How could I resist this? Diane at Spunk on a Stick is hosting a Sad Songs Blogfest so I'm in. After all, on April First A Faraway View will begin the month long A to Z April Challenge and since my theme for April will be about dream music, this blogfest fits right in. The way I see it, sad songs make for good dream music I could go on and on with sad songs, but I'll stick with six sad songs to make it alliterative.
Make It All So Real Steve Forbert gives a dynamic performance of one of the best story songs ever. It's not just a song about sad songs, but a song with a sad story. Writers should take a listen to this ultimate work of flash fiction put to music. This song always stirs me inside and gives me watery eyes.
Lalena Originally written and performed beautifully by Donovan, I particularly like this version from my favorite Deep Purple album. Sometimes called the "loudest rock and roll band", Deep Purple goes jazzy, smooth, and soft with a heartbreaking song that is a character study of a woman who seems to be a prostitute.
Pavane for a Dead Princess -- With this title you know it's going to be sad. This is a dreamy piece by impressionistic composer Maurice Ravel. The video is pretty dreamy as well. Listen to this and tell me that you don't feel a bit melancholy and wistful.
Round and Round Neil Young is a master of writing sad songs--so many to chose from. I chose this one because it makes me feel sad, but it's a beautiful sad. Sad is not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a part of life.
Knowing That I Loved You So This song may be by a group with a goofy name, but it has a hauntingly sad sound that really grabs me.
String Quintet in C Major, 2nd Movement --Perhaps not officially a song, its composer Franz Schubert is considered one of the great songwriters of the 19th century. This movement of the quintet never fails to stir up a sad feeling within me, but it also leaves me feeling very peaceful inside. Another one of my all time favorite pieces of music. I think it's worth the investment of time to listen to it.
To visit other participants in the Sad Songs Blogfest go to the Spunk on a Stick blog. Remember--posting for the fest officially begins on Friday March 30th.
Be here on Sunday April 1st as my musical A to Z dream journey begins. I have some great music lined up for the month.
Excellent choice Lee I am posting mine early ....well only a day.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Loved your selection :)
ReplyDeleteWould it surprise you to know I know the last one best.
ReplyDeleteYou're the third person to post today for the blogfest. The 30th is tomorrow, isn't it?
Wow, some old bands in this mix. Good choices!
ReplyDeleteThese are some good chocies. I am now feeling slack because I didn't write as much detail in my final draft (two people and one net connection limts one's time one here lmao). Mine will be up tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteThe only one I'm familiar with is String Quartet. How sad is that? (no pun intended)
ReplyDeleteInteresting 'Sad Song'collection. STMc suggested I do this blogfest, but I just came out of a 'blue funk', if I started in with sad songs,who knows where I would end up. The first one that came to my mind was Barber's 'Adagio for Strings'.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you had 'A Faraway' blog also. I had only seen you at 'Tossing It Out',previously, and of course, A to Z.
Yvonne -- I enjoyed the stories as well as your selection.
ReplyDeleteAnna -- Thanks!
Alex-- I am surprised that you would know Schubert's Quintet the best.
C.M. -- My musical tastes tend to reach back.
K.D. -- Not much text was really required.
Mary -- Schubert's work has been around the longest and probably has the greatest substance.
Faraway -- The "Adagio" is a good one that's often used in movies to set the scene for sadness. I have a total of four blogs and I entered them all in this blogfest because I like music so much.
Lee
A great list, and I must say, I didn't know very many of these (two?). Thanks for posting! I assume the other blogs will have different songs...???
ReplyDeleteRon-- yes, all of the blogs will have different songs that will be along the lines of my A to Z themes.
ReplyDeleteLee
ARLEE BOID ~
ReplyDeleteSchubert was also amongst those I considered including in the 'Sad Songs Blogfest', only my choice would have been his "Serenade".
Also, if I were going to select one Neil Young song for this Blogfest, I definitely would have gone with "Sugar Mountain".
But different tokes for different folks, eh?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I love Deep Purple's version of Lalena.
ReplyDeleteThere's one thing I didn't get though; what do you mean by "sad songs are often dream songs"? My dreams don't usually have a "soundtrack", although they feature other interesting elements...
Thanks for commenting on my latest post!
The Neil Young song is really sad. Sad is not necessarily bad, true.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you Arlee, I am honored. If the recommendation can include blogs that do not participate in the Challenge, but truly awesome, may I suggest OneStonedCrow for O. The link is here:
http://onestonedcrow.blogspot.com/
you have a few songs I have never heard before!
ReplyDeleteWow, Arlee - I don't know any of those, not even the Deep Purple!
ReplyDeleteA blog about dreams! Very cool. The image at the top is spectacular.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Neil Young fan too.
Wow...some really obscure songs (to me) on this list. Awesome picks!
ReplyDeleteyikes! another one where i don't know any of the songs.
ReplyDeletei must be music illiterate!
have fun a-z'ing!
I'd never heard of any of those before! *blushes* Great choices, though!
ReplyDeletenot heard of any of these... sad for me, thank you for the list.
ReplyDeleteJeremy [Retro-Zombie]
Visit The Madness:
iZOMBIE
StMc -- So many choices from either Schubert or Neil Young.
ReplyDeleteJay -- Sad songs put me in a dreamy mood.
Oceangirl -- I'm trying to use blogs that are signed up in the Challenge, but I'll visit this one you've suggested.
baygirl -- I tend to come up with obscurities sometimes.
L.Diane -- "Lalena" is one of Deep Purple's best.
Tamara -- Some of Neil Young's music can really put me in a dreamy mood.
Dawn -- Thanks!
Karen -- I love blogfests like this.
Vic -- These blogfests can really help us expand our musical horizons.
Kyra -- That's ok. I've been finding things on other lists that are new to me.
Jeremy -- Maybe not your normal genre of listening?
Lee
I understand 'beautiful sad'. So many songs have that kind of effect on me.
ReplyDeleteBrowsing the Sad Song Blogfest list, nice song choices.
ReplyDeleteI'm such an eclectic music lover. I'm all over the place with music genres--depends upon my mood.
ReplyDeleteNeil Young put out some awesome songs.
I do like String Quintet in C Major. ah, violins. They can say a lot and in a many moods. I tend to listen to a lot of instrumentals when I'm writing.
Sia McKye OVER COFFEE
OK, Lee. There was a lot I didn't know in your list. I knew the last one. Classical music does tend to be very sad. It's very gloomy here ... to go w/ all the melancholy tunes ...
ReplyDeleteHi Arlee
ReplyDeleteGreat list of songs. I will check into the ones I'm not familiar with.
Nancy
Dang it! I am out of tissue.
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few songs to look up! Thanks for introducing us to something new.
ReplyDeleteHMG
JL -- Beautiful sad can induce a reverie.
ReplyDeleteGossip -- a lot of good music today.
Sia -- I tend to have eclectic tastes as well.
MPAX -- Sad music, gloomy day--what a great combination.
Nancy -- They're all worth hearing in my opinion, but then again I picked them.
Susan -- We just made a Costco run yesterday and have plenty of tissue here.
Heather -- I always like to discover music that is new to me.
Lee
Oh wow, that Lalena video and song were definitely eye-catching and enchanting. Good song choices!
ReplyDeleteShannon at The Warrior Muse, co-host of the 2012 #atozchallenge! Twitter: @AprilA2Z
Lee, Thanks for sharing your list. The Pavane for a Dead Princess was a dreamy, yet sad piece.
ReplyDeleteShannon -- Yes, I kind of liked the Lalena video. Apparently it's excerpts from some Spanish movie.
ReplyDeleteCynthia -- This Pavane is so haunting.
Lee
You've got some GREAT selections here!!
ReplyDeleteLovely songs, all of them :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent mix of genres that carry a contemplative theme.
ReplyDeleteJennie, Damyanti, and Paula-- Thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteLee
Love those instrumentals Lee. Simply beautiful.
ReplyDelete.........dhole