The 25 Most Exquisitely Sad Songs in the Whole World: No. 2
- Posted by Spinner Staff
- Comments (63)
'Gloomy Sunday'Billie Holiday (1941)
The Breakdown: The Queen of Soul-Sapping is haunted about losing a loved one.
The Waterworks: "Angels have no thought of returning you/Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?"
Casualty Count: One woman's will to live.
Listen to 'Gloomy Sunday'
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Reader Comments(1 of 4)
lexyfayeat 8-19-2009
yeah its gloomy but I don't think that this song deserved the # 2 spot there are many more songs sadder than this even some of her other songs!
kugliat 12-03-2009
listen to it in hungarian! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR2QDBeiLTA
i love this version and our language too
Barryat 5-05-2007
Amazing! By far the saddest/gribbing song without any doubt is "Strange Fruit" sung by Billie Holiday!
Mary Flynnat 5-05-2007
"Gloomy Sunday" was banned from the radio for years
due to its depressing lyrics. It was also known as, "The Hungarian Suicide Song". Saint-Saen's Danse Macabre" was also banned from radio many years ago as well.
Monkeyat 5-05-2007
Billy Holiday didnt originally sing this song. It is considered the most haunted song in the world due to the many suicides that occured directly after people heard the song in Hungary
Ron Jenningsat 5-05-2007
love it
Joeat 5-05-2007
Sorry.... you forgot the saddest ..........Tom T Hall "Old Dogs Children and Watermelon Wine"
Kayat 5-05-2007
If this one doesnt get you... nothing will.
SCat 5-05-2007
Great gloominess... but I'm going to have to add Aimee Mann as my choice for this spot. Try for instance the bleakness of either 'This is How it Goes' or 'It's Not' - there's a certain emotional desolation she always manages to convey, and these are both great examples.
Victor Caselliat 5-05-2007
It is a good song but probably more for #4. I think Radiohead without doubt had to take #1 spot with CREEP. Sorry old timers just dont feel this song much!
John Corcoranat 5-05-2007
I'd have selected "Strange Fruit" too, because in addition to it's power it is one of the very first protest songs. ANother great Jazz Standard you guys over looked--but ONLY the Carman McRae version brings it alive--is "Guess Who I saw today?" This is perhaps the best and certaiunly cleverest torch song ever written, because the capper, the twist,m the killer emotion isn't delivered until the VERY LAST word. And it chokes me up every time.
rvynmoon77at 5-05-2007
I have always thought "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton was pretty sad too.......I believe it was written for his young son who had passed away.
toolmanat 5-05-2007
I too, kept expecting to see Honey (Bobby Goldsboro).
Julieat 5-05-2007
I definately think that Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" should have been on there somewhere. Also, "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz to Men should have made it too, but these are mostly old songs.
SBat 5-06-2007
Nothing has reached the love I feel for her ... "To my sister ... 1955-1996"
montanaat 5-06-2007
I agree... Tears in Heaven should be here somewhere.
E Hagerat 5-06-2007
Nothing by; Dwight Yoakam
Thousand miles from nowhere by: Dwight Yoakam
HarvestMoonat 5-06-2007
I've been Loving You" Otis Redding,
"Missing" Bruce Springsteen,
"Angel" Annie Lennox,
"Remember" Harry Nillson,
"Angel Flying too Close to the Ground" Willie Nelson,
"For a Dancer" Jackson Browne,
"The Last Song" Elton John,
"Black Cadillac" Roseanne Cash,
"Top of the World" Patty Griffin,
"You Remain" Willie Nelson/Bonnie Raitt,
"Crying" Duet Roy Orbison and K.D. Lang,
"The Scientist" Cold Play,
"Is it Over Yet" Wynonna,
gregat 5-06-2007
If Billie Holiday sings it--it's gotta be good! I agree that "Tears in Heaven" really should be in the top five at least!
A. Brennanat 5-06-2007
YES! I knew this song had to be on here somewhere. Never heard Billie Holiday's version, but Roy Hamilton's is fantastic.