I was thinking about this yesterday as I was listening to Joni Mitchell sing River on Pandora Radio. And getting weepy. What other music makes me cry? So I assembled a list.
River by Joni Mitchell
The end of The Firebird Suite by Stravinsky
Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin
Make our Garden Grow – (from the musical Candide) by Leonard Bernstein
Both Sides Now – the most recent version sung by an older and wiser Joni Mitchell
Venus – sung by Frankie Avalon (my late brother and I used to sing it together)
Adagio for Strings – by Samuel Barber
The theme music from To Kill a Mockingbird by Elmer Bernstein
The theme music from Schindler’s List by John Williams
This Nearly Was Mine (from South Pacific) sung by Barbara Cook
I’d Sing You – composed and sung by my husband
Goin’ Out of My Head – sung by Little Anthony and the Imperials
The Party’s Over (from the musical, Bells are Ringing) – sung by Judy Holliday (who died much too young.)
Out of this World/So In Love or anything sung by Nancy LaMott (she had the most glorious voice and she also died much too young.)
Last Train Home by Pat Metheny
Losing My Mind by Steven Sondheim (a real torch song)
Since I Fell for You – sung by Lenny Welch
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – sung by anyone, but especially Judy Garland
O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini, sung by Kiri Te Kanawa in A Room with a View
I’m sure I will think of more as soon as I hit Publish. What’s on your list? What music pushes your emotional buttons? Please share in the comments!
Theme from A Summer Place! Never fails, lol!
S
xo
Run for the Roses – I’ve hearing it a lot lately too because of the Derby.
Don’t laugh but the theme music from the old TV show Lassie. It has since I was a little girl.
Hmmm, both of those are animal related, think that might be a pattern?
Have a good weekend.
Anything by Eva Cassidy, another amazing voice silenced far too soon because of cancer!
Jerusalem – the mighty hymn every English child learns first – it’s also the theme from Chariots of Fire.
I Had A Dream from Les Miz
….and, like you, many more which will come to mind later.
Mary X
Claudia, I like a song called “say it twice” by Don somebody at mockingbird hill.:):) I love the Capenters, and yes, I cry when I hear some of their songs. xo, Susie
Dan Fogelberg singing “Leader of the Band” will do it for me. Another songmaster that died much too young.
Thanks for sharing your list, I’ll be on YouTube crying now…
Tammy
Too many to mention… any and all classical and Sarah Mclachlan for a start. :)
Happy weekend, Claudia!
Annie’s Song–John Denver
Someone Like You–Adele
One Less Bell to Answer–The Fifth Dimension
My Girl–Smokey Robinson
You Don’t Bring Me Flowers–Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond.
And many of those you listed, Claudia.
The Rose – Bette Midler
The Promise – Tracy Chapman
Against All Odds – Phil Collins
Ah, I’m all weepy just typing a few from my list! :D
Lately, by Stevie Wonder…gets me every time
OH, and God only knows, by the beach boys
bunny
Aretha Franklin & Tony Bennett singing How Do You Keep The Music Playing,
When September Comes – Roseanne Cash & Johnny Cash
Fields of Gold by Eve Cassidy, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye by Leonard Cohen, and Keep Me in Your Heart For A While by Warren Zevon Fly Fly Little Wing by Celiene Dion. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The Anniversary Song by Eva Cassidy gets me every time. So does Jackson Browne’s Looking Into You.
“Unchained Melody” (sob) Ann
My 22 yo daughter who plays violin with a symphony orchestra offered to help a friend’s son with his Music Appreciation class, he was struggling. During their time together he told her music has no emotion, it’s all in your head and you must have psychological problems if you think it does. Then he kept pronouncing the composers names wrong, totally disrespecting music. Well, that was it, she’s not helping him any more! Smile, by Josh Groban; violin music by Joshua Bell; many songs by Willie Nelson; Ave Maria, Old Rugged Cross, the list goes on and on…
“Ashokan Farewell,” the hypnotic theme song to Ken Burns’ PBS CivilWar
Danny Boy
Whatever songs were current during the breakup of a relationship. They stay with you forever.
Oh boy, there are quite a few that cause the flood gates to open. I love to listen to them when I need a good cry :)
Oh Danny Boy…..
I’ve been reading your blog for a bit and this post hit home! I have a few songs that always make me cry, and “Both Sides Now” is definitely one of them. Off the top of my head, the other two that come to mind are the final Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker (we’re talking full on weepy if I’m alone in the car!), and “The Grass is Blue” by Dolly Parton. The Live in London version of that song gets me so verklempt, every time. The McGarrigle Sisters’ version of “What’ll I Do” is another contender. I always associate that song with my best friends from high school, we sang it in a theatre cabaret right before graduation. Music is a powerful thing!
I agree with Mary about Jerusalem! *sob* In fact there are several hymns that always make my eyes fill with tears. “I Was Glad” by Parry, “Come Down, O Love Divine” (Down Ampney), and “I heard the voice of Jesus say” (Kingsfold). And so many classical or popular tunes! “Nimrod” (from Enigma Variations), “Cloths of Heaven” (Dunhill), Talk to Me of Mendocino (McGarrigles). Too many to mention! Thanks for getting me thinking about this, Claudia!
I like Joni Mitchell too. the song she sings about Vincent and Morning Morgantown because i wish the world was like that. Cat Stevens
O Baby its a Wide world.
and Chet Baker when he plays that sad, forlorn and beautiful trumpet.
And here’s one that makes me feel really good. Oh, Happy Day..