Readers' Sad Songs: No. 3

Do a search for dickey lee iff you are into sad songs then this is the man for you. laurie about a guy who discovers the girl he meets is a ghost and patches about a girl who kills her self because she thinks he boyfriend has dumped he while he has been locked up by his parents as she is from the wrong side of town. At the end of the song he decides to join her.

Classic, fantastic song.
The last part always gets me.
"And as I hung up the phone it occured to me, he'd grown up just like me. My boy was just like me." :(

harry chapin was the best. i grew up listen to this now my children listen to it. The best songs are rose are red , corys comin', and for any daddys little girls you must listen to Tangled up Puppet. I'm in my 30s now and i still cry and think of my dad everytime i hear it.

I'm glad someone also mentioned "Taxi", which I think is even sadder.

The first time he says - When you comin' home "son"... I lose it, and there i am - crying my eyes out in the car.

Boys Cry Tough really tears me up... haven't heard in a long time, though.

My top 10 sad songs would all be Harry's songs. For anyone who likes this type of song, listen to Better Place to Be, Carey's Coming, Sniper, Mail Order Annie. Harry had a way of making a sad song inspirational and uplifting. Tears would flow (and still do when I listen to some), but afterwards I would be inspired to change the world--or at least a small part of it. We miss you, Harry!

I agree that Cat in the Cradle is devastating, but nothing could be sadder than "Taxi". Two people, two dreams, crushed by compromise and reality. A true love? Or is it just depressing San Francisco weather.

I really think this song has true meaning in the world to day cause people have forgotten that family should beput before everything else. Their was a day when you had time for your children . But big business has taken it away from us.

I loved Harry, saw him four times in concert, got to talk to him for 10 minutes after one (try to do that with any other celebrity), but some of his songs just want to make you lay your wrist on the table and pick up a knife. I would add to the list two from "Greatest Stories Live": "A Better Place to Be", lonely night watchman has one night of love; and "The Shortest Story", infant born to famine dies quickly and horrifically. Honorable mentions also to "Sniper" (Texas tower shootings), and "The Mayor of Candor Lied", infidelity and possible incest.

I guess maybe Harry was the king of the downers, but more than made up for in concert with rousing versions of "30,000 lbs. of Bananas", and "Circle"

It's been over 25 years, and we still miss you, Harry.

P. S. I'd also nominate Springsteen's "Nebraska" (the Charlie Starkweather killings). "When the Man comes to throw that switch/and snap my poor head back/make sure my pretty baby is sitting in my lap".