A Song That Makes Me Sad

I am torn between going for a song that make me sad purely because of the music or a song with sad associations. In the first camp, I’d include songs such as Bing Crosby‘s White Christmas (which is a death song in my mind! That line about “may your days be merry and bright” definitely has the subtext that your days are finite!) and The Carnival Is Over by The Seekers, (another death song). In the latter camp, I’d include songs by people who died too soon, such as Waltz #2 by Elliot Smith and Lilac Wine by Jeff Buckley, (obviously, Halleluiah is the classic on that album but classics have to be rationed, don’t they, or you get sick of them).

Ultimately, because I’m a music geek, and because I love the fact that music has the power to move you just by the way it’s put together, I’m going to go with a song that makes me sad simply because it’s sad. There are dozen songs I could pick, Dusty Springfield‘s version of If You Go Away. Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks, (another Jaques Brel song!), Dr Hook‘s Sylvia’s Mother or Marianne Faithfull‘s Ballad of Lucy Jordan, (both written by Shel Silverstein), Death Letter by the White Stripes. All worthy candidates.

But today’s choice is Jackie Wilson‘s version of Danny Boy, which is operatic, almost a little bit silly, but it touches me every single time: