TEAR JERKERS

Irving Berlin was perhaps the heir to the throne in writing songs of sadness, loneliness, depression, misery and hopelessness.

My friend Patty and I are inveterate list-makers; I sent her my list of my SADDEST SONGS and below is her answer; my list is below Patty's and below mine are my brother Roger's and my brother Norman's TEAR JERKERS! My friend Arminta's list is below their lists.

From Patty:

I cannot believe you sat there and wrote all of those songs AND the artists. The first time I heard my #1 saddest song, I was a teenager and cried all the way through it; I agree with a lot of yours, but here are my saddest, saddest, saddest:

"Danny Boy"
"Kiss From a Rose" - Seal
and the saddest of all:
"My Buddy" - an old WWI or WWII song - I can barely listen to it without sobbing.

*MY LIST*

JOHNNY I HARDLY KNEW YE--CLANCY BROTHERS AND TOMMY MAKEM
OLE SHEP--ELVIS
GLOOMY SUNDAY--BILLIE HOLIDAY
IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING--FRANK SINATRA
I CAN'T MAKE YOU LOVE ME--BONNIE RAITT
HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY--GEORGE JONES
ELEANOR RIGBY--THE BEATLES
IN THE REAL WORLD--ROY ORBISON
HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER--THE HOLLIES
CRY ME A RIVER--JULIE LONDON
DANCE WITH MY FATHER--LUTHER VANDROSS
I'VE GOT TO GET A MESSAGE TO YOU--THE BEE GEES
THE PATRIOT GAME--CLANCY BROTHERS AND TOMMY MAKEM
SHILO--NEIL YOUNG
ANYONE WHO HAD A HEART--DIONNE WARWICK
HURT--JOHNNY CASH
THE RIVER--BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
A CHANGE IS GONNA COME--SAM COOKE
SPACE ODDITY--DAVID BOWIE
THAT'S THE WAY I'VE ALWAYS HEARD IT SHOULD BE--CARLY SIMON
LAST KISS--J. FRANK WILSON
HALLELULJAH--LEONARD COHEN
TELL LAURA I LOVE HER--RAY PETERSON
PATCHES--CLARENCE CARTER
TRAVELIN' SOLDIER--THE DIXIE CHICKS
I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY--HANK WILLIAMS
CAT'S IN THE CRADE--HARRY CHAPIN
LONG, LONG TIME--LINDA RONSTADT
ALONE AGAIN, NATURALLY--GILBERT O'SULLIVAN
SEASONS IN THE SUN--TERRY JACKS
CIRCLE GAME--JONI MITCHELL
TEXAS GIRL AT HER FATHER'S FUNERAL--RANDY NEWMAN
MR. TANNER--HARRY CHAPIN
AND THE BAND PLAYED WALTZING MATILDA--CLANCY BROTHERS AND TOMMY MAKEM (WRITTEN BY ERIC BOGLE)
THE GREEN FIELDS OF FRANCE--ERIC BOGLE
THE ROSE--BETTE MIDLER
IF I HAVE TO GO--TOM WAITS
UNTIL IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO-BUFFY SAINT-MARIE
TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME--BOB DYLAN
500 MILES--PETER, PAUL AND MARY
IF YOU GO AWAY--DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
CRYING--ROY ORBISON
THE END OF THE WORLD--SKEETER DAVIS
HURT SO BAD--LITTLE ANTHONY AND THE IMPERIALS
SEND IN THE CLOWNS--JUDY COLLINS
I WILL REMEMBER YOU--SARAH MCLACHLAN
I AM A ROCK--SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
AT 17--JANIS IAN
SHE'S LEAVING HOME--THE BEATLES
VINCENT--DON MCLEAN
DESPERADO--THE EAGLES
FREE FALLIN'--TOM PETTY
DUST IN THE WIND--KANSAS
BEHIND BLUE EYES--THE WHO
SO FAR AWAY--CAROLE KING
WHEN WILL I BE LOVED?--LINDA RONSTADT (EVERLY BROTHERS!)
AIN'T NO SUNSHINE--BILL WITHERS

*ROGER'S LIST*

ARLINGTON--TRACE ADKINS
WHISKEY LULLABY--ALISON KRAUSS
BELLEAU WOODS--GARTH BROOKS
SARAH BETH--RASCAL FLATTS
LENINGRAD--BILLY JOEL
ALEXA--BILLY JOEL
DIDN'T I--MONTGOMERY GENTRY
AMERICAN PIE--DON MCLEAN
OLD HIPPIE--BELLAMY BROTHERS
RIDING WITH PRIVATE MALONE--DAVID BALL
WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD--GORDON LIGHTFOOT
WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER--QUEEN
LAST DATE--CHET ATKINS OR FLOYD CRAMER
EMPTY CHAIRS AT EMPTY TABLES--COLM WILKINS
UNCHAINED MELODY--RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
OPERATOR--JIM CROCE
HIGHWAYMAN--WILLIE, WAYLON AND THE BOYS
JIM, I WORE A TIE TODAY--WILLIE AND JOHNNY
50,000 NAMES--GEORGE JONES

*NORMAN'S LIST*

WISH YOU PEACE--THE EAGLES
LONG WAY HOME--DON HENLEY
POWER OF LOVE--CELINE DION
BLUE EYES CRYING IN THE RAIN--WILLIE NELSON
THE PRETENDER--JACKSON BROWNE
FOLLOW ME--UNCLE KRACKER
SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN--WILLIE NELSON
LOST THAT LOVING FEELING--RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
WE'VE GOT TONIGHT--BOB SEGER
ALL SUMMER LONG--KID ROCK
I'M ALIVE--JACKSON BROWNE
FRREBIRD--LYNARD SKYNARD
WE'VE GOT TONIGHT--BOB SEGER
RUN LIKE A THIEF--BONNIE RAITT
DEJA VU--JOHN FOGERTY
WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL--BOY MEETS GIRL
TEARS IN HEAVEN--ERIC CLAPTON
SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDER--JOHN DENVER
WILD SIDE OF LIFE--HANK WILLIAMS
COME TO MY WINDOW--MELISSA ETHERIDGE
FAITHFULLY--JOURNEY
AMAZED--LONESTAR
SOMETIMES LOVE JUST ISN'T ENOUGH--PATTY SMYTH
NEON MOON--BROOKS AND DUNN
BELIEVE--CHER
MEET ME IN MONTANA--DAN SEALS
TALKING TO THE NIGHT--DON HENLEY
LYIN' EYES--THE EAGLES
DIMMING OF THE DAY--BONNIE RAITT

*ARMINTA'S LIST*

HONEY--BOBBY GOLDSBORO
OPERATOR--JIM CROCE
HE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE--BRAD PAISLEY
DESPERATELY--GEORGE STRAIT
FIRE AND RAIN--JAMES TAYLOR