Special Sub-Topic: Sad Songs Authored by: neon000 Sub-topic of: Tragedy in Songs

The narrator of this tune informs us we shouldn't worry "if this all shatters--nothing lasts forever." It's about the sense of resignation in a failing relationship. Which song is it?

"It Doesn't Matter," Depeche Mode. A slow piano number from the album "Some Great Reward." A sequel appeared on "Black Celebration." Interestingly enough, it was Part Two that became a staple of Depeche Mode's live show.

This aching tribute to a departed lover borrows heavily from the storyline of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." Name the song?

"Come Back to Camden," Morrissey. This song is from Morrissey's album "You Are the Quarry." The third verse cribs generously from a section of Whitman's epic poem, in which he talked about times he spent with a former lover. Whitman was born in Huntington, Long Island, New York, spent many years in various parts of New York City, and eventually moved to Camden, New Jersey. In the poem and the song, the longing is almost palpable.

In this song, a man is supposed to meet his intended for a date, but he waits and waits, and she never shows up. Then he figures out he's in the wrong place, so his girlfriend must have given up and gone home by now. Defeat on all fronts! What's the song?

"Fool in the Rain," Led Zeppelin. The tune, which ran over six and a half minutes, could not be performed in concert during Led Zeppelin's original tenure together. This was due to the large samba section necessary for the lively bridge of the song.

In this song, the narrator bemoans the fates of Solomon, Caesar and Socrates, people at the apex of society who nevertheless met tragic fates. He then warns us that no matter how good you think you are, you'll be lucky if the same thing doesn't happen to you. What song is it?

"How Fortunate the Man With None," Dead Can Dance. It was originally a poem by Bertolt Brecht. Dead Can Dance's musical version clocks in at over nine minutes.

This torch song is about mismatched lovers who split up and then refuse to acknowledge each other the next time they meet. The 'cold shoulder' encounter in a nightclub ends with the anguished warning, "Take your hands off me! / I don't belong to you..." What song is it?

"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," Soft Cell. "I never knew you, you never knew me," the singer insists. Not a dry eye in the house.

In this song, a melancholy man lies in bed and watches out the window as planes go by. He prays that somehow his lost love will return, and everything will be all right again: "When you turn the light out, she'll come." But as time goes on, it doesn't look any better for his chances. "Stop making me older," he pleads, "start making me new!" What's the song?

"High Rising," Suede. The track originally appeared on the "Stay Together" EP.

In this song, a man struggles to get over his last girlfriend--and it isn't going well. She mailed back his letters and records, and her brother will kill the guy if he sees him. Which song is about this unlucky fellow?

"Can't Stand Losing You," the Police. The song originally appeared on the album "Outlandos D'Amour."

This track is about a man so shocked by the loss of his love that he can only sit around thinking about her. He constantly looks over the few personal items that are all he has to remember her by. Name the song?

"Pictures of You," the Cure. In the video, Robert Smith and company wander around in the snow. It's a beautiful but cold setting-- appropriate to the tone of the song.

A man imagines a future with a woman who seems to be hopelessly distant from him. "I see your picture on the wall, and that's all right with me," he says, promisingly-- but from then on it's downhill, as his quest to get close to her only disappoints. "I'm still on your side, in spite of everything you do," he says, with bittersweet defiance. Which song is this?

"Wish Fulfillment," Sonic Youth. From the album "Dirty."

This track opens with a trademark warbling riff that made it a favorite on dancefloors. A man wonders why his lover gave up on him. "All my dreams / are simple as can be," he promises her, but his efforts seem doomed to fail. He only wishes he could know, "Tell me what can I do / to keep from losing you?" What song is this?

"Touch," Secession. The group was comprised of former members of the Vaselines.