15 Songs That May Make You Shed A Tear

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the emotions associated with entertainment, particularly musically. I’ve been beginning to realise that some songs may have a more profound effect on me than others emotionally: whether it be joy or misery, anger or goodwill, and you get plenty of songs that will actively open you up to these experiences, which is something that makes music so magical.

Songs that make you tear up are of a particular interest to me, as it hard to pin down what makes a song particularly sad. It seems to be than just a minor key and some melancholy lyrics that create a genuinely ‘sad’ song. It takes something else, and this doesn’t seem to be the case when associating music with other emotions. Joy can be expressed by a catchy beat, a major riff and some lyrics about how wonderful and amusing all of our lives are. On the contrary, a song expressing anger may make the most of louder, more violent characteristics, whether this be lyrically or harmonically or indeed anything associated with a Sex Pistols song. But with songs that make you cry, it just isn’t that simple.

So to fuel my interest in this collection of songs, I have decided to compile a list for you guys to enjoy!

I feel I must say right now that emotions vary in strength/weakness/presence between people. Therefore, this list is of my own choices. Some may agree with me, while some may think me a soppy weirdo. But quite frankly, differences do not matter, and if you think differently then I would be very interested to hear your own opinion.

Now, it isn’t often that I make posts based on individual songs, due to a sheer belief that songs must contribute to an album, not to be works in themselves. With that said, though, you can’t have an album made up entirely of these sorts of songs, or the emotion will run dry too early, leaving a bitter aftertaste of neglect and mediocrity. Thus, this may actually make a vaguely successful post, and if it is, then maybe I might try a few more ‘song’ based posts.

Anyway, on with the list!

15. Bat For Lashes – Moon And Moon

Bat For Lashes must be one of the most innovative artists around today, with the ability to create songs which can make you laugh, dance, smile or cry. Unlike other artists, she will go as far as basing songs around her template for an album rather than creating an album around a collection of songs, thus creating albums that almost tell a story. Not only does this song, from her second album Two Suns, work perfectly in its place in the album, but is lovely and mellow by itself. Its production, consisting of three voices, a piano and a keyboard only, creates a well textured and effectively layered song, thus providing all of the aspects of a song that would make it a tear-jerker, and so it appears on this list.

14. Sigur Ros – Hoppipolla

Personally, I am a massive fan of Sigur Ros, so it devalues my credibility as a fan if I immediately choose what is probably Sigur Ros’ only recognisable song, with it having appeared eveywhere, from the trailer to Slumdog Millionaire and We Bought A Zoo to the BBC’s coverage of the 2010 World Cup. But the reason that it is chosen for all of these things is because it is a truly inspiring song, beginning with a single piano delivering the riff that occurs throughout the song, and commencing to be layered with brass, strings, drums and vocals, crescendoing just before descending back into the single piano. This song almost makes one cry as a result of inspiration or happiness rather than devastation, as other songs may do, but tears are still shed, and so this song is here.

13. Arcade Fire – My Body Is A Cage

When thinking about any Arcade Fire songs to include, my first thought was immediately The Suburbs (Continued), the phenomenal outro from their incredible third album. However, it is hard for this song to be understood emotionally if someone has not listened to the album and, thus, understood its role. So I suggest that you all listen to The Suburbs, and then you will understand why The Suburbs (Continued) should be included. However, this is a list for songs only, and so I have resorted to leaving it out and, in its place, including My Body Is A Cage, which is equally as heartfelt.

This song appeared on Arcade Fire’s second album, Neon Bible, which is much darker than their other three albums, and the band was most likely in quite a dark place when writing it. However, this has produced a masterpiece in this song. Again, like Hoppipolla, it begins slowly and quietly, and gradually increases in its magnitude before delivering the final push of sound that will bring the album to a close. Whilst being a more desperate song than a sad song, the overuse of the organ and its almost violent sound will always have an almost scary effect on me personally, this inciting the emotions.

12. Oscar Isaac and Marcus Mumford – Fare Thee Well

This song recently appeared in the incredible Coen Brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis, where it was an original song amongst a score of amazing 60’s classics, but this song really stood out. Marcus Mumford has assured us of his songwriting abilities with Mumford and Sons, creating what are both textured and well-lyricised pieces of music. However, this Decemberists-esque song shows an increased attention towards harmonies, with only two guitars present rather than the banjos and accordions that play such a pivotal role for Mumford and Sons. The song tells a beautiful story of hope, and is also a crescendo-er, becoming increasingly bold as the song goes on, not just via guitar technique but also via the vocals of both Isaac and Mumford, who begin very softly and end almost raspingly. Again, this song demonstrates several dimensions that make it such a special song to listen to.

11. Ludovico Einaudi – I Giorni

Surprisingly for me, this is the only classical song to appear on this list, with such classics as Francisco Tarrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra and Beethoven’s timeless Moonlight Sonata which, unfortunately, are not included, but both deserve a good old listen. I was introduced to Einaudi both as a result of my sister’s discovery of his music, which she proceeded to learn on piano, and also through the French film Untouchables, which is one of the most phenomenal films I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Due to his unique and recognisable sound, Einaudi’s soundtrack washes over you throughout the entire film, and if you simply close your eyes you feel like you can be transported to another place, it is that powerful. This ethereal beauty and beautiful feel of not only I Giorni, but all of Einaudi’s work is soothing and comforting and its ability to do so is what effectively sets the tears running.

10. Dubliners – The Auld Triangle

Similarly to Fare Thee Well, this song also appeared in Inside Llewyn Davis, played by an up-and-coming-though-unheard-of Clancy Brothers, who went on to revolutionise the Irish music scene. This song is about a man in prison in Dublin, yearning to see his girl essentially, on the day an inmate is going to be executed. The triangle refers to the large metal triangle in the prison yard beaten daily to wake the inmates, and just beyond it the writer, lodged in his cell, is just able to see the Royal Canal running through Dublin, representing his dreams of freedom, which only adds a more heartbreaking aspect to this song.

This song has been massively re-recorded since its very first recording by The Clancy Brothers more than fifty years ago, and this means that musically, what makes this song special can depend entirely on the person recording it. Whilst it is mainly just vocals, providing a more personal dimension to this song, some have placed harmonies behind it. This makes it more difficult to describe why this is such an emotionally affecting song, so I’ll leave it up to you with two versions to enjoy!

The first is an older recording by Luke Kelly, a founding member of the Dubliners.

The second comes from the recent Royal Albert Hall ‘Ceiliuradh’, celebrating the visit of the Irish Prime Minister to the UK and features some of my favourite artists, including the unbelievable Lisa Hannigan, Villagers, Glen Hansard, Elvis Costello and Imelda May.

9. Vib Gyor – Red Lights

This is probably one of the louder and more fast-paced of this list, being performed by Leeds-based rock band Vib Gyor. Again, I found this song from the trailer to Untouchables, and the first time I ever listened to it I was totally sold. Beautifully crafted piano harmonies alongside inventive drumming, a prominent background noise and falsetto vocals that are intricately woven into the instruments, this song seems to know exactly when to change key or tempo or add an instrument in order to maximise the emotional experience of the piece, and so that is why I consider this song to be particularly special.

8. Sharon van Etten – I Love You But I’m Lost

I only listened to this song for the first time this morning, but I just think that Sharon van Etten’s wonderful voice, with the overarching sound of her piano create a song which almost makes you sleepy, absorbing you to an extent. But the vocal duality created between the two singers, though one voice is merely an echo of van Etten’s, creates layers of this song, turning it into something more than simply a singer with a piano. Yet whilst I wasn’t entirely in agreement with the inclusion of drums closer to the end of the song, the peace of mind instigated beforehand makes up for that, and so the drums only feature as a minor disturbance.

7. The Idan Raichel Project – ממעמקימ

Whilst this song is a foreign song by the Israeli singer Idan Raichel, the beauty expressed is certainly not compromised by language barriers. Idan Raichel has made the most of his Arabic and Ethiopian origins in creating his world music, and Mima’amakim (Deeper Water) is considered to be part of the culmination of his efforts. Whilst a much more immediate song in comparison to Raichel’s previous work, and almost designed as a chart track, the mixture of modern instruments and more traditional ones creates a unique masterpiece which is found to be most pleasing to the ear, and in conjenction with Raichel’s almost muted voice, it seems to blend into the music as if his voice and the instruments are one, creating a brilliant idea of unity, which is reflected in why I find this particular song so special compared top Raichel’s other work.

6. Bjork – Unravel

This song is one of the few I know which is really effervescently beautiful in its harmonies, with both sweeping strings and the occasional burst of keyboard setting up a scene to remember. And then there’s Bjork’s incredible voice which is shrouded by a hint of something slightly melancholy, but the pairing of the two melodies playing in turn is just so lovely, thus stirring the heart in the depths of Icelandic talents. This also happens to be Thom Yorke’s favourite song, which he performed at the Radiohead concert which I attended, and whilst it was not as beautiful, with just a piano and Thom Yorke, he really captured something in this song. Maybe it is its peaceful nature, or Bjork’s almost sad style, but this song is a true tear-jerker.

5. Lisa Hannigan – Ocean And A Rock

Ocean And A Rock, the opening track from Lisa Hannigan’s debut album Sea Sew, may be the most perfect song in one of the most perfect albums in terms of imagery. The main theme of this album is the sea, in both its calm and tempestuous states, and Hannigan uses this theme amazingly well in creating what is possible my favourite love song of all time (Let’s get lost, me and you. An ocean and a rock is nothing to me). And it isn’t only the lyrics which create the beautiful image of the sun setting over the horizon on a warm Summer’s day (which is countered in Lille, an equally beautiful song rounding off the album, finishing with ‘As we run to the beach endlessly, as the sun creeps up on the sea.’ It’s just incredible). It’s also the the slight roughness and Irish accent present in Lisa Hannigan’s incredible voice. It’ also the oversized accordion which she seems to be playing, and the trumpet and the weird mouth-keyboard thingy. These can all be rolled into one to create an incredible delicate and magical track that ought to bring a tear to everyone’s eyes.

4. Speech Debelle – Daddy’s Little Girl

Speech Debelle’s Mercury Prize masterpiece Speech Therapy is not an album for the faint-hearted. Inspired by a stint of homelessness, Speech Debelle spent seven years creating an album that addressed all the issues facing someone in her situation, intertwined with stories and grand morals and lessons to be taken away, so definitely not a lazy listen. Some of the tracks on this album are almost scary in their imagery, and of all of them, Daddy’s Little Girl is certainly the most heartbreaking. Talking about the girl who never lived her childhood due to her lack of a father, and how profound the effect has been on her life (‘I could be wrong in my visions of what you’re like, but I don’t remember what you look like’). Unlike the majority of the songs to appear on this list, this is one of the few where the thing that incites the emotion is not the harmony or the cohesion of sounds, but the lyrics themselves. Being a rapper, Speech Debelle, whilst obviously paying attention to production, displays her talent and messages by her lyrics, thus making this aspect by far the most powerful part of the song, and so creating a heart wrenching track.

3. Antony And The Johnsons – Hope There’s Someone

No one can possible deny the somewhat eerie beauty of Hope There’s Someone. Antony’s wonderful, unique vocals deliver a message of hope prior to death (Oh I’m scared of that middle place between life and nowhere) giving the impression of a life almost coming to an end. His falsettos make the listener surprisingly engaged by his message, which only amplifies the emotion of this peace once fully understood. You can even see the emotion welling up on Antony’s face as he sings, showing a truly personal level to the song which can be released. In conclusion, how can you disagree that this song is too beautiful to not feature so highly on a list of songs that will inevitably make you well up at some point.

2. Eric Clapton – Tears In Heaven

This song was inspired by Clapton’s son, Conor Clapton who, in 1991, at the age of just 4, fell from a 53rd floor window in New York, but this backstory only amplifies the feelings bestowed upon the listener with this incredible song. Eric Clapton is somehow able to portray the pain he experienced, with beautiful lyrics (‘I know I don’t belong here in heaven.’) and Clapton’s voice providing an ear of sensitivity to the track. Even watching Clapton emphasises the gravitas of the song.

In conjunction with that, in 2004, 12 years after writing what is one of Clapton’s most successful hits, he declared that he would never play the song again in public, not because it was too painful, but because he didn’t feel the pain anymore. For him, he didn’t believe that he could demonstrate the emotions without feeling them himself, thus demonstrating how powerful this song can be.

1. Elbow – Friend Of Ours

And finally, the best song on the list written, more surprisingly, by Elbow, a group of five middle-aged men from Bury, Lancashire. It is incredible not only how poetic Elbow’s songs are, but how comfortable and confident they are with using them. Again, this song Friend Of Ours, the ending track to their Mercury Prize winning album Seldom Seen Kid, comes from sad places, with the final line, ‘Love you mate’ being the last words their friend said to any of them before his death, but this song is not just about him. It concerns the heart and soul within every one of us, no matter how macho one may seem. Elbow have known this, and are proud of being a band that can write songs for Northern blokes to listen to by themselves and tear up a bit without embarrassment.

And it is very true that this song is incredible beautiful. With the final piano tunes being a huge selling point for me personally, there are still huge oceans of sound provided by the strings, and Guy Garvey’s almost haunting vocals in this track make it so incredibly beautiful that it turns up first place in this list.

What are your favourite eye-watering songs, if any? If you do have any suggestions, I would be very interested to learn more, but meanwhile please do take a listen to some of these songs, and thanks again for persevering with this oddly long post, but I hope to see you again soon!

 

 

 

‘What An Ironic Title For This Novel’

‘What an ironic title for this novel’ begins a one-star Amazon review of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnus opus The Great Gatsby, which is succeeded by ‘The eponymous ‘Great Gatsby’ is certainly not great, and neither is this novel.’

 

 

This may seem to be a point of view taken by UK Education Secretary Michael Gove after he allegedly ‘banned’ a variety of American books from the GCSE English Literature syllabus, including John Steinbeck’s classic Of Mice And Men, which has occupied many a GCSE student for several years now. Whilst Mr Gove has endlessly stressed the fact that he has not ‘banned’ these books as such, he has set an obvious stress on literature from Britain, such as Dickens, Orwell and Austen, and also literature from British-based authors, such as Kazuo Ishiguro and Willy Russell, giving the impression of him being a bit of a UKIP politician.

But how beneficial are these changes in terms of the range of literature which GCSE students will be exposed to? To find out, I have decided to do a little analysis of the new reading lists to see if all of these changes will have a positive or negative net effect, so here goes…

19th Century Literature

Charles Dickens – Great Expectations, Charles Dickens – A Christmas Carol, Robert Louis Stevenson – The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde, Mary Shelley – Frankenstein, Jane Austen – Pride And Prejudice, Charlotte Bronte – Jane Eyre, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – The Sign Of Four

Considering the extreme lack of pre-1900 literature on the current specification, bar any Shakespeare plays studied, this is not only a very impressive list of books, but also a bit of an optimistic selection. Something that is particularly different about this set of literature sompared to the current set texts is the fact that these books are significantly longer. Given that the most common set text, Of Mice And Men is only 100 pages or so, the inclusion of Jane Eyre, weighing in at over 500 pages, is something extremely new. Even my own set text, The Great Gatsby, even being an A-level set-text, still includes less than 200 pages. It seems to be an issue that teachers will be most willing to teach shorter books due to increased detail and decreased assessment pressure. But this is what makes this list a breath of fresh air.

Whilst including shorter works, such as A Christmas Carol and Stevenson’s inclusion, what this list does is open students up to a world involving the books that have defined British literature. Jane Eyre has made the Brontes’ hometown of Haworth, Yorkshire, a hub for Japanese tourists. Doyle’s The Sign Of Four has made Sherlock Holmes, a fictional protagonist, one of the most beloved and recognisable characters in British history. And having read the majority of these books myself, I can assure you that these books to live up to their hype.

The one issue concealing this list is the fact that English Literature is a GCSE which is compulsory for every child in the UK, how can we get every student in the UK to immerse themselves in classic literature? The fact is that the number of memes found on Facebook complaining about Of Mice And Men or The Great Gatsby or I’m The King Of The Castle is overwhelming, and if this country is unable to cope with these titles, it would take a bona fide miracle for this list to achieve success. Nevertheless, I am personally hopeful that it does.

Post-1914 Drama and Prose

JB Priestley – An Inspector Calls, Alan Bennett – The History Boys, Willy Russell – Blood Brothers, Dennis Kelly – DNA, Shelagh Delaney – A Taste Of Honey, Simon Stephens – The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time, William Golding – The Lord Of The Flies, George Orwell – Animal Farm, Kazuo Ishiguro – Never Let Me Go, Meera Syal – Anita And Me, Stephen Kelman – Pigeon English

Unlike the previous list, this selection is something that I am much less familiar with, having only read three of the books, which seem to be most unrepresentative of the overall theme of these books. Golding’s The Lord Of The Flies is possibly the only novel left from the previous specification, and rightly so, being both an interesting and important novel. Orwell’s Animal Farm, though a phenomenal book, is far too politically active for a GCSE specification. To put it simply, Animal Farm is Orwell’s thinly disguised attack on Communism, and when I describe this book as ‘thinly-disguised’, I mean that every single character in this book matches up to a figure of Communist Russia: Napoleon is Joseph Stalin, Snowball is Leon Trotsky, Old Major is Karl Marx, Mr Jones is Tsar Nicholas II. This is not a fiction book. It is a 150-page analogy.

Finally, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. In all honesty, this book is a good read. It has an interesting back story and concept, well-affiliated characters, a good plot, what more could you ask for from a book? However, it is one of those books where, upon analysis, all information must be extracted by a mixture of bullshitting and reading in between lines that just don’t have spaces between them. It seems that Mr Ishiguro has set out to write a decent, coming-of-age novel that might be made into a film, and he has ended up with a book chocka-blocked with ‘meaning’ that he never intended, and a film. Thus, I really can’t imagine this books being a decent novel to study in detail. To read, absolutely, but to study? Maybe not.

Whilst containing some modern classics, the thing that this selection is lacking is the collection of important novels, novels that define an era. Novels like The Great Gatsby or Grapes Of Wrath or Slaughterhouse-Five, though I feel that teachers themselves will struggle to find the meaning between the Tralfamadorian aliens who decide to abduct poor Billy Pilgrim and stick him in a zoo on their home planet.

In conclusion, Mr Gove’s new ideas seem to be defined by an unambiguously Conservative approach to classic literature, which may not be reflected well up north. However, he does ostensibly show an immense patriotism and pride in British literature, which is undoubtedly one of the richest sets of literature the world has ever seen, which is something to be admired.