It makes me cry

[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?

[v32 finish]

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?

Totally agree. Strangely, some of my examples come from hip-hop, but really can come from any genre. Do believe there are different elements which can cause it. My daughter will get sad/cry at different random melodies. ( I dont listen to hip hop much anymore, but some of the following songs are just emotional and *good*.. regardless of what genre you prefer)

-Sage Francis, "Thank You" and "Inherited Scars"
-Eminem, "Mockingbird" "Beautiful", "Going through Changes" "When I'm Gone". (Not my style for the most part .. anymore.. but in my estimation Eminem is a true *genius*. I challenge anyone to watch a couple of the above videos and not get a response. I cant listen to or watch Mockingbird at all anymore).

Great post. On a guitar related note.. Classical Gas, Fade to Black.. theres quite a few there too.

Thanks for sharing.

[fumei]

Classical Gas? OH YEAH, me too.

[Silurian]

These three always bring a lump to my throat.

John Prine - Hello in There
Sandy Denny - Who Knows Where The Time Goes.
The Dutchman - Liam Clancy version.

[Mr. Jelly]

Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World"

[Gitfiddlemann]

Over the years, the strongest for me have been:
- "Climb Every Mountain", from the Sound of Music.
- "The River", by Joni Mitchell.
- "America the Beautiful", especially by a choir such as yesterday when President Bush was lying in state.

There are others, but these came to mind for me right away.

[rokdog49]

"How Great Thou Art", as performed by Carrie Underwood with Vince Gill live.
First of all, it's a beautiful song. Secondly, she clearly puts her heart into it and...that voice!
Gets me going right out of the gate.

[Neil K Walk]

I cry watching television shows with my wife while she sits there stoic. I'm a sap. She especially hates it when I start tearing up playing. It occurs to me that I need to learn more happy songs, but I think I was born with the blues. It's not that that's all I play, but playing helps me vent a lot of the bad juju that lingers in my mind; it's therapeutic.

Anyway, here are some of the ones that I well up while playing.

"The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley (by the end I'm practically sobbing)
"Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton (the quintessential gut punch song for every father)
"Father and Son" by Cat Stevens (another punch in the gut for this dad)
"Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac (Listen to the lyrics; they're VERY sad)
anything by Ed Sheeran (especially
"Photograph", "Perfect", "Thinking Out Loud")

[v32 finish]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

I cry watching television shows with my wife while she sits there stoic. I'm a sap. She especially hates it when I start tearing up playing. It occurs to me that I need to learn more happy songs, but I think I was born with the blues. It's not that that's all I play, but playing helps me vent a lot of the bad juju that lingers in my mind; it's therapeutic.

Anyway, here are some of the ones that I well up while playing.

"The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley (by the end I'm practically sobbing)
"Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton (the quintessential gut punch song for every father)
"Father and Son" by Cat Stevens (another punch in the gut for this dad)
"Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac (Listen to the lyrics; they're VERY sad)
anything by Ed Sheeran (especially
"Photograph", "Perfect", "Thinking Out Loud")

Forgot about Tears in Heaven, that's one of the worst offenders! Masterpiece though.

[matt986]

This one gets me every time!

The older I get the more meaningful it becomes.



Also, Harry Chapin's Mr. Tanner and Taxi.

I think the common theme to all of these songs is the cello. It gets me every time.

[fumei]

Landslide gets me EVERY time.

Yikes, all I had to do was read "Climb Every Mountain" and I choked up.

Here is another for me: Don Henley "End of Innocence" Musically and lyrically it is way up there.

[fumei]

Originally Posted by matt986

I think the common theme to all of these songs is the cello. It gets me every time.

Yup, the cello is one of the most emotional instruments for me as well. I tried a few times to learn how to play it, but alas, it never took. I knew a guy who made cellos. I stayed at his house for a week trying out some of his...wait for it...32 cellos. Lovely things, but a cello player I will never be.

[fitness1]

Tried to sing this one this morning and couldn't finish it....

[Nyghthawk]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

I cry watching television shows with my wife while she sits there stoic. I'm a sap. She especially hates it when I start tearing up playing. It occurs to me that I need to learn more happy songs, but I think I was born with the blues. It's not that that's all I play, but playing helps me vent a lot of the bad juju that lingers in my mind; it's therapeutic.

Anyway, here are some of the ones that I well up while playing.

"The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley (by the end I'm practically sobbing)
"Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton (the quintessential gut punch song for every father)
"Father and Son" by Cat Stevens (another punch in the gut for this dad)
"Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac (Listen to the lyrics; they're VERY sad)
anything by Ed Sheeran (especially
"Photograph", "Perfect", "Thinking Out Loud")

I'm going to agree with Neil on all these. also "Forever Autumn" by Justin Hayward. Depending on my mood, "Can't Find My Way Home" by Steve Winwood.

[Dru Edwards]

Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald gives me goosebumps every time and sometimes nearly tears. Especially the two following verses:

The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

and

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the maritime sailors' cathedral
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald