Like most great songs, the lyrics alone don’t tell the story, but the simple refrain gets at the heart of the temporary nature of our lives contrasting with our human urge for permanence: “Please remember me.” Beam’s voice is at its most nostalgic here, and he tells the story of a boy and girl who connected and blew apart, complete with circus imagery, snippets of memory, and the bright, painful moments of consummation and separation. This song hit me at the perfect time in life, and seemed to capture a kind of ineffable melancholy that went beyond the girl I was pining over, and was instead an essential part of the human experience. But “Trapeze Swinger” made such an unforgettable impression that the setting remains locked in my head-senior year, central campus apartment, sitting in front of my computer with AIM running, heartbroken. I still remember the exact spot where I first I heard “Trapeze Swinger,” which is pretty unusual for me-I have a decent memory for where I’ve read certain unforgettable books, but songs tend to blend in space and time, since you can listen to them over and over and gradually erase the point of origin. Here are our 50 favorite of the saddest songs: If your favorite is missing, add it to the comments section below. This list barely scratches the surface of sad songs-or even sad songs that got nominated by our writers. I tried to keep it to one song per artist but Johnny Cash ended up getting a pass. And these 50 songs helped the Paste staff to hurt so good. The kick inside is in the line that finally gets to you
Then it’s easier to have those songs around If someone is suffering enough to write it down Bernie Taupin captured this sentiment best and hid it in a jaunty little pop song by Elton John: We need sad songs for the comfort they can provide. It’s allowing the grief a place to breathe, allowing you to experience the pain in its fullness and hopefully come out the other side. Locking yourself in your bedroom to listen to mopey music isn’t just wallowing. It assures you that you’re not alone, that someone else has felt this pain and turned it into a gift for you. If misery loves company, sometimes there’s no better friend than a really good, really sad song.
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