Songs which make you cry

Noel Coward wrote a heart-wrenching song called "If Love Were All" which at one stage summed up my life .... especially the line "I believe that since my life began the most I've had is just a talent to amuse" - still brings tears.

As does "The Humming Chorus" from Madame Butterfly and any brass band playing "Abide With Me".

So many songs, particularly anything which reminds me of my late parents who died quiet young. My (very) disabled son singing Away in a Manger when he heard another child playing it on the cornet. Songs from happier easy going youthful times. I am even weeping at all the memories on here of people I don't even know.

Ella Henderson sings beautifully on You tube Little Things Mean A Lot - axa advert - full song - best live music - ( AXA ) tv. 2014

Always makes me feel emotional, don't know why?!

Andre Bocelli. .. 'Time to say goodbye' and Songbird either Eva Cassidy or Christine McVie always brings tears to my eyes.

Actually, gran5up, Kathleen Ferrier's 'What is Life' always makes me giggle.

My best friend and I had been chosen to perform it in a school concert. I was going to play the piano and she would be singing. On the day, however, she developed a sore throat so we swapped.

Not well rehearsed, were doing OK until she made a mistake, panicked and rushed the ending managing to finish without me. I don't know how I managed to swallow the giggles that were threatening to explode and I really milked the drama of the last few notes - even though there was no more accompaniment.

Our music teacher was sitting in the front row rolling her eyes. We were never asked to do anything again.

Oh so many do that to me and Dance With My Father Again is right up there. So much so that if it comes on my iPod I sometimes have to skip it if I think I might weep. Sometimes When We Touch by Dan Hill as well. In classical music Casta Diva by Maria Callas does it. It's sometimes played as background music in films and TV dramas and I just want to hear the music and never mind the film!

Yes, I can relate to that, which is why I make a point of never listening to music when I feel down, as it makes it worse.

Kathleen Ferrier's glorious version of,"What is life to me without thee" and Maddy Prior's,"Somewhere along the road"-both ideal for funerals so maybe that's why the tears.

"O Mein Papa" for my beloved Dad, the original German says "was a wonderful clown"- so appropriate
Not however,"Smoke gets in your eyes" which stoopid Auntie had played at Uncle's funeral in the Crem,"because he asked us to play it" He was joking: as you may guess, he was Dad's clown brother!

Keep weeping girls,"the more you cry the less you wee" or so Gran reckoned!

My husband of 41 years passed away in September 7 years ago and EVERY shop I went in that Christmas was playing 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' and I still turn it off now. Lost count of how many shops I walked out of

"Little Things Mean a Lot" from the AXA advert, every time the advert comes on always makes me cry! I feel quite emotional. Doesn't normally happen with music, films are different!

Me & Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin's version - popular when my first marriage was breaking up, and I played it all the time (freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose...)

That's one for the lyrics - in terms of music alone I'm reduced to tears by opera - La Traviata - Butterfly - The Valkyrie...

Songs which tear at my heart strings are usually classical and choral, so Allegri's Miserere, Verdi's Requiem - which I play at full volume in the car and Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus. Plus a lot of the 'old' hymns, not the new happy clappy ones!

I had Radio 2 on in the background this morning while I was decorating and Ken Bruce played Gilbert O Sullivan's 'Alone Again, Naturally'

That did it! The memories came flooding back. My father had just died, we moved to Suffolk from the Isle of Wight and I was missing my family and friends, DH was working long hours and I was living in the middle of nowhere with two children under two.

I did love Suffolk though

I also think Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" is very sad.

The song "the rose. "always sets me off.It was sung unaccompanied by my wonderfull friend Eirlys ,at my sisters funeral.Over her final months she had been telling various people that Eirlys would be singing this at her funeral.We had hoped it would never happen,sadly it did,and there wasn't a dry eye after her rendition of the Bette Midler song.Also Shane Wards version of "Over the Rainbow " !

'Will you love me tomorrow?' and many more!

Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac) singing "Songbird".
Jesse Norman singing the Leibstodt from Tristan and Isolde.
May Morning Dew by the Cheiftains.

For me, these are the worst offenders:

Puff the Magic Dragon

Seasons in the Sun, by Terry Jacks

Those were the Days, by Mary Hopkins

None of them affected me when I was younger, so I guess that in my case a large part of it is a nostalgia thing.

I have tears in my eyes now just from thinking about them. Actually, maybe I should do this more often, as it has provided instant relief from my persistent dry eyes problem!

NOT Space Oddity for sure- listen to Ashes to Ashes- Major Tom was a junkie imagining it all. That should cure you from now on.

With me it's Danny Boy- I have 2 sons & 4 grandsons. uckily you don't hear this very often or I'd be a soggy mess.

Also years ago a Shredded Wheat advert on TV did it every time- 'When they're up to Shredded Wheat, they're growing up'. My boys were about 7 & 10 & I was feeling it.

Theme from ET gets me going too. I cried all the way home from the cinema when I first saw the film.

I think a good cry does you good sometimes.

"immigrant"-- sorry!

I too am moved by so many songs but three times as much, perhaps, because I have been trilingual since childhood. Two that really set me off are both by the French-Italian singer/actor, Serge Reggiani. One is sung in both French( L'Italien)) and Italian( Il Francese). It tells the story of an immigrany who left his native land as a youth, returns as a successful man but finds no one there to welcome him back. It does sum up so much. The other, "A ma fille" ( to my daughter) is a poignant taking leave of a daughter " whose heart has changed country". Listen if you are interested. So beautiful. Please forgive my long post. This is my first!

Check out Dillie Keane's 'Look Mummy, No Hands'. Have seen it performed live at Fascinating Aida live shows. Very emotional and strikes many chords.

I said I'd be back.

Celine Dion singing the Titanic song I can't stand her!

I will always love you by Dolly Parton - Whitney Huston is ok but I prefer Dolly!

And loads of stuff by Kris Kristofferson, oh, and June Carter.

Leo Sayer 'when I need you'. It was a hit when my father was dying and I had a new born baby. I cry at the thought of it. I have told the children to play it at my funeral. They don't know why.

Everthing I Own written by David Gates from Bread for his late father. Listening to the lovely words reminds me of everyone I have loved and lost, and sweet memories.