The 50 Saddest Songs Of All Time

Musical topics not directly related to steel guitar

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Chris Templeton
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Post by Chris Templeton »

Johnny Paycheck's "The Old Violin".
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chris ivey
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Post by chris ivey »

'down so low' by tracy nelson.
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b0b
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Post by b0b »

Right now, "Blue Jade". :cry:
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Jim Cooley
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Post by Jim Cooley »

Spot on, b0b. I sat down last night to practice. After a few minutes, Blue Jade just came out. Well, my inadequate version anyway. I played it several times. Each time through seemed slower than the preceding. It seemed appropriate somehow.
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Joachim Kettner
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Post by Joachim Kettner »

Andy Volk wrote:Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again Naturally" was sad but very whiney about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_P-v1B ... ture=share

With a nice solo by "Big" Jim Sullivan. Gilbert O'Sullivan has a new record out.
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Barry Blackwood
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Post by Barry Blackwood »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6AfsKFcfdI
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Joachim Kettner
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Post by Joachim Kettner »

I will buy the new record. It's too bad he won't be touring, but I couldn't afford to go there anyway.
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Joe Allwood
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Post by Joe Allwood »

"He Stopped Loving Her Today" is sad, no doubt, but no Jones song tears at me like "These Days I Barely Get By". From that sad, dragging fiddle intro to the last note, where George really wails..."Oh these days, I barely get by..." It's just devastating.
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John Davis
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Post by John Davis »

Not just the song but the delivery should count as well imho.... nothing comes close to Luke The Drifter for me almost any track would do it.... :cry:
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Post by Robert Harper »

I Don't Go Around Mirrors
Honey
I'm So lonesome I Could Cry
He Stopped Loving Her Today
The Red Sovine Song about the boy and trucker. The title escapes me
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Scott Baker
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Post by Scott Baker »

Closing My Eyes - Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJKpS94KdHA

Can't describe the despair this song evokes
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Don R Brown
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Post by Don R Brown »

"No Expectations" by the Rolling Stones. :(
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Joachim Kettner
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Post by Joachim Kettner »

Yes, great song and only three chords. :)
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Jamie Mitchell
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Post by Jamie Mitchell »

back with/for more.

http://youtu.be/AKRA7weVyLs
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Stefan Robertson
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Post by Stefan Robertson »

Hard times by Ray Charles and in fact most of Ray Charles music is depressing if you find out the back story. His life was even more depressing by the age of seven. Losing his sight, brother, mother, schooling, piano access to when he got older racism, homelessness, drug addiction, divorce, record companies refused to release music, being banned from returning home to Georgia and the list goes on and on.

A true blues singer who lived problems first then reflected it in his music.
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Stefan Robertson
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Post by Stefan Robertson »

Also Mike and the mechanics- "through the living years" the things he wish he could've said to his father before he died.

Eva Cassidy - "somewhere over the rainbow"

Time after time

And fields of gold

her life wasn't easy. Never became well known until 4 years after death. The songs she chose for her live recorded performance which is available to see videos is when she was struggling with Melanoma which she died from shortly after. A soft spoken but emotional singer and guitarist who felt pain daily and you could see it in her eyes.

These songs are tear jerkers so be warned. They pull on hearts strings.
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Richard Wilhelm
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Post by Richard Wilhelm »

A truely sad song is Gram Parsons '$1000 Wedding'. For a review in 'American Songwriter' see

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2014/ ... ous-angel/
"Be Kind to Animals, don't eat Them"
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"You're only young forever" Harpo Marx

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Richard Wilhelm
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Post by Richard Wilhelm »

On Dillard and Clark's 'Thru the Morning, Thru the Night' Album has Gene Clark singing the Everly Brother's 'So Sad' and Gene's 'Poly'. Robert Plant and Alison Krause did a fine version of 'Poly'.

Polly

If the wild bird could speak
She'd tell of places you had been
She'd been in my dreams
And she knows all the ways of the wind

Polly, come home again
Spread your wings to the wind
I felt much of the pain
As it begins

Dreams cover much time
Still they leave behind
The will to begin
I searched for you there
And now look for you from within
Last edited by Richard Wilhelm on 21 Nov 2015 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Be Kind to Animals, don't eat Them"
"If you know music, you°ll know most everything you°ll need to know" Edgar Cayce
"You're only young forever" Harpo Marx

Fender 400, Fender FM212, G&L ASAT.

Was part of a hippie-Christian store in Cotati, California (circa 1976) called THE EYE OF THE RAINBOW. May God love you.
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chris ivey
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Post by chris ivey »

it's Polly....
great song! always loved it.
i just sent it to my sister the other day.
her name is Polly!
Richard Wilhelm
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Post by Richard Wilhelm »

Thanks for the correction, Chris. The day Gene died at his home in Sherman Oaks, not far from where I was. I had bought a CD of his that day and was listening to it as I drove home thru the Santa Monica mountains. Hearing the sad news, when I got home.
Will always remember Chris Hillman inviting him out at a tiny venue, and him singing and playing guitar, the full 'Mr Tamborine Man'. Sorry to go off topic.
"Be Kind to Animals, don't eat Them"
"If you know music, you°ll know most everything you°ll need to know" Edgar Cayce
"You're only young forever" Harpo Marx

Fender 400, Fender FM212, G&L ASAT.

Was part of a hippie-Christian store in Cotati, California (circa 1976) called THE EYE OF THE RAINBOW. May God love you.
Steve Atwood
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Post by Steve Atwood »

"Real Life Blues" Alvin Lee with George Harrison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI3Gs8EbmF4
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Joachim Kettner
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Post by Joachim Kettner »

Richard and Chris, you may like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOGubXvfxow
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Bill R. Baker
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add

Post by Bill R. Baker »

For country my list would include Knoxville Girl
and Tragic Romance.
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chris ivey
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Post by chris ivey »

nice joachim. gene clark resonated with me!
both dillard and clark albums really set me on a course that still goes on today.
richard..that's cool about you being in gene's neighborhood. did you know my old friend greg harris? he dabbled in the burrito bros. scene and played with gene and rick danko of the band.
something about gene's sensitivity and minor chord melodies and the softness of his voice...
Richard Wilhelm
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Post by Richard Wilhelm »

Chris, didn't know Greg Harris. I did know a good friend of both Gene and Sneaky. For the life of me, I can't remember his name right now. He once had a contract with Decca. He looked so much like Gram and with his Southern accent, you'd think it was. It was a warm day that Gene died. I bought a CD of his at this record store, put it on my cd player and took a nap in the shade of the building in my Cadillac with the Deadhead sticker. Then me and my dog Daisy took the back roads home thru the mountains.
"Be Kind to Animals, don't eat Them"
"If you know music, you°ll know most everything you°ll need to know" Edgar Cayce
"You're only young forever" Harpo Marx

Fender 400, Fender FM212, G&L ASAT.

Was part of a hippie-Christian store in Cotati, California (circa 1976) called THE EYE OF THE RAINBOW. May God love you.
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