Spinner

The 25 Most Exquisitely Sad Songs in the Whole World: No. 19

'Lost Cause'
Beck (2002)

The Breakdown: The postmodern trickster reaches back to the Romantic era for the most depressing song on his breakup album, 'Sea Change.'

The Waterworks: "I'm tired of fighting/Fighting for a lost cause."

Casualty Count: The one love of your life.

All Sad Songs

Listen to 'Lost Cause'

Buy it on iTunes

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Travis

Great pick, a no-brainer. It's rare that I would agree with many actual "hits" deserving a place amongst "saddest songs ever", but in this case, the exception trumps the rule. As many have said already, the whole album is devastatingly depressing. But those of us who were paying close attention knew he had that kind of depth and songwriting prowess all along. Nothing brings out the tunes in you like a great love lost

April 13 2010 at 4:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nick

That whole album is brilliantly depressing: "Guess I'm Doing Fine," "Little One," "End of the Day," "Already Dead," "All In Your Mind," etc. It didn't help that I was going through a break-up when I got this record, so this album was like therapy for me. Ah, the more innocent days...

January 27 2010 at 10:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Nick's comment
sofia

you are so totally right , this album is perfect for bad times... =(

March 28 2010 at 1:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mest

Beck is an idiot Scientologist who was sucked back into the CULT and married off to another Scientologist, Marissa Ribisi. Beck is a sad, fucked-up victim of Scientology who has been brain-washed since birth and can't handle life on the outside. Applying our societies rules to him is pointless. Beck might as well have brain damage.

January 12 2010 at 7:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Halleluja by john cale

i love this song, its perfect one im in a low mood. pissed off or nervous. its perfect.

December 12 2009 at 10:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Danny

Becks entire SeaChange album was his heart-felt reaction to his Break up with, (i think) Then Girlfriend Wynona Rider, Beck even got his father to come up with String arrangements for the album so he could keep it as something close and special. Guess i'm doing fine and lonesome tears, always get me, but the album on a whole is full of tear jerkers

November 17 2009 at 9:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jayson

beck is da shit lost cause just like me and the place in whitch i live and always have

July 29 2007 at 7:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Diggem the Frog

To James, regarding his comment on "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor:

That's not what I heard. According to a local DJ who does a lot of research on these things, the "Susanne" Taylor refers to committed suicide (I don't know how or why), and he did in fact start writing down the song the day after "They let me know you were gone."

July 04 2007 at 3:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dana

The sad song i love is "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" by oasis when i'm sad i'll listen to that song over and over again. It's kinda hopefull but so emotional it's the best

May 27 2007 at 9:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Margaret

I love this song. Tom, I listened to this song over and over again. My boyfriend and I broke up a month ago, and he was truly the first guy out of all the boyfriends I've had, that I can honestly say I loved. We broke up because we wanted different things and the last thing I told him was "I'm a lost cause" so this song really hit close to home.

May 21 2007 at 10:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Fran

Excellent choice. The entire Sea Change album is the epitome of heartbreakingly beautiful... Lost Cause tears me up every single time.

May 20 2007 at 6:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply