Breakup songs

[wilson]

are a really goos rock and roll sub-genre. They have been discussed at some length around these parts, but have never been given their own thread. I have been listening to a fair amount of them lately, and I feel that there are essentially three types of breakup songs: Heartache songs, drinking songs, and [screw] you songs. Many of my favorites are Bob Dylan songs, most notably 'Positively 4th Street' and 'Just Like a Woman'. I also really like the Allman Brothers' 'Whipping Post' and Jimmy Buffett's 'If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me'.

Your faves?

[EarlJam]

are a really goos rock and roll sub-genre. They have been discussed at some length around these parts, but have never been given their own thread. I have been listening to a fair amount of them lately, and I feel that there are essentially three types of breakup songs: Heartache songs, drinking songs, and [screw] you songs. Many of my favorites are Bob Dylan songs, most notably 'Positively 4th Street' and 'Just Like a Woman'. I also really like the Allman Brothers' 'Whipping Post' and Jimmy Buffett's 'If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me'.

Your faves?

Not really a break-up song but one I like that relates: "Workin' on a Broken Man" by the Old 97s.

-EJ

[EarlJam]

Oh, man. Wilson, you must listen to Fountains of Wayne's "These Days."

Great song for "the mood."

-EJ

[2535Miles]

Both of mine are by Tom Waits
"Martha" - deals more with the aftermath of a break up.
"Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards)" Here are the lyrics, but you owe it to yourself to download the song from iTunes (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=285283146&id=285283129&s=143441):


I'm singing this song, it's time it was sung
I've been putting it off for a while,
But it's harder by now, 'cause the truth is so clear
That I cry when I'm seeing you smile.
So goodbye, so long, the road calls me dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore,
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone.

Every time that I tried to tell that we'd lost the magic we had at the start,
I would weep my heart when I looked in your eyes
And I searched once again for the spark.
So goodbye, so long, the road calls me dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore,
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone.

I can see by your eyes, it's time now to go
So I'll leave you to cry in the rain,
Though I held in my hand, the key to all joy
Honey my heart was not born to be tamed.
So goodbye, so long, the road calls me dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore,
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone.

So goodbye, so long, the road calls me dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore,
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone.
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone, can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone.

[TillyGalore]

I have two favs. One, "Here come those tears again" by Jackson Browne


Here come those tears again
Just when I was getting over you
Just when I was going to make it through
Another night without missing you
Thinking I might just be strong enough after all
When I hear your footsteps echoing in the hall

Baby here we stand again
Like weve been so many times before
Even though you looked so sure
As I was watching you walking out my door
But you always walk back in like you did today
Acting like you never even went away

Well I dont know if I can
Open up and let you in baby
Here come those tears
Here come those tears again

I can hear you telling me
How you needed to be free
And you had some things to work out alone
Now youre standing here telling me
How you have grown

Here come those tears again
Now youll tell me how to hold them in
Here come those tears
Here come those tears again

Some other time baby
When Im strong and feeling fine maybe
When I can look at you without crying
You might look like a friend of mine
But I dont know if I can
Open up enough to let you in
Here come those tears
Here come those tears again
Just walk away
Im going back inside and turning out those light
And Ill be in the dark but youll be out of sight

The other, Carly Simon's "You have to hurt"


“I'm in love with him”, she said
With all the innocence of tender years
But somewhere down the road ahead
I could see the same eyes
Filled with bitter tears
I had the inclination
To tell her not to drop her guard
To tell her that life can be hard
But I didn't have the heart

(Chorus)
You have to hurt - to understand
You have to get by the best you can
Until you hurt - until you cry
You won't know about love
And the reason you're alive
You have to hurt

She said, “I know he'll never leave me
I never felt it deep inside like this before”
It was good to see her, believe me
But I couldn't stand to hear this anymore

All that expectation
Too naive to really see
Maybe she knew better than me
It was better just to let her be

(Chorus)

Little sister, you're so sweet
Thinking love runs smooth
You don't know the half of it
We laugh until we lose
There's no way around it

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Perhaps the best "screw you" song ever...

Ben Folds Five - Song for the Dumped

[Lavabe]

J Geils Band: Love Stinks
Green Day: Good Riddance
Eagles: Already Gone

[rasputin]

There's another Dylan entry: Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

Does Two Out of Three Ain't Bad count?

[hurleyfor3]

I was gonna mention that Green Day one.

Also "Black" by Pearl Jam.

[2535Miles]

I was gonna mention that Green Day one.

Also "Black" by Pearl Jam.
Oh yeah, great song! I think the best on that album.

"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life,
I know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky, but why
Why, why can't it be, why can't it be mine"

[EarlJam]

Perhaps the best "screw you" song ever...

Ben Folds Five - Song for the Dumped

Yes. I love that song! Was trying to think of it last night.

"...and give me back my black T-Shirt!"

-EJ

[greybeard]

Leonard Cohen: That's No Way to Say Goodbye
Cascades: Rhythm of the Rain, the whole freakin album just about
Blood, Sweat and Tears: Without Her, and ditto re: album, Child Is
the Father of Man
Betty Everett: You're No Good

and, from Syracuse NY in 1967, my own personal fav
Otis and the All Night Workers: Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket (but only if you really want to rock 'n roll) :)

[blazindw]

Don't forget Eamon's song "I Don't Want You Back". Released around Valentine's Day a few years ago...rocketed to #1 in the charts.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

I Will Survive... the Cake version!

[willywoody]

about any Ryan Adams' song is a good breakup song but Come Pick Me Up and Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart are two I really like.

[micah75]

Roy Orbison: In Dreams
Patsy Cline: She's Got You
Englebert Humperdink: There Goes My Everything
Eddie Arnold: Make the World Go Away

[devildeac]

Best title ever (well, maybe):

You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw

[rthomas]

I'm sitting alone on a Saturday night, watching the late, late show
A bottle of wine, some cigarettes, I got no place to go
Well I saw your other man today, he was wearing my brand new shoes
And I'm down to seeds and stems again too

Well I met my old friend Bob today, from up in Bowling Green
He had the prettiest little gal, that I'd ever seen
But I couldn't hide my tears at all, 'cause she looked just like you
And I'm down to seeds and stems again too

Now everybody tells me, that there's other ways to get high
They don't seem to understand, I'm too far gone to try
Now these lonely memories, there all that I can do
And I'm down to seeds and stems again too

Oh, my dog died just yesterday, left me all alone
The finance company dropped by today, and repossessed my home
That's just a drop in the bucket, compared to losing you
And I'm down to seeds and stems again too
Got the down to seeds and stems again blues

[Turk]

This is one for the guys - possibly the most bitter breakup song I have ever heard... The Nails "The Things You Left Behind"


A pair of stockings, a pair of shoes
A record by The Moody Blues
A bottle of Chanel No. 5
A poster of a band called Dead or Alive
A silk negligee and a black garter belt
A book about how to get to know yourself
A shirt you adopted used to be mine
These are some of the things you left behind

Paintings painted by a man you knew,
someone you dated in '82
An autographed picture of Junior Wells
I didn't even know you liked soul that well
Three pieces of paper with cryptic notes
Cigarettes you never smoked
A bag of beads and fishing line
These are some of the things you left behind

A dozen contraceptive sponges
Anyone here got a rhyme for sponges?
Dental floss, some baby powder
Fourteen cans of clam chowder
Forgot how much you liked that stuff
Sex and clams you couldn't get enough
Your driver's license in '79
These are some of the things you left behind

A pack of rusty razor blades
You threatened to use those things one day
A nickel bag of Mexican pot
You bought downtown in a parking lot
A wedding band... Where'd that come from?
Forget to tell me about someone?
A bottle of cheap Italian wine
These are some of the things you left behind

A ticket stub to a Broadway play
A button saying "Make My Day"
A broken mirror with a lipstick smear
A telephone number where the name's unclear
Two pressed roses in a blank paged book
Containing all the notes that you never took
A Valentine card saying "Please Be Mine"
These are some of the things you left behind

A rosary, some holy cards
A photo of your daddy's Brooklyn bar
A list of possible job interviews
A list I guess you chose not to use
A glassine bag with a printed skull
I didn't know things had gotten that dull
A note on the door, one word, "Goodbye"
These are some of the things you left behind

<spoken over distorted jam>
A pair of stockings
A garter belt
An autographed picture of Junior Wells
Cigarettes
Dental floss
Clam chowder
A razor blade
Wedding band
Broken mirror with a lipstick smear
A valentine card
A rosary
A glassine bag
Heroin? Oh s***, not heroin
One word, tacked up on my door
One word...

"Goodbye"

[EarlJam]

Best title ever (well, maybe):

You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw

That's hilarious! A real song??

-EJ

[Highlander]

I had a roommate who listened to "Nobody knows it but me" nonstop one time, so that one kind of sticks out.

Country has some of the greatest IMO for either 'I'm down in the dumps' or 'catch you later, alligator:'

"Little Goodbyes" - SheDaisy
"Friends in Low Places" - Garth Brooks (with the live last verse)
"Goodbye Earl" - Dixie Chicks
"How do you like me now?" - Toby Keith

And my personal favorite:

"That ain't my Truck" - Rhett Akins


That ain't my truck in her drive.
Man this ain't my day tonight.
Looks like she's in love and I'm outta luck.

That ain't my shadow on the wall.
Lord this don't look good at all.
That's my girl, my whole world, but that ain't my truck

[greybeard]

Why'd she have to go, I don't know
She wouldn't say . . . .

People say I'm the life of the party,
Cause I tell a joke or two . . . .

You don't remember me, but I remember you,
Twas not so long ago, you broke my heart in two . . .

No one told me about her, the way she lied,
No one told me about her, how many people cried.
It's too late to say you're sorry, how would I know,
Why should I care.
Please don't bother tryin to find her, . . . .

Well if you're baby leaves you, and you need a place to dwell,
Just take a walk down lonely street to . . . .

I was alright, for a while, I could try, for a while,
But then I saw you last night, . . . .

I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought . . . .

Our guardian star, lost all its glow, the moment I lost you.
He lost all its glitter the day you said no, and it's silver, turned to blue.
Like him, I am doubtful, that you're love is true,
But, if you should . . . .

Name that tune in __ notes.

[2535Miles]

Why'd she have to go, I don't know
She wouldn't say . . . .

People say I'm the life of the party,
Cause I tell a joke or two . . . .

You don't remember me, but I remember you,
Twas not so long ago, you broke my heart in two . . .

No one told me about her, the way she lied,
No one told me about her, how many people cried.
It's too late to say you're sorry, how would I know,
Why should I care.
Please don't bother tryin to find her, . . . .

Well if you're baby leaves you, and you need a place to dwell,
Just take a walk down lonely street to . . . .

I was alright, for a while, I could try, for a while,
But then I saw you last night, . . . .

I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought . . . .

Our guardian star, lost all its glow, the moment I lost you.
He lost all its glitter the day you said no, and it's silver, turned to blue.
Like him, I am doubtful, that you're love is true,
But, if you should . . . .

Name that tune in __ notes.
Tracks of my Tears By Smokey Robinson and the Miracles?

[wilson]

A few more good ones:

"The Other Shoe," The Old 97s

The next two, in my estimation, are so good and yet so haunting that you can't listen to them right away after a breakup. Both masterpieces:
"It Makes No Difference," The Band
"Looks Like Rain," The Grateful Dead

And although I am not a fan of their later stuff at all,
"Break Your Heart," Barenaked Ladies

[wilson]

Lots and lots of good Hank Williams ones too. "Cold, Cold Heart" is probably my favorite.

[TwoDukeTattoos]

The entire Tunnel of Love album by Bruce Springsteen. And of these, the greatest song by far is "Tougher Than The Rest". Here is a kick-butt link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn6-KDZpFt8

[greybeard]

Tracks of my Tears By Smokey Robinson and the Miracles?

1. Yesterday, Beatles
2. You got it.
3. Tears on my Pillow, Little Anthony and the Imperials
4. She's Not There, Zombies (good tune, really good)
5. Heartbreak Hotel, Elvis
6. Crying, Roy O
7. Fire and Rain, James Taylor
8. Mr. Blue, ?

Whoever mentioned the Dylan song, "Don't Think Twice," good get!

[2535Miles]

1. Yesterday, Beatles
2. You got it.
3. Tears on my Pillow, Little Anthony and the Imperials
4. She's Not There, Zombies (good tune, really good)
5. Heartbreak Hotel, Elvis
6. Crying, Roy O
7. Fire and Rain, James Taylor
8. Mr. Blue, ?

Whoever mentioned the Dylan song, "Don't Think Twice," good get!
Whoa weird. I just now got it. When I saw your original post my eyes gravitated towards the Smokey line, and I just assumed you the rest of your post contained the rest of your lyrics. I suck. Your original post is much cooler now.

[devildeac]

That's hilarious! A real song??

-EJ

Yep. I knew it from Spooky Tooth, rock/roll band from the early 70's (IIRC) and a C/W ditty by Michael Rayburn.

[Turk]

The entire Tunnel of Love album by Bruce Springsteen. And of these, the greatest song by far is "Tougher Than The Rest". Here is a kick-butt link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn6-KDZpFt8

Good call on both counts - Tunnel of Love was his divorce record and very underrated IMHO. But my fave is "One Step Up and Two Steps Back"...

[2535Miles]

Great idea to post youtube links for songs, they're free!
Here's Martha (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBtlmdV_ZLY) and here's Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTw8r_PrDsM) by Tom Waits

[TillyGalore]

Ooo, just thought of this one, Goodbye to you by Patty Smyth and Scandal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAKyHhuw1HA

[EarlJam]

"I Used to Love Her, but I had to Kill Her."

Guns N' Roses (circa, '90?)

-EarlJam

[2535Miles]

"I Used to Love Her, but I had to Kill Her."

Guns N' Roses (circa, '90?)

-EarlJam
1988 my friend. Nineteenfreakingeightyeight.