Here is one of the songs that always hits me hard when I hear it, both because of the lyrics (which are a bit misleading in places) and the story behind the song.

This song was written by Jon Olivia in memory of his bandmate/brother, Criss Olivia. Criss and Jon were founders of Savatage, which grew out of an earlier band of theirs.

Early on the morning of October 17, 1993, while on his way to a music festival in Florida, a drunk driver struck Criss' car head on, killing him instantly and seriously injuring his wife.

I was at work when I heard the news, off of a radio station that had never and probably will never play a Savatage song. I had been and still am a huge fan of Savatage (and, in fact,my signature is from a Savatage song), so the news announcement is basically something that I'll never forget.

If my memory serves me right, by the time he died, Criss was the only original member left (Jon had left the band earlier in the year). Criss' death was almost the death of the band, but Jon came back and basically recorded as much of the album "Handful of Rain" himself as he possibly could, crediting the recordings to the band (such as it was after Criss' death). It is a great album in my opinion (if you are into their style of music), but it is also one of the ones I rarely listen to, because of this song.

"Alone You Breath" - Savatage

You were never one for waiting
Still I always thought you'd wait for me
Have you from your dream awakened
And from where you are what do you see

Which of us is now in exile
Which in need of amnesty
Are you now but an illusion
In my mind alone you breathe

You believed in things that I will never know
You were out there drowning but it never showed
Till inside a rain swept night you just let go

You're thrown it all away
And now we'll never see
The ending of the play
The grand design
The final line
And what was meant to be

In the dark a distant runner
Now has disappeared into the night
Leaving us to stand and wonder
Staring from this end into your life

You believed in things that I will never know
You were out there drowning but it never showed
Till inside a rain swept night you just let go

You've thrown it all away
And now we'll never see
The ending of the play
The grand design
The final line
And what was meant to be

And if this is all illusion
Nothing more than pure delusion
Clinging to a fading fantasy

Like Icarus who heeds the calling
Of a sun but now is falling
As the feathers of his life fall free
Can you see
See

Tomorrow
And after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here
Believing
That in the dark
There is a clue

Perhaps inside
This midnight sky
Perhaps tomorrow's new born eyes
Or then again
We'll never know
And after all
This was the show

What am I to do

Gotta get back
Gotta get back
Gotta get back

What am I to do

Gotta get back
Gotta get back
Gotta get back

What am I to do

Standing on a dream
Isn't what it seems
Could we then reclaim a dream refused
Knowing what we know
Could we let it go
Realizing that all the years are used

Tomorrow and after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here believing
That in the dark there is a clue
I am the way
I am the light
I am the dark inside the night
I hear your hopes
I feel your dreams
And in the dark I hear your screams

Tomorrow and after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here believing
That in the dark there is a clue

I see the difference between sad and depressing.

There is a song that STO introduced me to, Breathe by Greenwheel. I played it a lot while I was mourning his passing. To this day, I get a big lump in my throat when I hear it. I can not really sing it because I get too choked up.

"Breathe"

I
Played the fool today
And I
Can see us vanishing into the crowd
Longing for home again
But home
Is a feeling I buried in you

I'm alright
I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe

And I can't ask for things to be still again
No I can't ask for you
To offer the world through your eyes
Longing for home again
But home
Is a feeling I buried in you

I'm alright
I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe
I'm alright
I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe

My window through which
Nothing hides
And everything sings
I'm counting the signs
And cursing the miles in between

But home
Is a feeling I buried in you
That I buried in you

I'm alright
I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe
I'm alright
I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe

When I breathe
It only hurts when I breathe
When I breathe
It only hurts when I breathe

"Hurt" - Johnny Cash

(The original version is done by Nine Inch Nails, and as much as I like the original, this version is a much sadder song in my opinion, being one of Johnny's last recordings)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go

I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything

What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
You could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here

What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end

You could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

^^^ makes me nearly weep just hearing it on the radio. His version is so touching.

u paste it
 

The link is intentionally nonfunctional.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJOR0UU9Kmk>

This Seals and Croft song destroys me in about 1/1000 sec. From that point on I can't shut down the flow from my eyes.

If you wish to give it a listen just copy/paste to the location bar without "< >".
CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION
DO NOT Listen if you've not found healing in the issue of abortion
__________________________________________

(lyrics by Lana Bogan; music by James Seals, 1974)
From the album UNBORN CHILD (1974).
:angel: :angel: :angel:
Oh little baby, you'll never cry, nor will you hear a sweet lullabye.

Oh unborn child, if you only knew just what your momma was plannin' to do.
You're still a-clingin' to the tree of life, but soon you'll be cut off before you get ripe.
Oh unborn child, beginning to grow inside your momma, but you'll never know.
Oh tiny bud, that grows in the womb, only to be crushed before you can bloom.

Mama stop! Turn around, go back, think it over.
Now stop, turn around, go back, think it over.
Stop, turn around, go back think it over.

Oh no momma, just let it be. You'll never regret it, just wait and see.
Think of all the great ones who gave everything
That we might have life here, so please bear the pain.

Mama stop! Turn around, go back, think it over.
Now stop, turn around, go back, think it over.
Stop, turn around, go back think it over.

I listened anyway (sorry) :blink: Didn't have the same effect on me that it has on you, it raised my hackles somewhat.

Below isn't a song, but a poem (is this allowed?), since we're (loosely) on the subject of babies. I cannot read this without melting, and it is a sensitive subject for me at the present time.

Wean Me Gently by Cathy Cardall

I know I look so big to you,
Maybe I seem too big for the needs I have.
But no matter how big we get,
We still have needs that are important to us.
I know that our relationship is growing and changing,
But I still need you. I need your warmth and closeness,
Especially at the end of the day
When we snuggle up in bed.
Please don't get too busy for us to nurse.
I know you think I can be patient,
Or find something to take the place of a nursing;
A book, a glass of something,
But nothing can take your place when I need you.
Sometimes just cuddling with you,
Having you near me is enough.
I guess I am growing and becoming independent,
But please be there.
This bond we have is so strong and so important to me,
Please don't break it abruptly.
Wean me gently,
Because I am your mother,
And my heart is tender.

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin,Dance me through the panic til I'm gathered safely in,Lift me like an olive brance,be my homeward dove, Dance me to the end of love.....Thank you Leonard Cohn for this beautiful song,and thank you Madeleine Peyroux for such a gorgeous cover.....

This poor guy got drafted and was sent someplace that he could not talk about. His girlfriend wanted to cut off their love affair. Now, he is bereft of his love and Hurt. :boohoo: His breaking heart cannot let him concentrate on the work he has to do. He finds he is Mr. Lonely.

You're going way back with those Citrus. I haven't heard those since I was a littler fella.

Cool! In that case LS you, & others (all) might find some real heartbreak & tragic emotional upheaval with this one. She cried, when I told her...

Here's the follow through..Jay & The Americans/The Shangri-Las; Del Shannon; The Lettermen, I like this one from The Lettermen for its refinement in presentation. Exquisitely harmonic.

This is so sad, caught out on the edge of hopelessness.

Take the ribbon from your hair, shake it loose and let it fall,
Layin’ soft upon my skin. like the shadows on the wall.

Come and lay down by my side till the early morning light
All I’m takin’ is your time. help me make it through the night.
I don’t care what’s right or wrong, I don’t try to understand.
Let the devil take tomorrow. lord, tonight I need a friend.

Yesterday is dead and gone and tomorrow’s out of sight.
And it’s sad to be alone. help me make it through the night.

I don’t care what’s right or wrong, (yes, I do !)
I don’t try to understand.
Let the devil take tomorrow. lord, tonight I need a friend.

Yesterday is dead and gone and tomorrow’s out of sight.
Lord, it’s bad to be alone. help me make it through the night.

I know that song. It's Ray Stevens. Quite lively for a sad song.

Another link broken due to copyright issues so here is a live version of Tank Park Salute.

Oh this song just kills me: Whiskey Lullaby :boohoo: