.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Swear you've seen a holy ghost / 'Cause your skin is pale as snow
You're always critical / And I don't need that, I don't need it
I was fine on my own / Yeah, I was fine all along
Different ways girl, yeah, we've known / And I've been thinking, I'm so sick of you
93. "U Remind Me" by NEØN
A cover of Usher's song of the same name, when you're vibing with someone who reminds you of your ex, you may just end things before they even start.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
You remind me of a girl that I once knew / See her face whenever I, I look at you
You won't believe all of the things she put me through / This is why I just can't get with you
94. "Cross My Mind, Pt. 2" by A R I Z O N A ft. Kiiara
The desperation you feel when trying to hold on to a relationship that's clearly failing is perfectly summed up in this song.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I know I haven't been perfect, but give it some time / 'Cause not a single day goes by where you don't cross my mind
And we spend our lives looking for things we can't find, oh / Oh, but not a single day goes by where you don't cross my mind
All the days you spend on my mind / All the times that I'd say that we'll be together, we'll be together, oh
All the ways you see through my heart / I know the good intentions, they won't last forever, won't last forever, oh
95. "Sad Sad Girl" by Terror Jr
When you're told time and again that you're not someone idealized version of the perfect person, you start to believe that your dark sides define you.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I'm a sad, sad girl / I'm a strange one
But I thrive in the darkness / And they love when I'm heartless
I'm a sad, sad girl / Not a sane one
Yeah, I thrive in the darkness, thrive in the darkness
96. "Make Me (Cry)" by Noah Cyrus ft. Labrinth
A song about toxic love, you certainly feel like you need this person in your life, even though all they do is cause you pain and make you cry.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
I never needed you like I do right now / I never needed you like I do right now
I never hated you like I do right now / 'Cause all you ever do is make me
97. "Cry" by Alexx Calise
Where you were once hopeful, you're now depressed and sad. And all because someone broke your heart.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Well I guess it's been a while / Since I've seen the sunshine
Since I have smiled / And me, who's so well versed
Is feeling so damn empty / Is at a loss for words
98. "Cry Baby" by Melanie Martinez
Being emotional and expressing yourself by crying isn't a bad thing, but that's something you don't learn until you accept yourself.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
You seem to replace / Your brain with your heart
You take things so hard / And then you fall apart
You try to explain / But before you can start
Those cry baby tears / Come out of the dark
99. "Wait" by M83
We all want to hold on to the innocence of our youth, but as we grow up, we realize that there's no going back.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
Send your dreams / Where nobody hides
Give your tears / To the tide
100. "Walk Away" by LVNDSCAPE ft. Kaptan
There's nothing as heartbreaking as watching the one you love leave and walk away. And it can affect you so deeply that you replay that moment in your mind.
Saddest Song Lyrics:
A cold and lonely when you went to this day / Around me only rain surrounded by the silence
Can't find my way back, back to where I came from / To that summer day when you just walked away
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Liz Abere is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture, spirituality, love, and relationships.