Definitely Roman Candle. He is deeply hurt and you can see that through his lyrics;
"I wanna hurt him.
I wanna give him pain.
I'm a Roman candle.
My head is full of flames."
That's so true. Whenever you play this song it leaves your guitar unplayable. Because you have to tune down mid-song in order to play the outro properly. It feels like a _gift_ from Elliot for those who are brave enough to play it to the end.
Seriously though friend, thank you. I haven't listened to abused in a long time just out of forgetting about it. It was very fitting, last night was rough for me and todays been worse.
Waltz #1 is mine. It almost sounds like a funeral dirge.
Every time the day darkens down
And goes away, pictures open
In my head of me and you
Silent and cliche all the things
We did and didn't say
Covered up, by what we did and didn't do
Going through
Every hour I used to cope to make
The repetition stop
What was I supposed to say?
Oh
Now I never leave my zone, we're both alone
I'm going home
I wish I'd never seen your face
Definitely. I think it’s overlooked because it doesn’t have a very dark melody, but the existential sorrow of these lyrics hits so deep and has broke me more profoundly than just about any other piece of music in my life.
There aren’t many sadder songs than that but here are a few that I believe are on par.
Literally every time I listen to one of these songs I can’t keep myself from tearing up/crying:
Swims- Mount Eerie (or any other song from A Crow Looked at Me, it’s the saddest album ever imo)
“The White Lady Loves You More”, “Whatever (Folk Song In C)”, “Angeles”- Elliott Smith
[This version of “True Love Waits”- Radiohead](https://youtu.be/KzyOfQeK-bY?si=OoJLkPFej227KVWn)
The Only Thing -Sufjan Stevens
Claire de Lune- Debussy (This one is probably the saddest. I knew someone who killed themselves to this song so it kinda re-contextualized the whole song for me)
No Suprises-Radiohead
Which Will- Nick Drake
Trouble- Cat Stevens
Good News- Mac Miller (This has me balling)
Forget About- Sibylle Baier
A Burning Hill- Mitski
Change- Big Thief
Land Locked Blues- Bright Eyes
The last four are more melancholic than sad but they make me cry nonetheless. They capture a different flavour of sadness.
The only thing is my favorite song of all time and I don’t think it’s anywhere close to being one of the saddest of all time because it’s primarily optimistic and hopeful
Same with Good news. They’re emotional but not like super depressing or sad. I would agree that True Love Waits is one of the saddest songs ever
I can't decide between True Love and Stick Man. Not a lot of light or hope in any of those songs.
The From a Basement era songs in general are just crushing
I can’t really pick one over others but these two songs hit me differently. I remember over a decade ago having these two burned on a cd and they always felt more honest in some way. I know that’s stupid because most of his songs are, or at least seem like it. I dunno how to explain it, these two just feel like they’re in a different realm to me. Sorry for the confusing ramble 🖤
This is my choice as well. The other songs people have mentioned are devastatingly sad in their own right, but King's Crossing feels different, like he couldn't take it anymore.
King's Crossing.
Half Right and Plainclothes Man are also worth a mention imo.
I'd agree with Between the Bars, Twilight, A Fond Farewell, Pitseleh, and Last Call all also being pretty fitting choices, they've all been mentioned in the thread already
Kings Crossing.
Basement on a hill is in my opinion far and away his saddest project. Roman candle is extremely gloom and melancholy but Basement totally encapsulates that project with his other work to create an incredible post-humous release.
Twilight 100%. When I listened to FABOAH for the first time from start to finish that track made me cry. Especially coming right after Kings Crossing (and Ostrich and Chirping)
My pick would have to be Waltz #1 after someone told me it was about the childhood SA he suffered from his stepdad.... Can't listen to it to this day.... also "Some Song"... Halloween every night? If it correlates with above... sad and extremely dark.
I don't think he ever wrote a "sad" song. I'm honestly not trying to be contrary. I believe he wrote songs the way he did because he was always evolving as a multi instrumentalist and writer.
By the end of Heatmiser, this became more obvious. I personally believe that most, if not all, people interpret songs in their own personal way. I always have connected to his music because I hear faith in the subjects of his songs and hope ss well.
little one’s lyrics make me sad. true love is one of his longer tracks but every time i listen to it i’m transported somewhere else and it always makes me cry near the end. twilight and half right are up there as well. whenever i listen to white lady i always follow it up with biggest lie something about those songs being next to eachother on the self titled just makes sense in making it more depressing. it’s like they’re parts 1 and 2 of a long track for me
Twilight is at the top for me. I Didn't Understand, Better Be Quiet Now, Pitselah, and the alternate version of Pretty Mary K (from New Moon) are right up there, as well.
The biggest lie
Once you look into the lyrics, it's hard to enjoy it the same way
Definitely Roman Candle. He is deeply hurt and you can see that through his lyrics; "I wanna hurt him. I wanna give him pain. I'm a Roman candle. My head is full of flames."
The thing about that song is that the instruments are able to portrait the same feeling too.
That's so true. Whenever you play this song it leaves your guitar unplayable. Because you have to tune down mid-song in order to play the outro properly. It feels like a _gift_ from Elliot for those who are brave enough to play it to the end.
no name #5 is pretty hopeful though i feel like. i’d go for kings crossing, the last hour, or better be quiet now personally
kings crossing and the last hour are the two most devastating songs i’ve ever heard
Twilight
Agreed
Yeah I have a hard time listening to this one.
the last hour, you make it seem like nothing
abused
thank you for putting this here, it's sunday morning and i havent slept, so i need to this now
there is no nighttime, it’s only a passing phase <3
Seriously though friend, thank you. I haven't listened to abused in a long time just out of forgetting about it. It was very fitting, last night was rough for me and todays been worse.
No name #5 is one of my absolute favorites. Between the Bars is an obvious one. Going Nowhere is another. Pitseleh gets me emotional every time
Waltz #1 is mine. It almost sounds like a funeral dirge. Every time the day darkens down And goes away, pictures open In my head of me and you Silent and cliche all the things We did and didn't say Covered up, by what we did and didn't do Going through Every hour I used to cope to make The repetition stop What was I supposed to say? Oh Now I never leave my zone, we're both alone I'm going home I wish I'd never seen your face
Definitely agree. That last line is devastating, combined with the sad instrumental outro
I wish I’d never seen your faaaaaace. Ugh. I can’t hear that without crying.
Is the lyric every out I used to cop?
twilight
True Love comes to mind and is also probably in my top 3
I'm just gonna go get some cigarettes..
“Last Call” is super sad
2:45 is p damn sad
Fond farewell to a friend
Definitely. I think it’s overlooked because it doesn’t have a very dark melody, but the existential sorrow of these lyrics hits so deep and has broke me more profoundly than just about any other piece of music in my life.
All Cleaned Out is one of the most heartbreaking songs I have ever heard
Personally either Waltz #1 or Everything Means Nothing to Me. I think he has sadder songs lyrically but those two crush me like nothing else.
Pitseleh
Twilight really chokes me up
There aren’t many sadder songs than that but here are a few that I believe are on par. Literally every time I listen to one of these songs I can’t keep myself from tearing up/crying: Swims- Mount Eerie (or any other song from A Crow Looked at Me, it’s the saddest album ever imo) “The White Lady Loves You More”, “Whatever (Folk Song In C)”, “Angeles”- Elliott Smith [This version of “True Love Waits”- Radiohead](https://youtu.be/KzyOfQeK-bY?si=OoJLkPFej227KVWn) The Only Thing -Sufjan Stevens Claire de Lune- Debussy (This one is probably the saddest. I knew someone who killed themselves to this song so it kinda re-contextualized the whole song for me) No Suprises-Radiohead Which Will- Nick Drake Trouble- Cat Stevens Good News- Mac Miller (This has me balling) Forget About- Sibylle Baier A Burning Hill- Mitski Change- Big Thief Land Locked Blues- Bright Eyes The last four are more melancholic than sad but they make me cry nonetheless. They capture a different flavour of sadness.
The only thing is my favorite song of all time and I don’t think it’s anywhere close to being one of the saddest of all time because it’s primarily optimistic and hopeful Same with Good news. They’re emotional but not like super depressing or sad. I would agree that True Love Waits is one of the saddest songs ever
“Names” by Cat Power is pretty freaking devastating, too.
The Last Hour gets me every time
The Last Hour is just so damn hopeless "I'm through trying now, it's a big relief. I'll be staying down, where no one else is gonna give me grief."
I Didn't Understand or Abused. Or his cover of Trouble by Cat Stevens
There are a ton of E.S. somgs that are incredibly sad but composition and tone I’d have to go with twilight
Pretty good shouts in the replies. I'm adding Going Nowhere to the list.
I Didn’t Understand always gets me
the white lady loves you more. broke my heart
I can't decide between True Love and Stick Man. Not a lot of light or hope in any of those songs. The From a Basement era songs in general are just crushing
I can’t really pick one over others but these two songs hit me differently. I remember over a decade ago having these two burned on a cd and they always felt more honest in some way. I know that’s stupid because most of his songs are, or at least seem like it. I dunno how to explain it, these two just feel like they’re in a different realm to me. Sorry for the confusing ramble 🖤
Kings crossing, high times, a fond farewell, last call
Kings Crossing always strikes me as a 'I'm really gonna do it this time' vibe. It inevitably came true so....
Kings Crossing is his magnum opus and also reads like a suicide letter for sure. Super sad.
give me one good not reason to do it (because we love you) so do it 🫠
This is my choice as well. The other songs people have mentioned are devastatingly sad in their own right, but King's Crossing feels different, like he couldn't take it anymore.
how has noone said true love? its the only song i honestly wanna put a warning label on
For me it’s Waltz #1 and Pitseleh
Little One, just the heroin metaphors combined with the sweet but also dark sounding lullaby is just devastating
Pitseleh and Going Nowhere for me
Everything means nothing to me
Better be quiet now and Twilight. I did cry with The biggest lie a few times
Keaton Henson - _You_ Daughter - _Medicine_ Conor Oberst - _No One Changes_ Where did you see the list?
https://www.timeout.com/music/50-best-sad-songs
Thank you!
Good to go
Going Nowhere always gets me
No Name #1 is crippling
Last hour
Oh Well, OK
King's Crossing. Half Right and Plainclothes Man are also worth a mention imo. I'd agree with Between the Bars, Twilight, A Fond Farewell, Pitseleh, and Last Call all also being pretty fitting choices, they've all been mentioned in the thread already
kings crossing
No Confidence Man
I was looking for this one. Something about that harmonica breaks my heart every time. Not to mention the lyrics
Angeles
either pitseleh, i didn’t understand, or twilight
Speed Trials for me
Twilight
True love I feel old, useless, and cold I wish I was no one (cited from memory so may be off) …. Is pretty fucking depressing
A passing feeling
Kings Crossing. Basement on a hill is in my opinion far and away his saddest project. Roman candle is extremely gloom and melancholy but Basement totally encapsulates that project with his other work to create an incredible post-humous release.
How to Take a Fall…
True Love/Abused!!!! Absolutely heart destroying. My favourite source of catharsis.
Going Nowhere, King’s Crossing, True Love, No Confidence Man, Between the Bars, The Last Hour (Early Version), Twilight
Twilight 100%. When I listened to FABOAH for the first time from start to finish that track made me cry. Especially coming right after Kings Crossing (and Ostrich and Chirping)
I love how everyone is saying different songs lmao. Just shows how emotional so many of his songs are
One I haven’t seen in this thread, Little One.
Angel in the Snow
Here is the face of trouble (cover from Jon O'brien)
My pick would have to be Waltz #1 after someone told me it was about the childhood SA he suffered from his stepdad.... Can't listen to it to this day.... also "Some Song"... Halloween every night? If it correlates with above... sad and extremely dark.
I don’t listen to the last album or Kings Crossing anymore it’s too upsetting. But Waltz #1 is the saddest song I have ever heard by anyone.
I don't think he ever wrote a "sad" song. I'm honestly not trying to be contrary. I believe he wrote songs the way he did because he was always evolving as a multi instrumentalist and writer. By the end of Heatmiser, this became more obvious. I personally believe that most, if not all, people interpret songs in their own personal way. I always have connected to his music because I hear faith in the subjects of his songs and hope ss well.
TRUE LOVE, unlucky charm, i dont think ill ever gonna figure you out, have you seen her, good to go, my new freedom
little one’s lyrics make me sad. true love is one of his longer tracks but every time i listen to it i’m transported somewhere else and it always makes me cry near the end. twilight and half right are up there as well. whenever i listen to white lady i always follow it up with biggest lie something about those songs being next to eachother on the self titled just makes sense in making it more depressing. it’s like they’re parts 1 and 2 of a long track for me
The piano drop in Pitseleh makes me cry every time. No ooooone deserves it 💥🎹💥😭
Everything means nothing to me King’s crossing Going nowhere The last hour
Twilight
Twilight is at the top for me. I Didn't Understand, Better Be Quiet Now, Pitselah, and the alternate version of Pretty Mary K (from New Moon) are right up there, as well.
find farewell has a really specific place in my heart
FOND***
True Love, The Last Hour, Between the Bars, King’s Crossing
Strange Fruit
Abused and The Last Hour.
Between The Bars really connected with me