Friday, March 30, 2012

Sad Songs Blogfest

My very first blogfest - Sad Songs Blogfest!

Today, list the songs that move your spirit, cut deep into your soul, and threaten to break your heart. Any that inspire you! Up to ten songs and feel free to include links or videos.

I love music for the way it makes me feel. Making this list was harder than I thought. My original list had almost forty songs. I’ve narrowed it down to ten. These aren’t necessarily favorites, just songs that evoke a strong emotion.

10 - Don’t Dream it’s Over - Crowded House YouTube
Too late - it’s over. And it came out at a really low point in my life.

9 - I’ll See You in My Dreams - Giant YouTube
If you really listen to the lyrics, it’s as if he lost her because she died. A key song for a story I wrote years ago.

8 - Thousand Mile Wish - Finger Eleven YouTube
This was the theme song for Book IV’s Mike, especially in the beginning when he was so lonely.

7 - A Warm Place - Nine Inch Nails YouTube
An instrumental that takes me back to when we first moved to NC and I was wondering what on earth I was going to do with my life.

6 - Rendez vous Part I - Jean Michel Jarre YouTube
The first song I ever heard by the new age French composer and one that reminds me of loss. This album also feature’s Ron’s Piece, dedicated to those who lost their lives aboard the Challenger.

5 - Take Me Home - Phil Collins YouTube
At age 19, I moved from Oregon to Arkansas, and this song came out shortly after my arrival. I was SO homesick!

4 - Us and Them - Pink Floyd YouTube - Live Version
It’s almost 40 years old now, but still a powerful and sad song. Like the echoes of a dream to which you’ll never return.

3 - Without You - Nilsson YouTube
It’s meant to be heart-wrenching anyway, but it’s one of the few songs that reminds me of my father. (He died when I was 11.)

2 - Nadia’s Theme - De Vorzon & Botkin YouTube
Despite the triumphs it represents (Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci’s gold medals and perfect tens) this instrumental is one of the saddest you will ever hear.

1 - Empty Rooms - Gary Moore
There are three versions of this song, two studio and one live, and all represent a song steeped in sorrow - sad lyrics, melancholy music, and it came at a point when I felt as empty as the song. All three versions are powerful, but the live one includes an instrumental prologue that is haunting.
Studio Version:

Live Version:


If you would like to join in, sign up below. Thanks to all who posted their sad songs today.



48 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Some I knew some I didn't. I loved Nielson's Without you.

Yvonne.

PR said...

That NIN song is amazing, its's one of those songs you have to be still to listen to - do nothing else but listen to it! :)

Universal Gibberish

Kyra Lennon said...

Wow, great song choices! Don't Dream It's Over gets me too.

J.L. Campbell said...

Hi, Diane,

You'll find that some of us (namely me) can't follow instructions.I've listed waaaaay too many songs. Anyway, the only one I know from your list is the one by Phil Collins. :O

baygirl32 said...

Love Nine Inch Nails! grreat choices

Jemi Fraser said...

Nadia's Theme!! Awesome choice! Such a haunting beginning - those first few notes pull you right in :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Yvonne, that has always been one of my favorites.

Anna, it insists we are still while listening.

Kyra, that one is just heartbreaking.

JL, that's okay.

Baygirl32, thank you.

Talli Roland said...

I love Crowded House! Great choices. I'm really enjoying reading all the blogfest entries.

Ciara said...

Great selection! I remember most of these songs. Crowded House is good. I'm off to check out some more from other participants. Great blogfest!

Heather M. Gardner said...

I will have to look up a bunch of these. I do love the Phil Collins song though.
Thanks for hosting such a great blogfest for us!
Heather

John Teal said...

Interesting and diverse list, strange how we attach memories to songs differently, Jean Michel Jarre would not have been a thought for my sad songs.

Jules said...

Sorry I've been away and missed this, I would have loved it. Your #1 choice though.... I love Gary Moore! :)
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

Cate Masters said...

Great songs, can't wait to play through the videos, especially Crowded House.
Thanks for throwing a cool blog fest!

Jeremy [Retro] said...

I am here, a little late... I Don't like your list it makes me sad, wait that's the point... I love your list cause it makes me sad, wait.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]
Visit The Madness:
iZOMBIE

Marian Allen said...

Great ones! I didn't know any of them--looking forward to listening to them all.

I forgot I was supposed to do this today, so I had to post twice!

Here are my selections:
Friday Bonus 'Cause I Forgotted

MA

Dean Bryant Johnson said...

Great list, Diane. Always great to find new songs!

Bryant
The Charred Tree

Dawn Ius said...

Great list! If I could have gone with 11 songs, Crowded House would have been on it! Thanks for hosting such a cool blogfest.

Sangu Mandanna said...

I'm ashamed to admit I haven't heard any of these! I know, what's wrong with me?! But on the bright side, here's a whole lot of new weepy songs to discover!

Thanks for such a fun blogfest! :-)

Denise said...

Great song choices! I forgot about Gary Moore - he should have been in my list!

I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in this blogfest.

Thanks for organising it :-)

Arlee Bird said...

The Crowded House song is one of my favorites. How could I forget that one?
Great blogfest. Thanks for coming up with it.


Lee
Sad Songs Blogfests—Places I Remember
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog

vic caswell said...

thanks for hosting such a cool blogfest!

i actually haven't heard ANY of your songs, but i love the 80's-ness of your empty rooms!

Unknown said...

Nadia's theme, I've heard it lots but didn't know what was behind it. How sad sounding.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Hey, comments are back! Sorry, when I couldn't comment anymore, I ran some errands.

John, Jarre's older stuff is much sadder than his newer work.

Jules, I have most of his albums.

Retro-Zombie - LOL!

Karen, at least you know one song.

Dawn, you could've cheated.

Arlee, once I put together my post, a few other songs came to mind, but I didn't change anything.

Vic, I think a lot of those songs are from the 80's.

Thank you to all who've commented and participated. Need to go read more entries now.

N. R. Williams said...

Hi Diane
I came on late. Interesting choices. And it's interesting too, how diverse our music is.
Nancy

Gossip_Grl said...

Great song picks, and the Gary Moore video loved it.

Tamara Narayan said...

Thank for hosting this blogfest! I never knew my blog had word verification 'on' until today. Imagine starting the A the Z Challenge like that--eeks.

I like how you hit a wide variety of music. Nine Inch Nails with Crowded House--whoa!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I know most of those. Bummer Gary Moore passed away last year. And I'm not a Floyd fan but The Turning Away is a good sad song.

~Sia McKye~ said...

I love Pink Floyd. That Sax kills me every time! Oh, Empty Rooms, I forgot all about that one. Excellent choice and me too.

I can understand some of your choices.

This was a fun blogfest, Diane.

Music choices, much like our writing, tells much about a person and what they've experienced. Music touches our heart and then shares it.

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

Unknown said...

I know and like quite a few of these. Was a teenager when the older ones came out. Great list and an awesome Blogfest!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I'm not feeling very cool making the rounds today! I'm not recognizing many songs on anyone's lists...sigh. But I do recognize Nadia's Tune. Wasn't it also adopted by a soap opera for the opening theme? Don't know which one, but I remember my grandmother watching them and hearing this play...

Cynthia said...

I love Crowded House's Don't Dream, It's Over...thanks for hosting this blogfest!!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Nancy, the selections today have been all over the map.

Gossip Girl, that Gary Moore song is one of my most favorite in the world.

Tamara, I like a variety.

Sia, how beautifully said! If you like sax, Ron's Piece on the Jarre album will really get to you.

KD, I think I gave away my age with some of these.

Elizabeth, it was the theme for The Young and the Restless first.

Thank you - I really didn't expect so many participants and I'm loving it.

M Pax said...

I had Crowded House on my list before I pared it down. Great songs, Diane. Have a great weekend.

Stephen T. McCarthy said...

SPUNKY ~
I didn't know all of your selections, but the ones I did know, I liked... particularly 'Without You' and 'Nadia's Theme' - the latter one having a truly, truly "haunting" melody.

Another Harry Nilsson song that could have very easily made it onto my own list is 'Everybody's Talkin''. What a sad, dreamlike song that one is!

Thanks for putting this Blogfest together. It was fun!

~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'

Jessica Marcarelli said...

Number 1 got me, the music even more so than the words.

Thanks for hosting the blogfest! I've enjoyed it.

Jessica
Visions of Other Worlds

dolorah said...

Interesting choices Diane.

My entry will be up tomorrow. I'm sorry, I got the date wrong and scheduled it for tomorrow. It still needs a second review before posting and I'm still at work all day.

I'm looking forward to reading everyone's posts :)

.......dhole

Anonymous said...

Nadia's Theme! That's the song I couldn't remember the name to. Wasn't it the song for a soap opera Young and the Restless too? Man, does that song make people sad or what?

~Sia McKye~ said...

Wow, you were right about haunting, Diane, especially in light of what happened to the shuttle.

Thank you for sharing the link with me!

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

Liv said...

Phil Collins always gets me! I haven't heard of most of these, but I'll be sure to check them out.

Thanks so much for putting this together. Music is a passion. :)

Have a great weekend.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Stephen, yes it does.

Jessica, glad you liked that one.

That's okay, Donna. I'll read yours tomorrow.

Stephen, yes, it was the Young and the Restless. I almost placed it at number one because it really is just about the saddest thing you will ever hear.

Sia, I knew you would like it.

Liv, I'm thrilled you enjoyed it.

Maryannwrites said...

My father used to sing "I'll see You in my Dreams." Loved the lyrics and always thought he was singing it to me. Then I grew up and realized it was a love song on a totally different level. (smile)

kate n said...

Great idea for the blogfest, I have really enjoyed it :) Some great tracks.

Jennie Bailey said...

This was such a great idea for a blogfest! I got mine up late, but I'm so glad that I participated! You're so right about Nadia's Theme. I always thought it was odd that it was supposed to represent such a great time in her life, but it is such a sad, sad song!

DL Hammons said...

I simply had too much going on being an A to Z co-host with everything else I'm doing, so I knew I couldn't take part in this blogfest because I knew I would become consumed with it! You've listed some great songs here, a few of which would have been on my list (Phil Collins - A LOCK!). It was nice to read everyone's selections!

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Thanks for organizing the Sad Songs Blogfest, most enjoyable to take part.

Yvonne.

Gossip_Grl said...

Thanks for the Blogfest. It was a time to think about those lyrics that touch the soul. : )
And thanks for the comments. Actually after I posted I thought of 2 more songs Lee Greenwoods God Bless the USA which I cried to many a time when my son was in the Navy and was in the Strait of Hormuz. Another is from the Polar Express When Christmas comes to Town. : ) Again thanks for the Blogfest!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Now I feel sad. I hope you do this again sometime when I have the time to participate. A very cool idea.

J.L. Campbell said...

Thanks so much for hosting this, Diana. Choosing the songs brought back so many memories from my childhood. It's been a blast meeting different people. Thanks again!