Sad Songs

So, I've been on a sad song kick recently.

No, I'm not depressed. No, I don't need a double-dose of sunshine. I suppose I've just been enjoying the sweet melancholy of sad songs more than usual lately.

For one thing, they're often an opportunity for the singer to do some serious singing...especially if it's a subject that he (I'm using the masculine arbitrarily to avoid the stupid he/she construction. I'll use she next time, I promise...please put the stiletto away.) is particularly close to. So, for fun, I'll give some examples of sad songs I've been listening to lately.

John Prine - All The Best

Ahhh, John Prine. In the summer of 2000, I went to my first two live, non-Classical concerts. One was John Prine's. Wow. I have been a die-hard fan ever since, and this particular song illustrates why he's one of my favorite singer/songwriters ever. Here's the background (if you want to hear John tell you about it himself, listen to the album A John Prine Christmas): Awhile back, John got a divorce for Christmas (no, I'm not evil...that's how he described it.) So, since he didn't really know what to do for the holidays, he bought an electric train. Then he and his buddy nailed it to the kitchen table...just because they could. Down the road a ways, he wrote this song. To me, it illustrates the sweeter side of losing in love. Yes, there's hurt in there (and a good bit, too), but mostly it's in good humor. I hope I can be this cool when someone hurts me.

Dave Mason - We Just Disagree

You probably know this one; it's a classic. Probably one of the better break-up songs out there. Although really, it doesn't necessarily have to be a break-up. Perhaps lost friendship. To me, that probably hurts longer and deeper. Give it a listen--it's a short tune, and for a ballad, it has a pretty serious groove to it.

Harry Chapin - Mr. Tanner

Let's just be honest...this song scares the Hell outta me. It's one of my favorites from when I was very young (my parents are life-long Chapin fans and now, so am I), and it didn't really get me anxious until I got older and started performing regularly. Listen to this; you'll quickly see why. Listen for the line from the NYC critic...It's the most brutal paragraph I'm aware referring to a performance. True, others are just viciously evil, but this one politely destroys the characters dreams. I hope that I'll be more resilient when some jerk who couldn't do it himself trashes my work.

The Weepies - Nobody Knows Me at All

I was happily exposed to the Weepies last week. I really like their stuff; it feels like the "now" equivalent of the singer/songwriters of the 60s/70s. This song is beautiful, and I think we can all identify with it. Do you ever feel like nobody knows you? I know I do. Not always, but I think sometimes there is a natural sense of isolation. We can't get behind someone else's eyeballs and experience what they experience. Otherwise, I think we'd worry less about this.

And the last one, for now:

Herman's Hermits - 'Enry the 8th, I am

This is probably the saddest song on the list: A portrait of a man who just wants to affirm who he is. Love's a problem too as he must learn to satisfy a woman who had 7 previous husbands. This song also has a populist bent to it: Our hero reminisces of a time when everyone was an 'Enery. I miss those days too, Your Highness.


Well, that's it for me...until next time!