Sad Songs to Lift Your Spirits: Led Zeppelin, Portishead, etc.

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In summary, the songs that the protagonist prefers to listen to when they're sad are: Led Zeppelin's "Rain Song," Portishead's "Roads," Randy Newman's "Dexter's Tune," Billie Holiday's "Good Morning Heartache," and Pat Benatar's "I'm Through with Love." Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" album is also a favorite.
  • #36
wasteofo2 said:
It's really weird how some people prescribe sad music for sadness; that seems more like a prescription for "How do I make myself more miserable than I already am?"

I like certain sad music because it seems to produce some of the most beautiful melodies and most heartfelt singng. If I am feeling down (which isn't often), that beauty and heartfulness feels good. I used to listen to Joni Mitchell all the time for that reason. I always thought it was too bad she stopped being so miserable because we lost a great melody writer and singer. :-p Some of James Talor's music has that, as does Willie Nelson, Nora Jones, Richie Furey, David Crosby . . .
 
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  • #37
"Singin the blues ain't about making yourself feel better. It's about making other people feel worse."

--Unknown
 
  • #38
Evo said:
Nothing beats country music for depressing lyrics. :cry:

You have got that right!, but The Wall is still #1 ! in whining.
 
  • #39
O by Damien Rice

I just discovered this great album today. It has one of the best lyrics and musical accompaniments I've ever heard. I'm not one to tear up over music, but I was overcome by emotion listening through the album. If you look on CDNOW everyone is giving it rave reviews:



Some of songs on this album were just recently used on the movie Closer with Natalie Portman, Julie Roberts and Jude Law.
 
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  • #40
Thanks, dd. I really like that. I just listened to some samples.
 
  • #41
I just listened to the samples and they really don't do justice to the album. For example in the song Eskimo the climax of the piece is accompanied by an opera singer which is just spetacular. I would have never in a million years imagined myself liking opera vocals but Rice did a magnificant job.

What was more amazing was that he actually produced most of the album on his home computer. It is just mindblowing what real talent can do.
 
  • #42
Where are these sample coming from? I enjoy all types of music but did not see samples at the Amazon site.
 
  • #43
I don't know why it isn't showing up for you. Go to cdnow.com and do a search for Damien Rice.

Oh, and the whole album isn't opera, it just happens that the last song uses an opera singer at the very end of the song.
 
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  • #44
When I was much younger, when depressed I would often play [on the piano] EJ's "Funeral For a Friend", over and over and over. If I was really depressed [over some woman] I would continue right into "Love Lies Bleeding". Now I just whine a lot and drive Tsu nuts. :biggrin:
 
  • #45
Billy Joel's Greatest Hits album is also good for the blues.
 
  • #46
I love the old classic Billy Joel and Elton John. It seems like they were just so brilliant and then one day they just got way too successful and started to.. uh.. suck. That's just me, though. I love "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton and "Captain Jack" by Billy Joel.
I am listening to my "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" soundtrack right now. There's a lot of really good music on it. I loved that movie.
 
  • #47
Daniel, FFAF, LLB, Your Song, Sweet Painted Lady, all of his great hits and even some more obscure songs like The Ballad of Danny Bailey, I love everything EJ. He is always great for soulful music.
 
  • #48
Speaking of EJ, can someone tell me if Levon is a tribute to Levon Helm of The Band, or is it unrelated ?
 
  • #49
...According to Gus Dudgeon, who produced Madman Across the Water and wrote an essay containing this information to accompany the remastered version, the name "Levon" was inspired by Levon Helm, drummer, lead singer, and founder of The Band, a group from the 60s and 70s. The Band was apparently Elton John's and Bernie Taupin's favorite group in those days. (Taupin is the guy who writes or co-writes a lot of Elton John's songs and who wrote the lyrics for "Levon.")...
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlevon.html
 
  • #50
Thanks Ivan :smile:...one more nagging question that I can scratch off the list.
 
  • #51
I am another one of those people who would rather listen to something "happier" when I am in a bad mood. Starting my day off with good music can really make a difference. I am not one to pay a lot of attention to lyrics, so what most people would think of as "sad" music just equates to "mellow, relaxing" for me.

I am a huge classic rock fan, but some of my other tastes might be way too weird to share... ^.^;
 
  • #52
Hello meowxorz!
What are some of your favorite songs?
 
  • #53
meowxorz said:
I am another one of those people who would rather listen to something "happier" when I am in a bad mood. Starting my day off with good music can really make a difference. I am not one to pay a lot of attention to lyrics, so what most people would think of as "sad" music just equates to "mellow, relaxing" for me.

I am a huge classic rock fan, but some of my other tastes might be way too weird to share... ^.^;

Me too classic rock fan,lyrics very important, very. :biggrin:


PS.what you doing on weekends?
 
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  • #54
Math Is Hard said:
Hello meowxorz!
What are some of your favorite songs?

Hmmm... well, there are a million, but I'll try to pick a few...

Older:
Jethro Tull- Locomotive Breath
Moody Blues- Nights in White Satin
Foreigner- Cold As Ice
Cream- White Room
Styx- Suite Madame Blue
Pink Floyd- Comfortably Numb (cliche, i know, but I love the guitar so much)
Aerosmith- Dream On
The Outlaws - Green Grass & High Tides
Rush - The Trees
The Beatles- Let It Be
Bad Company- Gone, Gone, Gone
ELO - Evil Woman
Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf
Bob Seger - Night Moves
Bon Jovi - Livin on a Prayer \m/,
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (another cliche... but undoubtedly best sing-along song EVER)
Tom Petty - Last Dance with Mary Jane or Learning to Fly

There are so many others, though. I can't really narrow it down.

"Newer" stuff I like includes Coheed & Cambria, AFI, Built to Spill, Muse, The Mars Volta, A Perfect Circle, Tool, The Faint, Bad Religion, NOFX, Of Montreal, The Unicorns, Sparta ... I also like a lot of experimental hip-hop, european techno, and anime soundtracks.
 
  • #55
tumor said:
Me too classic rock fan,lyrics very important, very. :biggrin:


PS.what you doing on weekends?

Heh, uh... I said that I don't really pay much attention to the lyrics. Not that I don't think lyrics are important, I'm just bitter because usually I either mishear the words entirely or can't remember them.

On weekends I either work or sit on the computer. *radiates awesomeness*
 
  • #56
meowxorz said:
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (another cliche... but undoubtedly best sing-along song EVER)
I'm sorry I can't agree with that. Bohemain Rhapsody is a musical masterpiece; a beautifully orchestrated rollercoaster of emotion. To call it a sing-along song is such a crime ! :cry:

I grew up on Moody Blues, Cream, the Beatles and Queen...I think my earliest memories may be of listening to Nights in White Satin, Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum) and Norwegian Wood.
 
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  • #57
Well, I wouldn't disagree with that, of course... what I meant is that it is my favorite song to sing along to, not that it is a "singalong"... does that make it better? Maybe? :/
 
  • #58
meowxorz said:
On weekends I either work or sit on the computer. *radiates awesomeness*


Why not do some stuff together? :wink:

Anyway,
did you hear pink floyd's "atom mother heart"? it is my all time favourite.Jethro tull is also very cool.
 
  • #59
meowxorz said:
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (another cliche... but undoubtedly best sing-along song EVER)
:smile:

The one song I can never resist singing along to is Open Arms by Journey. When the chorus comes around, the urge is just overwhelming!
 
  • #60
meowxorz said:
Well, I wouldn't disagree with that, of course... what I meant is that it is my favorite song to sing along to, not that it is a "singalong"... does that make it better? Maybe? :/

Who are you? You have the same name as Tsunami's online photo album.
 
  • #61
Les Sleeth said:
Besides her original contributions, she does some great redo's like Hank Williams "I"m so Lonesome I could Die," Neil Young's "Harvest Moon, and U2's "Love is Blindness."

The Cowboy Junkies did a terrific cover of "I'm so Lonesome . . ." on their debut album The Trinity Session. One of the gentlest and subtly sad songs I've ever heard. That album is full of very good covers and originals, most of which are very sad and subdued.
 
  • #62
loseyourname said:
Who are you? You have the same name as Tsunami's online photo album.
She's my older daughter, the 20 year old.
 
  • #63
Evo said:
She's my older daughter, the 20 year old.

You all look the same(hot) and now I'm so confused :frown:
 
  • #64
Gokul43201 said:
I'm sorry I can't agree with that. Bohemain Rhapsody is a musical masterpiece; a beautifully orchestrated rollercoaster of emotion. To call it a sing-along song is such a crime ! :cry:

I grew up on Moody Blues, Cream, the Beatles and Queen...I think my earliest memories may be of listening to Nights in White Satin, Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum) and Norwegian Wood.
I thought you were a relative youngster! What were you doing listening to this ancient stuff?
 
  • #65
Integral said:
I thought you were a relative youngster! What were you doing listening to this ancient stuff?

It's what my dad fed me when I was little...so I've grown up on music made in the 60s and 70s.
 
  • #66
Integral said:
I thought you were a relative youngster! What were you doing listening to this ancient stuff?

Why do (relatively) older people say this to younger people, as if they don't have access to media made before they were teens? I'm not being an @$$, I actually want to know.

As far as Queen goes, "Who Wants to Live Forever" is the best when you're depressed. Chopin's Nocturnes are my favorite for a blue or pensive mood. Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World" is a favorite pick-me-up.
Oh, and I agree, Bohemian Rhapsody is a great song for singing & flailing wildly along with. Same goes for Tchaikovsky's 1812.
 
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  • #67
honestrosewater said:
Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World" is a favorite pick-me-up.

I second that wholeheartedly.
 

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