Songs That Make You Laugh; Songs That Make You Cry

[Yokosmom]

Two Lennon tributes always make me tearful: "Here Today" by McCartney and "Empty Garden" by Elton John. Followed by a deep sense of rage against He Who Shall Not Be Named.

Lots of songs make me happy--too many to list.

[Silver Raven]

I've been binge watching/listening to various versions of "It's Quiet Uptown" from "Hamilton", and break down every time.

 

For those who don't know, the song takes place at a point in the play where Alexander Hamilton has been accused of stealing money, and as part of his defense, he reveals that he's been having an affair.  His wife Eliza sings "Burn" about how she is not dealing well with this information.  And then their oldest son Philip, who was 19, fights a duel for his father's honor, and is killed.  This song is their dealing with the death of their son.

[Shannon L.]

17 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

I've been binge watching/listening to various versions of "It's Quiet Uptown" from "Hamilton", and break down every time.

 

For those who don't know, the song takes place at a point in the play where Alexander Hamilton has been accused of stealing money, and as part of his defense, he reveals that he's been having an affair.  His wife Eliza sings "Burn" about how she is not dealing well with this information.  And then their oldest son Philip, who was 19, fights a duel for his father's honor, and is killed.  This song is their dealing with the death of their son.

 

My first few times through the Hamilton soundtrack I couldn't make it through all of part two because at least three songs made me cry.  I've been doing better lately, except for weeks now, I have had to skip One Last Time.

[cpcathy]

I find "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" is the one that makes me verklempt every time.

[rmcrae]

I'm sure there are songs that make me laugh, but I can't think of any right now. As far as songs that make me cry or feel emotional, there are quite a few. Sade's "people" songs (as I call them) always get to me. 'Pearls' (the heartbreaking story of a woman in Somalia struggling to find food for her starving child),  'Jezebel' (the sad tale of an impoverished woman selling her body in order to "make it" in life), Tar Baby (an interracial baby that's first shunned and then quickly accepted and loved by its shamed mother), etc. The one that gets me the most is 'Clean Heart'. Especially the line "He loved his daddy though he never told him/And how he loved his mama/He loved, He loved her like an Italian".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf5t452dljA

[truthaboutluv]

I can't think of many songs that I can say make me laugh except I always chuckle at Positive K's I Got A Man. I remember my friends and I knowing every word to that song when we were really young. My favorite line that always makes me crack up is when the woman says, "I got a man" and Positive K responds, "You got a what...how long you had that problem?"

As for songs that make me cry, two that always get me are Landslide by Fleetwood Mac and Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson. With Landslide, I had always heard the song growing up and liked it well enough. But the year I turned 21, I was sort of in limbo with my life, not knowing what career I wanted, what path I wanted to take, while so many of my friends seemed to have a plan.

And then one day, Landslide came on the radio and I literally just started bawling. Like full on tears running down my face and snot. It was especially the line about being afraid of changes that I think really got to me. And since then, I can't hear that song without getting a little choked up. I liked Piece by Piece well enough and obviously knew it was a heavy song about Kelly's estranged relationship with her father. But that American Idol performance she did of if just destroyed me. 

Edited June 5, 2017 by truthaboutluv

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

I can't think of many songs that I can say make me laugh except I always chuckle at Positive K's I Got A Man. I remember my friends and I knowing every word to that song when we were really young. My favorite line that always makes me crack up is when the woman says, "I got a man" and Positive K responds, "You got a what...how long you had that problem?"

That's my favorite line, too.  I also like when he tells her he has eyes for her and she replies, "You got eyes, but they're not for me; you better use them for what they for, and that's to see."

[Zola]

Gloria Estefan's "Can't Stay Away From You", always makes me cry, primarily due to the breakup of what I thought was a great relationship!

It's a very old song, going back to a time before I was even born, and I only got to hear it by chance. But it has struck a chord ever since - it's a beautiful song, but the paradox is that by listening to it it brings out all those sad memories again. 

 

As for happy songs: there are many. But at the moment I am into Desree and two old hits "Life" and "You Gotta Be"

[Snowball II]

I'm not even a big country fan, but You Were Mine by The Dixie Chicks makes me teary-eyed, every time.  So much pain in that song, sung so beautifully. 

Now that they're both gone, Sometimes It Snows In April by Prince and She's Out of My Life by Michael Jackson are even sadder than they were before.  And they were pretty damn sad, to start with.  Especially when Prince's voice breaks just a *little* after hoping Tracy has "found a new friend" in the former.  OOF.

[SunnyBeBe]

I love this song, but, it recently made me cry when I got a blast from the past seeing the video on tv.  I just read that this song was played in the background at Hutchinson's funeral.  Man, that hurts.  What a great loss.  (Lead singer for INXS.)

 

[truthaboutluv]

Okay so this one is completely cheesy, I'll admit, but damn if Vitamin C's Graduation doesn't get me every time. 

Edited July 15, 2017 by truthaboutluv

[rmcrae]

Another song that gets me all misty is That I Would Be Good by Alanis Morissette. Her fragile vocals, the strings, her yelps at the end never fail to move me.

[truthaboutluv]

2 minutes ago, rmcrae said:

Another song that gets me all misty is That I Would Be Good by Alanis Morissette. Her fragile vocals, the strings, her yelps at the end never fail to move me.

OMG one of my favorite Alanis songs and one I think is a little underrated (actually I think her entire sophomore album was underrated because people wanted Jagged Little Pill Part 2). Btw, Kelly Clarkson does a gorgeous cover of it that she mixes with Kings of Leon's Use Somebody.  I've actually been obsessively listening to this version of it all week. 

Edited July 20, 2017 by truthaboutluv

[rmcrae]

7 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

OMG one of my favorite Alanis songs and one I think is a little underrated (actually I think her entire sophomore album was underrated because people wanted Jagged Little Pill Part 2). Btw, Kelly Clarkson does a gorgeous cover of it that she mixes with Kings of Leon's Use Somebody.  I've actually been obsessively listening to this version of it all week. 

 

Thanks for the link! I didn't know Kelly Clarkson covered it. I don't really listen to her music, but that girl can SANG! I feel the same way about Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. As excellent as Jagged Little Pill was (and still is), Alanis showed so much growth on SFIJ. I didn't know half of what she was singing about (I was about 11 or 12 when I first heard it), but I still felt it.

[magicdog]

On 2/19/2018 at 8:30 PM, forumfish said:

How 'bout songs that give you chills? Like, actual goose bumps.

"Seven Bridges Road" by the Eagles

"Hard Times" -- Eric Clapton's cover of the Ray Charles song

And pretty much anything by the Mamas and the Papas.

Riders In The Sky by Vaughn Monroe gets me spooked.

[Sandman87]

Yesterday I heard a Bonzo Dog Band song yesterday that I hadn't heard before - "My Brother Makes the Noises for the Talkies." It cracked me up. Aside from being as gently absurd as most of their other stuff, there was this section while the singer lists all the noises that his brother can make:
 

Quote

 

My brother can make any noise you wish

Like two (honk) sea-lions (honk honk) shouting out for fish

A horses neigh (whinny), a donkey's bray (hee-haw hee-haw)

He's even got a noise for Lillian Gish (belch)

 

Caught me completely by surprise.

[WendyCR72]

This is admittedly an oldie from the mid 1960s I am familiar with only because my mother loved it (I was born in the early 70s.) But it's sort of a sad, depressing song about society and how someone can go astray thanks to life and their upbringing, but it really does strike a chord. Or did for me.

 

[SunnyBeBe]

This song has always brought tears to my eyes.  It really takes you there.....the place and the emotion.

[Vixenstud]

Dammit, Sunny!  Dan Fogelberg.  Sighs.  Whenever I think of this song I think of a former friend; in my heart I'd like to reconnect with him but I'm afraid that I'd break down and cry if I saw him, as he was the one that ended our friendship, leaving me devastated to this day.

There are too many songs that make me cry (never mind that I'm the biggest crybaby in the world!)....five that immediately come to mind are:

One Last Cry - Brian McKnight

My Eyes Adored You - Frankie Valli

I Like Dreamin' - Kenny Nolan

Somewhere In My Lifetime - Phyllis Hyman

Neither One of Us - Gladys Knight and the Pips

[rmcrae]

7 hours ago, Vixenstud said:

Dammit, Sunny!  Dan Fogelberg.  Sighs.  Whenever I think of this song I think of a former friend; in my heart I'd like to reconnect with him but I'm afraid that I'd break down and cry if I saw him, as he was the one that ended our friendship, leaving me devastated to this day.

There are too many songs that make me cry (never mind that I'm the biggest crybaby in the world!)....five that immediately come to mind are:

One Last Cry - Brian McKnight

My Eyes Adored You - Frankie Valli

I Like Dreamin' - Kenny Nolan

Somewhere In My Lifetime - Phyllis Hyman

Neither One of Us - Gladys Knight and the Pips

Don't even get me started on Old Friend! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pf5jObgpF4.

Edited August 17, 2018 by rmcrae
Adding link to song

[SunnyBeBe]

17 hours ago, Vixenstud said:

Dammit, Sunny!  Dan Fogelberg.  Sighs.  Whenever I think of this song I think of a former friend; in my heart I'd like to reconnect with him but I'm afraid that I'd break down and cry if I saw him, as he was the one that ended our friendship, leaving me devastated to this day.

There are too many songs that make me cry (never mind that I'm the biggest crybaby in the world!)....five that immediately come to mind are:

One Last Cry - Brian McKnight

My Eyes Adored You - Frankie Valli

I Like Dreamin' - Kenny Nolan

Somewhere In My Lifetime - Phyllis Hyman

Neither One of Us - Gladys Knight and the Pips

If you really want to reach out, I would before it's too late.  I just discovered that the first love of my life had passed away....It happened some time ago.  I wish I hadn't waited so long. 

[Vixenstud]

19 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

If you really want to reach out, I would before it's too late.

You're the second person that's said that in the seven years since we've last spoken....like I said, he was the one that ended the friendship.  I'd feel like an idiot to even try, the few times I did there was no reply.  

I'm so sorry about your first love.

[SunnyBeBe]

Just now, Vixenstud said:

You're the second person that's said that in the seven years since we've last spoken....like I said, he was the one that ended the friendship.  I'd feel like an idiot to even try, the few times I did there was no reply.  

I'm so sorry about your first love.

Oh, I see.  I reached out once too.  I spoke with his sister, because he had moved abroad, so, I don't know if she passed the word to contact me, but, I'll never know.  So, I did make one attempt. Then more years went by. It wasn't to reconcile, just catch up.  Anyway, thanks for your kind words. Auld Lang Syne (Fogleberg) reminds me of us, since we had a couple of those on/off relationships. I bet he wondered about me, like I did him. Life can be so complicated. lol

[Silver Raven]

NF, "How Could You Leave Us?" He actually starts sobbing himself at the end.

[oliv88]

No Promises by Shayne Ward 

Some really good memories bring those tears rolling down. 

[littlewonder]

A lot of Amanda Palmer songs get to me but espcially The Bed Song:

[BuyMoreAndSave]

This thread seems to have a lot of songs that make people cry, so to balance things out, here's a song that, when I first listened to it, made me laugh UNTIL I cried and couldn't breathe. It's also the rare piece of art that is not only "so bad it's good," but is so bad it's genius, and completely different from everything else that has existed before or since (two words: opera rap).

"Soldier suggested adapting the concept of Komar and Melamid's The People's Choice painting series, to create a musical project, titled The People's Choice: Music, which again used the opinions of the public, as measured by polling surveys, to determine which elements of the medium were 'most wanted' and 'least wanted'. The polls were written by Soldier and taken via the Dia Foundation in the spring of 1996.

According to Soldier's poll, the survey of approximately 500 Dia visitors revealed that the themes, instruments and other aspects that people least wanted to hear included cowboy music, bagpipes, accordions, opera, rap music, children's voices, tubas, drum machines and advertising jingles. They then incorporated all of these elements into a 22-minute-long song, titled "The Most Unwanted Song".

The main vocals of the song are provided by Emerson, whose high-pitched, operatic rapping features both references to Wittgenstein and casual swearing. Emerson's rap is largely cowboy-themed.

In addition to the rapping, a children's choir sings about various holidays (Christmas, Yom Kippur, Ramadan and Labor Day, among others), ending each verse with the line "Do all your shopping at Walmart!""

Edited December 4, 2018 by BuyMoreAndSave

[babyhouseman]

Funny songs to me are Mother in Law by Ernie K Doe and If You Wanna Be Happy by Jimmy Soul. They are mean to women, but as a woman, I think they are silly. The Coasters, a fifties group, has a lot of silly songs.

[janie jones]

17 hours ago, babyhouseman said:

Funny songs to me are Mother in Law by Ernie K Doe and If You Wanna Be Happy by Jimmy Soul. They are mean to women, but as a woman, I think they are silly. The Coasters, a fifties group, has a lot of silly songs.

I agree about both of those songs.  I was actually listening to If You Wanna Be Happy the other day, and I was thinking, this is so offensive, but it's so catchy.  "Yeah, she's ugly, but she sure can cook!"

[rcc]

Josh Groban's "Granted." Very emotional song.

[Archery]

 Sober, by Demi Lovato. 

This live version is just her on piano.  Her voice breaks, and the fans' reaction to her saying she's sorry for letting them down just undid me.  

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Loved Rose and the 10th Doctor years, just gutted with that episode.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

[tiftgirl]

The day I picked up my cat's ashes and thought I had myself together enough to drive us home I had gone less than a mile when Vince Gill's Threaten Me With Heaven came on the radio.  I had to pull over and just sobbed.  "Can they take away the love or the years I've shared with you".  He was so sick and so weak but even as I held him to say goodbye  he tried to reach up and pet my face....I hope he heard the angels calling his name.

[Annber03]

So sorry for your loss, @tiftgirl. 

[WendyCR72]

Losing a pet is losing part of the family. So sorry, @tiftgirl.

[tiftgirl]

Thank you both very much.

[Taryn74]

Need to Let Go by Jonah 33 makes me full-on ugly cry.

Then I saw a face
And I swear it was you
And I miss you so much

Hey can you hear me?
I need you to know
That if it's alright with you
I just need to let go

'Cause time waits for no one
And life carries on
And I'll never forget you
I just need to let go
I just need to let go

[Dr.OO7]

"Say Something" was already agonizing for me. Then one of my favorite TV shows used it over the storyline of one of my favorite couples breaking up and it got even worse. I can't even listen to it anymore.

Same thing with "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas".

[KWalkerInc]

It doesn't make me cry, but I just get this feeling of dread every time I hear the opening notes of "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago.  It takes me back to a concert by them and Earth, Wind & Fire I attended a few years ago.  I knew that this was the last song of the encore, so every time I hear it, it reminds me of the feeling I had at that moment of "I have to go back out and face the world in a couple minutes," and I really didn't want to, especially that day.  But there wasn't anything more the bands could do about that; the concert took three and a half hours!

[Colleenna]

On 3/27/2020 at 5:24 AM, KWalkerInc said:

It doesn't make me cry, but I just get this feeling of dread every time I hear the opening notes of "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago.  It takes me back to a concert by them and Earth, Wind & Fire I attended a few years ago.  I knew that this was the last song of the encore, so every time I hear it, it reminds me of the feeling I had at that moment of "I have to go back out and face the world in a couple minutes," and I really didn't want to, especially that day.  But there wasn't anything more the bands could do about that; the concert took three and a half hours!

I'm not  much of a crier (although  more so now  that I'm  older) but these are guaranteed to  have me blubbering:

The aforementioned  Dan Fogelberg  song 

Michael  McDonald's  I Can Let Go Now

Jim Croce Photographs and  Memories 

Bonnie Raitt I Can't  Make You  Love  Me 

Bob Seger Against the  Wind

 

[KWalkerInc]

At the beginning of "Mickey's Monkey" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Smokey asks, "Is everybody ready?" and a bunch of people respond enthusiastically.  There is one guy who then yells, "SMOKEY!" just a little too late after everyone else has quieted down.  It cracks me up every time for some reason.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

 

[Kjharrison]

Little One by Highly Suspect. 😢

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

OMG, the ladies loved____ this song back then.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

One of the greatest boy bands ever.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

 

[KWalkerInc]

A song that makes me laugh is "Tramp" by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.  Throughout the song, she is dismissing him as being "country" and claiming he has no money no matter what he says in response.  I like the part at the end when she scoffs that he can't buy her a mink and he says, "I can buy you mink, rat, frog, squirrel, rabbit, anything you like!"

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Rock it Kim !

[Blergh]

Johnny Cash's The Hurt.

 I defy anyone listening to it not to bawl worse than at an Old Yeller marathon!  I can't help but think he (as usual) not only lived/believed every single syllable he was singing but also this was his and the silent  but devastated June's swansong to their loved ones and fans!