music that made you cry

[wakim]

"...Adagio for Strings. I can't remember the artist..."


Samuel Barber, I suspect, is the name you were trying to recall.

[pakman]

Thanks, I was just doing a google search on it to find out. :)

[[wcip]Angel]

Adagio for strings. Isn't that the song played on Seinfeld when Frank Costanza helps Kramer with his Jewish catered affair?

[Jeunemaitre]

Suggestion for Count Dukula: try a brass quintet version of Canon (which is not actually a canon, strictly speaking). I'm a sucker for brass arrangements though (I guess it comes from spending my formative years cutting holes in my lips where the braces lined up with the rim of my trumpet's mouthpiece).

I guess I'm the only one who falls victim to patriotic music. I still have to try to not well-up to a well done performance of The Star Spangled Banner. Also, just for shear power in lyric writing, listen to a good performance of The Battle Hymn of the Republic (Truth is marching, truth is marching). I’m not talking about the chorus or the introduction or the refrain: [please suspend religious skepticism, and engage your role-playing side: imagine yourself dressed in a blue wool uniform, with ill fitting footwear, exhausted, hungry, and surrounded by freezing cold aside from the "heat of battle." A song rises up from the men around you. You listen, attentively, but relatively unaffected through the first three verses, in the fourth you are confronted with:]

In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that transfigured you and me.
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make them free,
While God is marching on...

I understand that this might not be inspirational for many folks out there, but every time I hear it I think about how it sounded during the Civil War. Maybe I'm just a nut. Also remember, it's better when sung.

Another favorite is a 15th (I think) century motet in French. "Mile regretz" attributed to Josquin Desprez:
Mille regretz de vous abandone, et delonge votre fache amereuse, j'ai si grande paine delurouse...
Sorry, that's all I can remember off the top of my head, and it has been a while since I've done any typing in French, so may the body populace francophone forgive me...

Thus endeth the windbag...
*Aside, Count, good luck in continuing to avoid Nanny's swatting flys with the refreger-urm-erator*

[pakman]

I actually heard a Sax version of the Pachabel's Canon, it sounded great.

[Cybit]

Evanescence - My Immortal

Yeah, I'm a guy too, but damn, this song sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it.

[Grayloch]

A few pieces which never fail to give me goosebumps:

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata

Dvorak - 2nd Movement (Largo) from Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World" (the entire work is probably my favourite classical symphony)

And from the pop music world: "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits

-G.

[Occhidiangela]

What kills me is that every so often, a song I have known for years will bring me to tears while I am singing along in the car. Even 'Blue Jean Blues' by ZZ Top has done it, which for years I listened to dry eyed. Yeah, guys can weep at music, if the music is right.

Makem and Clancy's rendition of 'The Green Fields of France/Willy McBride', which Shadow offered as well, still gets me every time, particularly when I try to sing along, as does the Makem and Clancy version of "And the Band Played Walzing Matilda" Hell, I am getting wet eyed right now, while I recall one of the lines

"Then a big Turkish shell
Knocked me arse over head
And when I awoke
In my hospital bed
And saw what it had done
I wished I were dead"

Never knew there were worse things than dyin'

And the Band played Walzing Matilda
(Forget this line: far away in the Bush, far and near? Cant recall)
For to cut tent and peg
A man needs both legs
No more Walzing Matilda for me
==============
So now every April
I sit on my porch
And watch the parade pass before me
I see my old comrades,
How bravely they march
Reliving their dreams of past glory

I see the old soldiers
All tired stiff and sore
The starry eyed heroes
Of a forgotten war
And when young people ask
'What are they marching for?'
I ask my self the same question

Then the band plays Walzing Matilda
And the old men still answer the call
But year after year
Their numbers get fewer
Some day no one will march there at all.

Walzing Matilda
Walzing Matilda
Who'll come a Walzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts will be heard
As you pass by the billabong
"Who'll come a walzing Matilda with me?"

Hmmm, some of those words aren't right.

Apologies to the ANZACs for my errors.

[Copadope]

Mine is... a DOG movie...

okay, it's a KID's movie... (NO not Old Yeller sheesh)

... and ... it's animated .... OH THE SHAME! *sob* ... if it hadn't *sniff* if it hadn't been a German Shepherd, maybe i'd have been okay, but WAAAAAAHHHHH!

All Dogs go to Heaven?? I haven't seen that one in a loooong time. (Wasn't the main dog in that movie a German Shepherd? Maybe he was just a mutt... I don't remember.)

:D

[TaiDaishar]

Another song that I just remembered, that not quite made me openly cry is a French song, don't remember what is name is really, a rather famous song that I always liked but when I first saw the translation... too bad that for the hell of me I can't remember the name of the song (mainly because it's in French :) )

P.S I remember it's a song that talks about youth and the past etc' (I think translation title is something with memory in it)

[WarLocke]

Hrmm, crying music? The first song that comes to mind for me is Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight". That song is just so depressing and hopeful in the same breath. 'Course, the impression it left on me may have been due to its presentation -- I first heard ITAT in a music video, so the visual collage may have contributed a bit.

Other songs that consistently tear me up:

JoyDrop - Beautiful
12 Stones - The Way I Feel
Guns N Roses - Knocking on Heaven's Door
Staind - Outside
Enigma - I Love You I'll Kill You

Also a song titled "Silence" -- I want to say by Sarah Mclachlan, but it may have been another of the country divas.

- WL

[Roland]

When I was young (and when I still knew how to cry; I've long since forgotten), that song would bring me to tears every time. For whatever reason, it made me think of my sister, who had died when I was very young. The effect didn't last for very long (not more than a few years, less than a dozen all-told), but it was very profound during its stay. I never understood it then, and never really tried to back then. By the time I DID try to understand it, the effect had long since worn off, so I never could make a connection.

That's the only song to ever make me cry.

[Copadope]

Hehe. I tell myself that too, but it doesn't make it any easier.

[kandrathe]

GnR - November Rain is also pretty sad. I just remembered another one from my youth that hit me that way, "I Am A Rock" - Paul Simon.

[Count Duckula]

I fell in love with (Bach's?) Pachelbel's Canon while on a search for sound for last fall's theater production. I found a nice 8-minute version done by Issac somebody, variations on a theme.

Yesterday at work, while shelving CDs, I came across a CD with no booklet. Usually we pages send those up to cataloguing to try and reunite the missing parts. But this CD had Pachelbel's Canon too. The version I found for the play was missing the last 20 seconds or so. I wanted a full version for myself.

I popped it into the CD player of my car. For the entire 12-minute drive home, I was literally sobbing. Beautiful! Like the piano melody passed right through my soul, mending tears and holes I didn't know I had. I don't know the last time anything, much less music, made me feel so overwhelmed with awe and joy.

Anybody have any similar experiences they want to share?




(AUTHOR'S NOTE: This post was a clever ploy designed to let Lurkers know that Ducky--and more importantly, the Diablo History Project--are still alive. Ducky is hand-coding it with real HTML in her spare time! Gasp! While whining about her writing career and picking away at game guides and fanfic and coffeeshop poetry and who knows what else, she still works on the history. Double gasp. ;))

Ah, how I love to drop a topic and run! :D

My mother played the piano. She was a master--at least, to a young child. My fondest memories are hitting the higher notes on the upright piano while she was playing something complex. It's a wonder I lived to see (young) adulthood. I can play a fair bit, myself.

To me, pianos and violins evoke powerful tear-filled emotion. Seven Nations has a beautiful piano piece, 1/4 of a larger work, that makes me want to take lessons again. I'm okay with saxophones. My sister used to play one. Badly. :(

I love Sarah MacLachlan. "Full of Grace" is a sweet song. "Possession" gets me every time. "Adia" wants me to rip out her vocal cords. It's a real love/hate relationship.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra does a version of Carol of the Bells with a little help from Metallica. It's the Matrix Christmas special! :D

My favorite U2 song has always been and will always be "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Probably because I can sing the melody and everyone else I know can harmonize.

The 1812 Overature makes me feel like I can conquer the universe.

VanDiablo: are you thinking of Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" by any chance? That's one of the few Clapton songs I don't like.

I also never met a Rolling Stones song I didn't like.

Emotional movie: the Dead Poets Society leaves me in tears every single time I watch it. I try and see it just about every month. If a movie sucks me in, I'll cry. Heck, the first time I saw 1776, I cried. :P And Hugh Grant movies stink. Is that because Hugh Grant stinks? Who knows.

TaiDaishar: I was in a similar situation myself. Everyone who's seen the movie Shrek knows the "melancholy montage" song from near the end of the movie? The soundtrack has the same song, but doesn't have the same singer. I scrounged around, and finally found "Hallelujah" by John Cale. Even the writer of the song doesn't come close. I sobbed over the Canon...and buckets over Hallelujah.

VanDiablo: PLEASE don't tell me that movie is All Dogs Go to Heaven! PLEASE! (I might have to join you in your shame.)

Wakim: Thanks for the enlightenment. :P

I finally saw Shawshank when TNT showed it. I liked it so much that I rented it the next day. I liked the movie the same way I liked Schindler's List--it's well-done, doesn't cheapen anything, and they're feelgood movies in a macabre sort of way. In all the tragedy, something good and true and right happened.

Jeunemaitre: I'm more afraid of when Nanny dusts the piano, and accidently drops it. :P

I never heard Waltzing Matilda with any sincerity, so I hunted through the library's music collection for a serious version. It's on hold at another branch, and should be on its way here.

I recently heard the Sheryl Crow/Kid Rock song, whatever it's called. I hope a certain someone's taking notes...we can match the ranges... ;)

Kandrathe: I've never been able to really listen to November Rain after breaking up with a sig other who loved that song. Isn't it strange how you can't really listen to music that meant something to an ex?

(Now that this post has gone all over the place, I'm running into HTML troubles. Seems what I want to do and what I can figure out to do are two different things. And typing the original text in Word didn't help--it adds junk characters like nobody's business. I installed Arachnophilia and found a copy of HTML for Dummies. Wish me luck.)

[sojourn]

Well, not exactly made me cry, but it did make me think of the past and things that've happened before.. Almost always while driving.

It's an all around favorite instrumental/orchestral song that I always listen to every once and awhile that is from one of my favorite RPG's of all time: Final Fantasy VII.

The soundtrack is labeled as Aeris's Theme (or Aerith for those who prefer to call her that way) or Aeris' Death. The composer is Nobuo Uematsu.
It's on CD3, track #19, on mine.

Try it.

[Vandiablo]

All Dogs go to Heaven?? I haven't seen that one in a loooong time. (Wasn't the main dog in that movie a German Shepherd? Maybe he was just a mutt

umm, well, i would answer that, except:

VanDiablo: PLEASE don't tell me that movie is All Dogs Go to Heaven! PLEASE! (I might have to join you in your shame.)

Okay, I won't tell you that it was, er, whether it was or not.

But lemme tell you this-- our family dog when I was growing up was a German Shepherd. We had her 11 years and she was a big sweetie. She was traveling with us out of state when she became very ill (seizures)-- my parents stayed at a veterinary hospital with her while my brother and I (young adults) returned home to our jobs. When I told her goodbye I knew it was probably the final goodbye. It was indeed. She was sedated at that point, but when I spoke to her she was able to look up at me, for which I was very thankful. After my parents left with her for the hospital, I went to a room by myself and bawled for 10 or 15 minutes, despite being 21 and male. (My bro, 28, and his father-in-law, they had the good sense to leave me alone.)

And this-- 7 months later my family got another GSD, a puppy. When I moved out of my parents house, this dog moved with me. She lived to be 14 years 6 mos, over 10 of which she was totally my dog (except to a lesser extent she was my wife's dog too). She was also a sweetie, and was my best friend during times when I really needed one. She was also a surrogate daughter, since I was childless. When she finally went, it was time for her to go-- she couldn't walk without help, she needed three different medications every day, her back end needed frequent washing, all the joys of old age. I scheduled a date to put her down, giving myself three weeks to prepare myself emotionally. Two weeks later, she developed a fever, (she was obviously uncomfortable) I took her to the emergency vet (it was sunday) they gave her fluids and gave us antibiotics to give her. We were all aware she was only around another week, and the possibility of putting her down that day was floated. But, I just couldn't do it a week early. Mind you, she wasn't in misery (I have seen dogs that far gone) except for being sick. I asked if they could give her some kind of shot or something to make her feel okay until the fever went away. They gave her a shot. We took her to my parents house. When we got there, she was feeling better, happy to be there (she always loved going there). We put her in the living room and let her rest. I checked up on her throughout the afternoon. One time I checked to find her lying on her side and breathing a bit hard. I told everyone else in the house that this was probably it and we all sat around her. I sat there with my arms around her, repeatedly telling her to her ear that she was a good girl, that we all loved her, as her breaths got deeper.. her mouth got cold.. her eyes glazed.. and then she stopped breathing. This was exactly how I had wanted to say goodbye, but I was still not totally prepared. I was 36 at this point, didn't bawl this time, but sobbed for a while. It really helped that it was "at home" (pretty much) and that eight of my family (bro, his wife and kids) were around to lessen the sting a bit. My poor baby, I miss her.

I have the guilt of asking for that shot. It was probably an overdose, they had asked me how much she weighed and I may have gotten it wrong-- she had lost a lot of weight in her last year. At least the shot worked for a time, and she actually had time that afternoon that she felt good. But, the way she died.. maybe it was more of a struggle than the euthanizing shot would have been, and maybe even worse than she might have been recovering from the fever for a day or two. The right decision would have been to put her down at the vet that day, but I was too selfish to let her go early. That's more guilt. And the fever, who knows, maybe I didn't wash her back end well enough... *sigh*. The guilt doesn't help when my eyes get wet when I think about that day.

Now, do you think a movie in which the spirit of a (German Shepherd) dog comes to bid his beloved and loving master a final goodbye might make me cry? Even though I know it's just a stupid movie, it's not a real dog, there's not REALLY a heaven waiting for dog and master*, etc. etc.. But if that doesn't do it to me, then what would?

Note: My apologies to any of you who have lost people or have had experiences worse or much worse than the loss of a dog (or two). To you, a loss of a dog may be trivial, but at those times of my life, dogs were as much of the family as anyone else, and I've never yet lost any person close to me (*knock knock*), never married a preppie girl who died of cancer, etc. But I am now a father, and now I can understand better the "it's just a dog" viewpoint. I disagree with it, but I'm less in the "dogs are no less than people" camp than I used to be. But I cannot comprehend how people who lose their only child or all their children can go on living, at this point in my life I just can't understand it -- maybe once the teenage years come that'll change B)

(So now I'm trying to get my wife to agree on getting another dog, and not letting her getting anything wimpy yappy or fluffy...)

-Van

*Okay, I'm HOPING that there IS a heaven waiting for dogs and master. I've felt that if I have a spirit that leaves my body, the first thing I'll do is call for the dogs. The cats can come too, if they want, but now that they don't need to eat, why stop sleeping??

[TaiDaishar]

Now after reading Roland's post I remembered the first and only song that REALLY made me cry.

It's an Israeli song that was in origin written in the memory of the late prime minister Yizhak Rabin that was murdered by an idiot, again, I can't remember the name of the song (and not even one sentence from it) but I remember it always made me think about my Grandfather that died a few days before Rabin's assassination

[Nicodemus Phaulkon]

Note: My apologies to any of you who have lost people or have had experiences worse or much worse than the loss of a dog (or two). To you, a loss of a dog may be trivial, but at those times of my life, dogs were as much of the family as anyone else, and I've never yet lost any person close to me (*knock knock*), never married a preppie girl who died of cancer, etc. But I am now a father, and now I can understand better the "it's just a dog" viewpoint. I disagree with it, but I'm less in the "dogs are no less than people" camp than I used to be. But I cannot comprehend how people who lose their only child or all their children can go on living, at this point in my life I just can't understand it -- maybe once the teenage years come that'll change

Loss is loss. Sorrow is sorrow. Love is love; how, to what and when it's given matters not. The fact that I've lost a father to cancer doesn't dimish your loss and doesn't decrease any sympathy I feel for your losses. I'm certain you feel the same in return.

(So now I'm trying to get my wife to agree on getting another dog, and not letting her getting anything wimpy yappy or fluffy...)

Tell your wife that anything non-feline that doesn't stand AT LEAST to the height of your knees is categorized as a "rodent"... and that you want a "DOG". ;)

*tips helm*

[TaiDaishar]

Vandiablo, your story was touching and I couldn't help but remember my dog, he was a young brave and stupid retriver (not sure this is how you write/say it in english...) one night my dad went to a walk with him and he was hit by a car at saturday night, the cruel irony was that the family in the car were jewish hasids (extremely religious, they don't drive, cook etc' on saturday).

I was very little but I still remember that night... I loved that dog.

Your stories also bring a painful reminder to me, I have an 11 years old dog now and having to see her go away is unthinkable...