Crying Buckets in the Car

Hey, sometimes we need a good cry. There are those days where the hormones kick in and you may need to hole up in your apartment, open a bottle of wine, and let it all out.

I'm obsessed with music, and have an affinity for songs that are powerful, that relay emotions, and say things we feel but don't say. Granted, this is my own list, not comprehensive at all, and only contains a few songs at this point. There are plenty more. No, I didn't include any Death Cab for Cutie songs (too overtly sad). Nor did I include that universally sad Leonard Cohen song about the blue raincoat, which is typically everybody's saddest song ever. To me, it tells too much of a personal story that I don't relate to. The songs here are the ones I've heard lately that have affected me. Feel free to comment and add.

Song 1. M83: My Tears Are Becoming a Sea
This song was showcased on the trailer for Rust and Bone, which is a beautiful French film, so we're inclined to believe it's sad. And it's called "My Tears are Becoming a Sea." The lyrics are sparse, but the song is powerful. I could post the M83 video, but instead I'll post the trailer for the film.

Song 2. Manchester Orchestra: Sleeper 1972.
Everybody dies in this song. Seriously, everybody.
 

Song 3. Radical Face: All is Well (Goodbye Goodbye)
Ben Cooper has a piercing voice, amazing musical ability, and a beautiful songwriting style. This song is about a loved one dying too early and the melancholy and emptiness we feel in their absence. I love so many things about this song, most notably the piano, the tambourine, and the violin at the end.


Song 4. Local Natives: Airplanes
This song is written about a grandfather who died when the songwriter was young. He didn't know him very well, but the few memories he has of him, he cherishes. The "I want you back" pleading is bittersweet.



Song 5. Eels: Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor
This song is sad because it's true, oh and because it's painful to listen to. The lead singer's sister Elizabeth really did commit suicide, and the lyrics are apparently taken from the journal entries she made right before her death.



Song 6. The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl: Fairytale of New York
This song may be sad partly because Kirsty MacColl's mysterious death was so tragic. Perhaps it's because it's a Christmas song, and that time of year makes us all sad. And Irish music somehow always comes across as morose. It's about two junkies who never imagined that their lives would turn out this way. I listen to this song on repeat in December.