People Are Sharing The Most Heartbreaking Songs Of All Time, And — If You'll Excuse Me — I Need To Go Sob In A Bathroom Somewhere
Just be sure to grab some tissues before clicking on this one!
In a viral thread this week, redditor u/humanbean07 asked, "What song breaks your heart every time you hear it?" and people really came through with some absolute tearjerkers!
So — with that in mind — here are just a few of the songs that never fail to break people's hearts, no matter how many times they've heard them*:
*Before we begin, a light CONTENT WARNING: Due to the nature of this post and the question being answered, several responses include personal stories — some of which mention death. Please proceed with caution, and take care of yourself!
1. "Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog:
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"Yes, a song sung by a Muppet makes me cry every time."
2. "These Are the Days of Our Lives" by Queen:
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"Especially if the video is playing. The bit at the end where Freddie Mercury looks directly at the camera and says, 'I love you.' That was the final song they filmed, and you just know, at that point, he was saying goodbye to everyone."
3. "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2:
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"If you don't tear up listening to this song, you have no heart."
4. "Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole:
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"It played at the airport while my dad waited for my grandpa, hours before my mom died. We call it 'her song.'"
5. "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie:
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"I cry every time. I can’t help it."
6. "I Can’t Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt:
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"I get instant chills every time."
7. "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen:
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"That was one of my dad's absolute favorite songs. Sometimes I'll listen to it to feel a little closer to him, even though I cry like a baby. My mom wanted to play it in the church at his funeral, and I had to break it to her that it wasn't actually the religious song she'd always thought it was. So we listened to it on repeat during the car ride home instead."
8. "Remember Me" from Coco:
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"It was the first song I listened to after my dog was put down this year. I sobbed for a good half an hour."
9. “Your Song” by Elton John:
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"It was one of my grandma's favorite songs. We were super close. She died earlier this year unexpectedly, and the last communication I had with her was over text, so the lyric 'I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words / how wonderful life is when you’re in the world' really hits me hard."
10. "Adam's Song" by Blink-182:
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"It's very sad and hits close to home."
11. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones:
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"My grandmother died 20 years before my grandfather did, and we played this at his funeral. Just typing this out chokes me up a bit."
12. "In My Life" by the Beatles:
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"My dad told me when I was a teenager that he wanted this played at his funeral. I still can't listen to it, and when that day comes and I have to listen to it to honor his wish, I'm going to be a blubbering mess."
13. "Ronan" by Taylor Swift:
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"It's about a little boy who died from cancer, and one of the lyrics is, 'What if I'm standing in your closet trying to talk to you / What if I kept the hand-me-downs you won't grow into / What if I really thought some miracle would see us through / What if the miracle was even getting one moment with you.' The moment she mentions the hand-me-downs, I cry."
14. "Purple Rain" by Prince:
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"It was my mom's favorite song by her favorite musician. I played it for her on the day she died in hospice. Fifteen years later, and I still bawl whenever I hear it."
15. "Hate Me" by Blue October:
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"I've made similar mistakes in my life, so this one hits me hard every time."
16. "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross:
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"It kills me. I remember so many dances with my dad from when I was little, standing on his feet. When I was 11, being twirled about. As a grown woman, I just wish I could dance with him again."
17. "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic:
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"I heard it first when I was like 5 years old, and it made me bawl (according to my mother). It still makes my heart sad to this day — no idea why. Damn that Titanic soundtrack!"
18. "Dear Mama" by Tupac:
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19. "It’s Quiet Uptown" from Hamilton:
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"That one simple line from Eliza, then 'Forgiveness, can you imagine?' It breaks me every time."
20. "Lucky" by Britney Spears:
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"My grandfather had a heart attack while we were abalone diving when I was 15. I pulled him out of the water, called for help, and tried to do CPR until paramedics arrived. I sat a few feet away the entire time they tried to revive him, and I had to be the family member to give consent to stop CPR.
"When my parents came and picked me up, I had a minidisc player (a weird mix of a CD and cassette tape player before iPods happened) in the car. I put the headphones on to zone out, and this was the track it was on. For whatever reason, I had it stuck on repeat, so I just sat there and listened to it on repeat for like 45 minutes while trying to process what happened.
"I didn't hear that song again for a long time after that, until I randomly heard it at a friend's wedding out of the blue. I had to step outside."
21. And finally — "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman:
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"It gets me every time."
All right, you've read their picks, but now it's YOUR turn. What's a song that never fails to break your heart and/or make you cry? Share your pick or picks in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. H/T: AskReddit.