Music that hits you like a ton of bricks?

[Left Is Write]

I recently found a tape I'd made myself, using CDs from the radio studio where I worked. The tape is thirteen years old (made on Valentine's Day, interestingly). This morning, alone in my car, I decided to pop it in and listen to some songs I hadn't thought of in years.

The second song on the first side was "Runaway Train" by Rosanne Cash. I know I haven't heard that song in a dozen years.

Suddenly, only seconds into the song, I was surprised to find my eyes welling up with tears, and then they were spilling over for real. I can't even put my finger on any specific sad memory I associate with the song, though there must be one somewhere in my subconscious - it was just that powerful.

Are there any songs that do that to you, for reasons you can't articulate?

[tigereye]

1. Whispers and Moans

by Crowded House. In fact, most of the songs on that album, Woodface, get to me.

[taterguy]

2. Nothing is Wrong by the dB's

[myrna minx]

3. Fantasia by Ralph Vaughan Williams .

Makes me cry every time. It has to be the most compelling music I have ever heard.

[Elidor]

4. Yeah

The song Dreams by The Cranberries - just the part where she starts doing that wordless vocal thing. I hate hearing that when I'm in public, because it's annoying to have to explain that you're crying for no reason.

The 1812 Overture can usually get me going, too, as it starts to build up to the climax. I've heard Tchaikovsky thought it was piffle, but I think it's just grand.

[Left Is Write]

5. I'm glad my kids weren't in the car...

I, too, would have hated having to explain why I was crying for no reason.

[JitterbugPerfume]

6. Pathetique, Beethoven

most of Mozart and Liebestraum by liszt

[REDKING]

7. Why by Annie Lennox....

Kills me everytime I hear it,I was in the middle of a break up at the time and thats what the song is all about.

[Ryano42]

44. My Divorce...

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Inspired]

52. Good one!

I love this song. It is on my playlist.

[Heidi]

8. Almost anything by Leonard Cohen.

It's the truth ("Let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone . . ."), the hope ("There is a crack in everything; that's how the light gets in.) and the melancholy ("I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,you were talking so brave and so sweet, giving me head on the unmade bed, while the limousines wait in the street. Those were the reasons and that was New York, we were running for the money and the flesh. And that was called love for the workers in song probably still is for those of them left.")

[Left Is Write]

14. "Hallelujah" gets to me.

[Heidi]

18. Oh, me, too, BIG TIME.

Have you heard Cohen's CD, "Ten New Songs"? It was mostly written while he was in Buddhist retreat at Mt Baldy, California. for five years, and recorded after he "came back." I think, girlfriend, that you'd especially love "A Thousand Kisses Deep."

A Thousand Kisses Deep
by Leonard Cohen

The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat.
You win a while, and then it’s done –
Your little winning streak.
And summoned now to deal
With your invincible defeat,
You live your life as if it’s real,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

I’m turning tricks, I’m getting fixed,
I’m back on Boogie Street.
You lose your grip, and then you slip
Into the Masterpiece.
And maybe I had miles to drive,
And promises to keep:
You ditch it all to stay alive,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

Confined to sex, we pressed against
The limits of the sea:
I saw there were no oceans left
For scavengers like me.
I made it to the forward deck
I blessed our remnant fleet –
And then consented to be wrecked,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

I’m turning tricks, I’m getting fixed,
I’m back on Boogie Street.
I guess they won’t exchange the gifts
That you were meant to keep.
And quiet is the thought of you
The file on you complete,
Except what we forgot to do,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat…

[Left Is Write]

21. The lyrics are gorgeous...

I'd love to hear it.

[RetroLounge]

46. Love this song!

And quiet is the thought of you
The file on you complete,
Except what we forgot to do,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

RL

[greendog]

55. "The Faith"

This one, written by Cohen last year:

Leonard Cohen - The Faith Lyrics



The sea so deep and blind
The sun, the wild regret
The club, the wheel, the mind,
O love, aren't you tired yet?

The club, the wheel, the mind
O love, aren't you tired yet?

The blood, the soil, the faith
These words you can't forget
Your vow, your holy place
O love, aren't you tired yet?

The blood, the soil, the faith
O love, aren't you tired yet?

A cross on every hill
A star, a minaret
So many graves to fill
O love, aren't you tired yet?

So many graves to fill
O love, aren't you tired yet?

The sea so deep and blind
Where still the sun must set
And time itself unwind
O love, aren't you tired yet?

And time itself unwind
O love, aren't you tired yet?

[Orsino]

9. The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Its impact measures in megatons. The all-time greatest rock scream, that gives me chills every damned time.

[huskerlaw]

10. Hallelujah

particularly the kd lang version and 2 am (breathe) by Anna Nalick.

[xmas74]

39. Hallelujah is a great one

and I'm a big kd lang fan. I tend to be more partial to Jeff Buckley's version than any other.

[u4ic]

57. kd's voice is breathtaking

[lyonn]

11. Driving n crying, just did it last week

No particular song that I can remember, but, I had just been to see a very dear, close friend in the hospital and she was in such poor condition it hit me on the way home that I may not see her again. Being the kind that doesn't like to borrow trouble and would rather think that she is tough and will make it, it was a bit overwhelming and then these damn songs from about the 70's came on the radio that seem to strike that o' so sad cord that I cried off and on until I got home. Then had to explain to my husband my condition. He seemed to get it. Songs can do that and it is good and bad. This friend and I had raised kids together, shopped then later sat in a bar in the shopping mall and discussed what we thought of life and what was important, etc. Went on bridge trips for days at a time away from kids and husbands and totally enjoyed. She is the best.

[Left Is Write]

15. I'm sorry about your friend.

:hug:

[taterguy]

23. thanks

. . . for reminding me to listen to drivin 'n' cryin, just wish I wasn't at work since their music should be played at maximum volume

[Left Is Write]

32. And now I have to go back out to the garage...

to look for my Drivin And Cryin tape. What was that song I liked? Fly Me Courageous?

[buddhamama]

12. "Desire"-- Bob Dylan

the entire album gets me.

[leftofthedial]

13. Happy Birthday

[mitchum]

58. BWAHAHAHA!

[u4ic]

59. You must be over 40

:rofl:

[RandomKoolzip]

16. "Ghosts," The Jam

[XNASA]

20. "The Butterfly Collector" kinda has that effect on me.

But not so much as maybe Costello's 'Shipbuilding'.

[RandomKoolzip]

22. Robert Wyatt's version is superior, IMO.

But good choice. :thumbsup:

"How do you feel at the end of the day?/ Just like you walked over your own grave..."

[no name no slogan]

17. "Is It Any Wonder" by the Chameleons, and "When the Sun Hits" by Slowdive

but I doubt anybody here has heard either of them

[miss_american_pie]

19. One

I have no idea why, but I cry. Ugly crying, in public even.

[Inspired]

53. Love the U2/Mary J. Blige version

[Ron Mexico]

24. No song makes me cry, but one that always improves my mood is

the theme from the Rockford Files. Some of my fondest memories involve watching that show with my father and having him explain all the stuff that a kid wouldn't generally understand.

[Left Is Write]

25. For improving mood...

The first song that comes to mind for me is "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac (or, as my now 18-year-old daughter used to refer to it years ago, "The Bill Clin-tin Song").

[Patiod]

33. That's my ringtone!

But mostly because it's such a cheerful thing, and definitely unique.

[samplegirl]

26. Certain

Van Morrison songs, Clapton songs, or Neil Young.

[Left Is Write]

28. "Have I Told You Lately" sometimes chokes me up.

Nothing like what I experienced today, though.

[LaraMN]

27. Oh yeah.

Israel Kamakawiwo`ole

Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World.

[Efilroft Sul]

29. "Brick House," "Another Brick in the Wall..."

"When the Walls Come Tumblin' Down."

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. Almost any ballad by Billy Joel.......

and "Your Kiss" by Hall and Oates.....

And a great many others whose names I can't remember, or don't know.....

:cry:

[progmom]

31. how interesting....

I read this thread title and immediately thought of a song I saw Rosanne Cash sing yesterday - "God Is In the Roses" - it nearly made me cry.

[Patiod]

34. "While You See A Chance" by Steve Winwood

I went through a major depression in college, and it was the one song that always gave me hope.

Now silly things like "Walking on Sunshine" cheer me up

[DS1]

35. Metal Church - Ton of Bricks

ba-dum-tiss

[taterguy]

36. There's always my least favorite Ben Folds Five song Brick

[Beware the Beast Man]

37. L7- "Bricks are Heavy."

[Merrick]

38. Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" album made me want to commit suicide

when I was eleven. It cast a pall over my soul it was so bad and literally made me clinically depressed for two years. Even to this day hearing that crap stirs dark memories of trauma and sadness.

[xmas74]

40. I used to cry every time I heard "Last Goodbye"

by Jeff Buckley. I was going through a nasty breakup when I first heard the song.

This is our last goodbye
I hate to feel the love between us die
But it’s over
Just hear this and then I’ll go
You gave me more to live for
More than you’ll ever know

This is our last embrace
Must I dream and always see your face
Why can’t we overcome this wall
Well, maybe it’s just because I didn’t know you at all

Kiss me, please kiss me
But kiss me out of desire, babe, and not consolation
You know it makes me so angry ’cause I know that in time
I’ll only make you cry, this is our last goodbye

Did you say ’no, this can’t happen to me,’
And did you rush to the phone to call
Was there a voice unkind in the back of your mind
Saying maybe you didn’t know him at all
You didn’t know him at all, oh, you didn’t know

Well, the bells out in the church tower chime
Burning clues into this heart of mine
Thinking so hard on her soft eyes and the memories
Offer signs that it’s over... it’s over

(I'm listening to it right now. I don't cry anymore but it still hits me, especially when he sings the line "Kiss me, please kiss me")

[anarch]

41. this does, for sure:

[SKKY]

42. U2 - "Sunday Bloody Sunday"...`

...haven't been the same since.

[Bossy Monkey]

43. Valentine's Day by Steve Earle; Country at War by X;

"Reconsider Me" and "Keep Me in Your Heart" by Warren Zevon; "Poor Old Tom" and "The Wilderness" by Peter Case; and "Open Letter (to a Landlord)" by Living Colour to name a few.

[ghostsofgiants]

45. A few that you've probably never heard of...

"Killer Cars" by Radiohead
"Televators" by The Mars Volta
"Get Fighted" by Alexisonfire
"Old Soul Song" by Bright Eyes

[RetroLounge]

47. Damien Rice - Either of these two songs

Cannonball

Still a little bit of your taste in my mouth
Still a little bit of you laced with my doubt
Still a little hard to say what's going on

Still a little bit of your ghost, your witness
Still a little bit of your face I haven't kissed
You step a little closer each day
That I can’t say what's going on

Stones taught me to fly
Love, taught me to lie
Life, it taught me to die
So it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannonball

Still a little bit of your song in my ear
Still a little bit of your words I long to hear
You step a little closer to me
So close that I can't see what's going on

Stones taught me to fly
Love, it taught me to lie
Life taught me to die
So it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannon..
Stones taught me to fly
Love, it taught me to cry
So come on courage
Teach me to be shy
'Cause it's not hard to fall
And I don't wanna scare her
It's not hard to fall
And I don't wanna lose
It's not hard to grow
When you know that you just don't know

Blower's Daughter

And so it is
Just like you said it would be
Life goes easy on me
Most of the time
And so it is
The shorter story
No love, no glory
No hero in her sky

I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes...

And so it is
Just like you said it should be
We'll both forget the breeze
Most of the time
And so it is
The colder water
The blower's daughter
The pupil in denial

I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes...

Did I say that I loathe you?
Did I say that I want to
Leave it all behind?

I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind...
My mind...my mind...
'Til I find somebody new

RL

[nemo137]

48. Chemistry, by Jawbreaker

Man, the brings back all the anger and frustration and trappedness that I felt all thought high school (yeah, f*cking stereotypical, I know), but no specific moment or even year. It just, it's exuberant and angry at the same time, that feeling, like right under my heart.

[XemaSab]

49. Anything by

HEINO.

:hide:

[Kid OfThe Black Hole]

50. I'm never dating an emo girl again

like a ton of bricks to the face

[skygazer]

51. Used to be "We've Got Tonight"

Because the night a guy I was madly in love with left the bar to go home to his girlfriend (who I'd just learned about), that song came on just as he walked out the door.

"I know it's late
I know you're weary
I know your plans
Don't include me

Still here we are
Both of us lonely..."

The bar was full of people and I burst into tears. Most embarassing moment of my life. Ten years later, I saw him and he looked awful and tried to flirt with me. I turned him down flat, made HIM cry and the song has never bothered me since. O8)

[Inspired]

54. Closer by Nine Inch Nails

who happen to be in concert tonight in Des Moines, IA. This song is raw.

[mitchum]

56. Warren Zevon's "Accidentally Like A Martyr" even before his illness

[u4ic]

60. Three - two are mellow

Carol of the Bells...Percy Faith's version. The most dramatic version, imo, of this great piece. It almost makes me cry with joy. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002AL3/103-5115189-6277459?v=glance&n=5174 has a sampler of it.

Cavatina by Stanley Meyers. Don't associate it with the Deer Hunter.

Help Me...Joni Mitchell. I feel this song with every bone in my body.

[Arugula Latte]

61. "How Soon is Now" by the Smiths and "Knocking on Heaven's Door"

by Dylan.

[laylah]

62. "In My Father's Field"

written and sung by John Cowan. I first heard it soon after my dad had died. Brings me to tears every time, to this day.

Jenn

[NMMNG]

63. L'Arlesienne Suites 1 and 2, by Georges Bizet

The first time I heard this on the radio I was stunned by the sheer beauty of it, particularly the haunting minueto in Suite 2. I immediately got it on CD and still consider it my favorite piece of classical music.

[mykpart]

64. Well, there's this one song called

"Hit Me" by the group "Ton of Bricks."

[aaronbees]

65. "Blue" ... Joni Mitchell

That's the first that pops to mind. There are many such songs though.

[Broken_Hero]

66. Yes, i believe any sane person does...

just about any song from Chicago, some select Bryan Adams, and some Guns and Roses....Chicago always reminds me of my first big crush and burn in high school, her name was Jenice H. OH man, i cried like a baby when she shot me down, but oh well, rejection only makes you stronger, or kills ya...:)