It makes me cry

[golfreggie]

Originally Posted by fumei

Another one, for me. I played this at a friend's wedding and could barely make it through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZbhrO4IEtI

Paul (of Peter, Paul and Mary) wrote and did its first public performance for the wedding of Peter. Paul refused to perform it in public for years. For me, it is one of the loveliest songs ever. It also has a profound back-story to it...

https://www.guideposts.org/better-li...d-to-give-away

The sound of that 12-string is wonderful (tuned down 3 semi-tones).

Thank you so very much for providing the link. I just finished reading the article. A truly moving story of the creation and life of a cherished song!

[aknow]

Originally Posted by fumei

While there are many things that make me emotional, music, for me, is the greatest.

There are some pieces of music that never fail to bring tears to my eyes. Never fails. I tested this recently when I listened to an Andy Mckee piece 14 times in a row. Every time.

Now there are various and diverse reasons for my reaction. Some pieces have an emotional memory (lost love, lost youth) that is painful BUT some others are emotional memory of joy and pleasure; both can bring tears.

However, some other pieces bring tears because they are simply beautiful, awesome in their simplicity (OR sophistication). Some bring tears because of their production values, the exquisite musicianship OR even the incredibly balanced recording production itself. A beautiful piece by a brilliant producer can be as emotional as the music itself.

Some may laugh, but I thought of this when I listened to Grand Funk Railroad I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home). The moment I heard that bass line I burst into tears. Weird, but beautiful. GFR? Yeah, yeah, I know, but...what can I say?

A number of Bruce Cockburn songs do it.
Alain Stivell Renaissance de la Harpe Celtique
Loreena McKennitt Night Ride Across the Caucasus
Peter Gabriel Secret World
Sting Fields of Gold

Actually...there seems to be a lot of them.

Thoughts. Your examples?

You may have a thyroid problem.

[fumei]

Originally Posted by aknow

You may have a thyroid problem.

And you may have a brain problem. Oh...or was that supposed to be amusing? OK, it was, sort of. BTW, here are 10:

Signs & Symptoms Indicating You May Have a Thyroid Problem

Fatigue
Weight Changes
Muscle & Joint Pain
Swollen Neck
Hair & Skin Changes
Bowel Disturbances
Menstrual Abnormalities
Depression
Carpal Tunnel
Family History

Nothing there about appreciation of beauty, nor emotional response to music.

[wisedennis]

The tomb of firefly

[hairpuller]

To Be Without You
- Ryan Adams

[Acousticado]

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, especially K.D. Lang’s version can give me chills, even choke me up at times.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, especially K.D. Lang’s version can give me chills, even choke me up at times.

k.d. lang's version is beautiful. Aside from seeing Leonard perform it in 2009, my other favorite rendition was by Jeff Buckley.

[bil]

When John Prine came out for an encore and did “Hello In There” when we saw him in Mobile a few years back.

[fumei]

I had (many many years ago) the pleasure/pain of having John Prine sit on my couch after a show being drunkenly obnoxious to my girlfriend. Then he played Hello In There...it made the room go absolutely quiet.

Yeah, one of the greatest pieces of songwriting ever.

[Shepsdad]

Coat of many colors by Dolly Parton always gets me. My mom was born and raised in the same neck of the woods as Dolly, and the stories mom told were pretty much summed up in that one song. Gets me every time.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by hairpuller

To Be Without You
- Ryan Adams

Funny, Ryan Adams just came up on my Spotify mix at dinner ("Magnolia Mountain"). Speaking of covers, I absolutely LOVE his version of Bob Mould's "Black Sheets Of Rain."

[AmericanEagle]

For some reason, the song Mad World gets me a bit depressed and sad.

[bsman]

There are more than a few songs that do this to me. One is the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World". I didn't used to find it sad, but I played it at my younger brother's wake in 2016 and have just recently been able to play it (on ukulele, of course) and sing it without losing it.

Also, "Hell is for children" (Pat Benatar). I think about all the abused children when I hear it, and forget about it. I love playing it, but will never be able to sing it.

There's also some devotional music - particularly the Kol Nidre - that does that for me. Really a lot of music has the power to touch the soul, and I hope that I never lose the ability to have it do so.

[dirkronk]

Originally Posted by bsman

Really a lot of music has the power to touch the soul, and I hope that I never lose the ability to have it do so.

Yeah, I know we're not supposed to do religion or politics here, but I gotta risk an amen for that.

And before I forget, thanks to you guys for resurrecting this old thread.

For me, Jesse Winchester's songs have some magical method of making tears well up. And often songs with deceptively simple, silly, even seemingly childish titles. The version of "Sham A Ling Dong Ding" he did live on an Elvis Costello special never (and I do mean never) fails.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uKGWpqnS8E

"I Wave Bye Bye"...ditto. Pretty much any of Jesse's own versions, or Allen Toussaint's moving tribute version.

As others have already mentioned, several of John Prine's songs will do the job, as well.

Several of Guy Clark's songs do sneak up on me. But his "Randall Knife"--hell, I see it coming a mile off, think I'm ready for it, stupid obvious "talkin' blues" stuff...won't affect me this time. Bam. Start blubberin'.

Jackson Browne? Yep. "Shape of a Heart" is an obvious choice. So is "For a Dancer." There are others.

Richard Shindell. "Reunion Hill." "Wisteria."

Amanda McBroom's very first recorded version (on Sheffield Labs) of her song "The Rose." Sorry, Bette Midler fans...it's really no contest. (McBroom's own remakes aren't as emotionally simple or pure of voice, so accept no substitutes.)

Judy Collins' takes on Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" (the original In My Life album version) and Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time." Don't always make me cry, but they do always transport me back to my own youth.

Left Lightfoot for last (though I could surely keep on listing). But it's not "Edmund Fitzgerald" for me. "Song for a Winter's Night" (his version OR Sarah McLachlan's). "Brave Mountaineers" (the sheer nostalgia does me in) and "Christian Island" from the "Don Quixote" album.

Enough for now. Thanks again.

Dirk

[M19]

"True Companion" by Marc Cohn.