Roy Orbison Sang for the Lonely

First, does anyone know where the title for my post comes from?

Last week on FB I posted a video of Paul McCartney singing “For No One,” I can best describe it as a broken-hearted love song sang by a man, who realizes, through the actions of his partner, that it’s over. I was surprised by the number of comments I got from guys saying, “I’ve been there.” I posted it because I had been there myself.

And then I got to thinking about other songs and how they can rip your heart out in a single tug because of the lyrics, or because of the music, or because of the combination of the two. It’s always amazed me how songwriters can take ordinary words and string them together in such an order as to do that.

So, my blog post this week is my choices for the top several songs that can tear you up inside wither because of unrequited love, severe teenage angst, or another situation that just hits home for you. Besides being tear jerkers, they are also great songs... period!. You don’t have to be on the edge of a relationship disaster to enjoy these; you can just enjoy them because they are good, and well-written, and sometimes they’ll seem like you wrote them yourself because of what they say. I've linked them all to You Tube so you can get a listen and sometimes a video (using the Back Button will bring you back here from You Tube).

What's YOUR "go to" song when you're feeling low?

For No One – The Beatles: “You think she needs you…” FAIL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bltVvdWTbzQ

Crying – Roy Orbison: He wasn’t blind… the shades were his trademark and his voice was a gift to us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N24BTzOp7qU

Unbreak my Heart – Toni Braxton: The title says it all, and I actually get a bit teary when I see the video with Toni Braxton in various stages of dress. Ever hear the expression, “it’s enough to make a grown man cry?” It didn’t exist before this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Rch6WvPJE

I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt: I know now that I would never want to be with someone who doesn’t want to be with me, but it took some convincing. You can’t make someone love you (unless you are paying them).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3AwqBPzYtk

At Seventeen – Janis Ian: I wonder how many young girls cried their eyes out to this song? Or young boys, for that matter. This is teenage angst at its very best. “And those of us with ravaged faces, lacking in the social graces…” Wow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MrKtX-c3XU&feature=fvwp&NR=1

Fast Car – Tracy Chapman: When I first heard this my thought was, “Awesome song!” And as I listened to it again my thought was, “What a sad song!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfqEisOIMJc

Send In the Clowns – Judy Collins: Maybe the first of the “modern day” sad songs. What a voice on Judy Collins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGekq3Jt5Go

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling – The Righteous Brothers: I can seeing hundreds of guys and girls singing along to this in the 60s after being dumped by their steadys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhs3Rj71gpo

It’s My Party – Leslie Gore: Hungry? Listen to this… it’s got plenty of cheese.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsYJyVEUaC4

One – Three Dog Night: One is the loneliest number. 'Nuff said…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ihV-328vj8

Field of Gold - Eva Cassidy: A personal favorite of mine.  During her life she was virtually unknown except around the Washington, D.C. area.  In 1993, she had a malignant mole removed from her back. Three years later, she noticed an ache in her hips, and x-rays revealed that the melanoma had spread to her lungs and bones and her health deteriorated rapidly. Cassidy died within the year from malignant melanoma on November 2, 1996, at the age of 33.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKtqTYSOBCg&nofeather=True

Superstar - The Carpenters: Not so much a sad song for the words, but sad for Karen Carpenter. What a senseless loss of a great voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJmmaIGiGBg&ob=av2n

Quitting Time – Mary Chapin Carpenter: Someone who was ending a relationship with me played this for me. It didn’t help the hurt, but it was a good try.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwD1FPD15A8

Now... go listen to some happy music!