Music has the power to heal, give catharsis, and to help us understand our feelings. Depending on your persepctive, any lyric can become a celebration or a grievance.
Here are some of the saddest lyrics out there.
1. “And then one day you find ten years have got behind you No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.”
– Time by Pink Floyd
2. “You could have it all, my empire of dirt. I will let you down, I will make you hurt.”
– Hurt by Nine Inch Nails
3. “Love of mine, someday you will die But I’ll be close behind and I’ll follow you into the dark.”
I’ll Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie
4. “The dreams in which I’m dying are the best Ive ever had.”
Mad World by Tears For Fears
More lyrics on the next page!
5. “And they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness But it’s better than drinking alone.” Piano Man by Billy Joel.
Lofofo
6. “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain, I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never, I’ve seen lonely times where I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I’d see you again.”
Fire And Rain by James Taylor
7. “The other night, dear, while I was sleeping I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken So I held my head and I cried.”
You Are My Sunshine
8. I’m not living, I’m just killing time.
True Love Waits by Radiohead
More lyrics on the next page!
9. “I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life, I know you’ll be a star, In somebody else’s sky, But why, Why, Why can’t it be, Why can’t it be mine.”
Black by Pearl Jam
10. “I can’t afford chemo like I can’t afford a limo, and on any other given day I’d rather ride a limousine.”
Chemo Limo by Regina Spektor
11. “She’s gone to heaven, so I’ve got to be good, so I can see my baby when I leave this world.”
Last Kiss by Pearl Jam
12. “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year, Running over the same old ground, what have we found, The same old fears, Wish you were here.”
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
More lyrics on the next page!
13. “When I am at the pearly gates, this will be on my videotape … This is my way of saying goodbye because I can’t do it face to face, I’m talking to you after it’s too late, no matter what happens now, you shouldn’t be afraid because I know today has been the most perfect day I’ve ever seen.”
Videotape by Radiohead
14. “I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind. You could have done better but I don’t mind. You just kinda wasted my precious time, but don’t think twice, it’s all right.”
Don’t Think Twice (It’s Alright) by Bob Dylan
15. I’ve been wandering sideways, I’ve stared straight into the sun, Still, I don’t know why you’re dying, Long before your time has come.
Your Time Has Come by Audioslave
16. “Mother will they put me in the firing line.”
Mother by Pink Floyd
More lyrics on the next page!
17. “We used to play outside when we were young, And full of life and full of love.”
Little Talks by Of Monsters And Men
18. “I’m scared to get close and I hate being alone. I long for that feeling to not feel at all. The higher I get, the lower I sink. I can’t drown my demons, they know how to swim.”
Can You Feel My Heart by Bring Me The Horizon
19. Leaves from the vine, falling so slow. Like fragile, tiny shells, Drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy, come marching home. Brave soldier boy, comes marching home.
Brave Soldier Boy from the Avatar Soundtrack
20. “Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head”
I Know It’s Over by The Smiths.
More lyrics on the next page!
21. “…and I looked at the place where me legs used to be/ and thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me/ to grieve, and to mourn, and to pity…”
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda by The Pogues
22. Your day breaks, your mind aches, There will be time when all the things she said will fill your head, You won’t forget her.
For No One by The Beatles
23. “And if a ten ton truck, Kills the both of us, To die by your side, Well the pleasure, the privilege is mine.”
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths
24. I had a brother at Khe Sanh, Fighting off the Vietcong, They’re still there, he’s all gone.
Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen