Tear Jerkers

If Robert Johnson taught us anything, it's "If you cry about a nickel, you'll die about a dime." Which got me to thinking about some of the saddest songs I can think of. Here’s my list of 5 songs that can get me choked up.

1. Motherless Children by Blind Willie Johnson.

Lot’s of people have done this song, but Blind Willie’s just tears me up. Willie’s mom died when he was just a kid. His father remarried a rather nasty woman. One day, as Willie’s father and step-mother were fighting, the step-mother, reportedly in a jealous rage, threw lye-water into Willie Johnson’s eyes... and at 7 years old, he became Blind Willie Johnson. When you hear Willie growl “Nobody treats you like your mother will,” it’s quite powerful. I’d link to the lyrics here, but (1) they aren’t anywhere on the net that I can find -- not the way Blind Willie did it anyway, and (2) you have to hear it -- it’s not just what is sang, it’s who sang it and how.

2. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Caroll by Bob Dylan.

Hattie Caroll, who was by all accounts a kind and gentle (black) woman and mother of 10 children, was beaten to death with a cane by (white) William Zanzinger, because she wasn’t bringing him drinks fast enough. Zanzinger received what did not even amount to a slap on the wrist for his murder. Dylan wrote an amazing song about the incident. Dylan does not rhyme any words outside of the chorus except once where he matches up the word “table” three times, to show how mundane Hattie Caroll’s life was. The last verse chokes me up every time I hear it.

3. Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton Oh, come on! Conner, just a toddler, falls from window to his death. This song is Clapton asking the question every parent who has lost a child must ask. When I first heard this song, I was sad for a week straight.

4. Cat’s in the Cradle by Harry Chapin. Anyone else who grew up like this knows what I'm talking about.

5. Der Kommisar by Falco. Just kidding.

5. Boots of Spanish Leather by Bob Dylan. Yeah, so I got two Dylan songs on the list, who cares! What do I want you to bring me back from your trip? Yourself, unspoiled. And if I can't have that, just bring me some stupid boots so I can get to walking.

Ok, there's my list. I'm quite pleased that I was able to assemble a list that contained exactly no sappy girly love songs! (Boots of Spanish Leather is NOT sappy, nor girly, and it's more of a folk song than a love song, IMO).

What's a song or two that you would put on your saddest song list?