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{{trope}}
One thing that writers of [[Silly Love Songs]] don't like to mention is that love usually ''doesn't'' last forever. People break up all the time, and when someone writes a song about it, it's called a [[Break Up Song]]. Although not as omnipresent as [[Silly Love Songs]], if you turn on a radio station and listen for a while, there's a good chance that you'll hear a [[Break Up Song]] or two mixed in with the endless stream of [[Silly Love Songs]] you hear. Many times it emerges from [[Creator Breakdown|the songwriter coming from a breakup himself.]]▼
 
▲One thing that writers of [[Silly Love Songs]] don't like to mention is that love usually ''doesn't'' last forever. People break up all the time, and when someone writes a song about it, it's called a [['''Break Up Song]]'''. Although not as omnipresent as [[Silly Love Songs]], if you turn on a radio station and listen for a while, there's a good chance that you'll hear a [['''Break Up Song]]''' or two mixed in with the endless stream of [[Silly Love Songs]] you hear. Many times it emerges from [[Creator Breakdown|the songwriter coming from a breakup himself.]]
Breakups inspire all different kinds of emotions in people, so there's a lot of variety among Breakup Songs. Songs written from the perspective of someone who has been dumped tend to be different from songs written from the perspective of the person doing the dumping. Please sort examples by the general category they fit into. ▼
 
▲Breakups inspire all different kinds of emotions in people, so there's a lot of variety among Breakup Songs. Songs written from the perspective of someone who has been dumped tend to be different from songs written from the perspective of the person doing the dumping. Please sort examples by the general category they fit into.
 
Compare [[Anti-Love Song]]. Contrast [[Silly Love Songs]].
 
{{examples}}
=== Needing sorting: ===▼
 
* [[Beck (Musicmusician)|Beck]] - pretty much the whole of the ''Sea Change'' album.▼
▲=== Needing sorting: ===
* [[Chely Wright (Music)|Chely Wright]] - "Shut Up And Drive"▼
 
* [[George Strait (Music)|George Strait]] - "Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye"▼
▲* [[Beck (Music)|Beck]] - pretty much the whole of the ''Sea Change'' album.
▲* [[Chely Wright (Music)|Chely Wright]] - "Shut Up And Drive"
▲* [[George Strait (Music)|George Strait]] - "Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye"
* Aly & AJ - "Potential Breakup Song"
** A pretty [[Genre Savvy]] version, especially with lyrics like "This is the potential breakup song: our album needs just one".
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* Air Supply - "Goodbye"
* Honestly - "This Is Goodbye"
* [[The Veronicas (Music)|The Veronicas]] - This is How It Feels
* Brian May - "Too Much Love Will Kill You" ("Torn between the lover/and the love you leave behind.")
* Claude Demetrius - "Mean Woman Blues". The [[Covered Up|most popular]] version was sung by Roy Orbison.
* [[Van Derder Graaf Generator (Music)|Peter Hammill]]'s solo album ''Over'' deserves a special mention. The album was written in response to his girlfriend running off with (and probably even marrying) his best friend, and so all the songs on the album (with the notable exception of "Autumn") are about how he deals with it. A consequence of this is that the album is so claustrophobic and sparse that anyone who has suffered a breakup will find the album an emotionally harrowing listen.
* [[ABBA (Music)|ABBA]] - "The Winner Takes It All", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "One of Us", "When All Is Said And Done", and likely many other ones, too.
* [[Rainbow (Musicband)|Rainbow]] - "Since You've Been Gone" (actually by Russ Ballard, this is also a case of [[Covered Up]]).
** Presumably not to be confused with the [[Weird Al]] parody [[Break Up Song]] of the same title
* [[The Moody Blues (Music)|The Moody Blues]] - "Go Now"
* Napoleon XIV - "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha Haa" (a parody, naturally. {{spoiler|It was his dog that broke up with him.}})
* 2Gether - The Hardest Part of Breaking Up (Is Getting Back Your Stuff) is a rather, shall we say, "unusual" take on the subject.
* [[They Might Be Giants (Musicband)|They Might Be Giants]] have done a few of these, including "They'll Need A Crane", "Narrow Your Eyes", and "Broke in Two".
* The entirety of [[Bowling for Soup (Music)|Bowling for Soup]]'s album: A Hangover You Don't Deserve (except "1985") details a break-up, either one specific break-up or a variety of them. Special note to - "Ohio" a come-back to me song where the band says the entire state of Texas would rather have the girl in Texas than Ohio; "Down For The Count" where the guy's 'guard goes up and [he's] fighting dirty;" and "Next Ex-Girlfriend" where the singer just wants a quick rebound to get over his past love.
* The entirety of the Del Amitri album "Change Everything".
* American Hi-Fi's [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|The Breakup Song]] and SR-71's Mosquito are two of the nastiest, and funniest examples. Not sure which folder they belong in.
* [[Leonard Cohen (Music)|Leonard Cohen]] - Coming Back to You; Ain't No Cure for Love; Ain't No Cure for love
* Hedley - "She's So Sorry"
* [[Joy Division (Music)|Joy Division]] - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
* [[Pink (Music)|PinkP!nk]] - "Funhouse"
* [[Queen (Music)|Queen]] - "Love of My Life"
* [[Blur (Musicband)|Blur]]- Most of the "13" album
* The musical show [[Total Drama Island (Animation)|Total Drama World Tour]] has a song by the character Sierra called 'Oui, my Friends,' where she sings about a boy who she thought loved her, but she finds out he didn't love her at all, and proceeds to sing about how all boys are just out to get girls and use them. (Or as she puts it, 'Break your heart and chew it up and spit it out and step on it and throw it down a sewer, call it names, and then, laugh!')
* Keyshia Cole - "I Should Have Cheated" A song where the singer states that she should of cheated on her boyfriend after the multiple times he accused her of doing so, which he has been suspected of as well.
* Khonnor's "An Ape Is Loose" [[Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory|can be interpreted]] to concern the singer instigating a breakup with a popular girl or celebrity.
* [[Katy Perry (Music)|Katy Perry]]'s "Circle The Drain" is about her breakup with the drug-addicted Travis McCoy.
** And her latest single, "Part of Me", was recorded in the aftermath of the dissolution of her marriage to [[Russell Brand]]. Take a guess on what it's about. Go on!
* Most of [[Fall Out Boy (Music)|Fall Out Boy]]'s earlier material consists of songs that fall into at least one of these categories. Examples include [[Anti-Christmas Song|"Yule Shoot Your Eye Out"]], where the singer spitefully tells his ex what she should do for Crhistmas and new Year's, and "Tell That Mick He Just Made My List Of Things To Do Today," where he basically tells her he hates her for breaking up with him for another guy and tells her to "stop burning bridges / and drive off of them / so I can forget about you"
* [[Escape the Fate (Music)|Escape the Fate]]'s "Let It Go" consists of the singer asking himself if he lets his girl go, since she's not his to own, would the emotional scars and trauma she's inflicted go away or remain.
* [[Vanessa Carlton (Music)|Vanessa Carlton]]'s "Carousel" is an unusual example. It's a third-person song advising people who've broken up not to dwell on it and to move on.
 
== Relationship breakup ==
* [[Bob Dylan (Music)|Bob Dylan]] - pretty much the entirety of his mid-70's album ''Blood on the Tracks''.
* The [[Theme Song]] to ''[[Dear John (British series)|Dear John]]''
* The Academy Is... - "Everything We Had"
* ''[[The Wedding Singer]]'' has an unfinished [[Break Up Song]] he wrote after his girlfriend cheated on him the night before their wedding.
* Neil Sedaka - "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
* Annie Lennox - "Walking On Broken Glass"
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* ABC - "Poison Arrow"
** Virtually the entire ''Lexicon of Love'' album is a flavour of this.
* [[A-ha (Music)|A-ha]] - "Crying in the Rain"
* Catatonia - 'Blues Song'
* Dannii Minogue - "It Won't Work Out"
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* The Flirts - "Jukebox"
* Johnny Logan - "Hold Me Now"
* [[Kylie Minogue (Music)|Kylie Minogue]] - "Where Has The Love Gone?" and "So Now Goodbye"
* Olivia Newton-John - "Please Mister Please"
* [[Taylor Swift (Music)|Taylor Swift]] - "Breathe"
* [[Phil Collins (Music)|Phil Collins]] - "Against All Odds" and "In The Air Tonight"
* The Nails had two:
** "88 Lines About 44 Women" was about all the women the singer had slept with and/or had relationships with
** "These are the Things You Left Behind" is about all the stuff still in the singer's house after the departure of the girlfriend.
* [[The Monkees (Musicband)|The Monkees]] - "She"
* [[No Doubt (Music)|No Doubt]] - "Don't Speak"
** ''Tragic Kingdom'' may very well count as a break-up album. Most of the songs on there were written after Gwen Stefani's break-up with the bassist (see also: Hey You, Sunday Morning, Happy Now?)
* [[Angels and Airwaves (Music)|Angels and Airwaves]] - "It Hurts"
* [[The Police (Music)|The Police]] - [[Lyrical Dissonance|"Can't Stand Losing You"]]. Also, "Someone To Talk To" (''But I fucked it up and now it's too late'').
* [[Skyclad (Music)|Skyclad]] - "You Lost My Memory"
* [[Apocalyptica (Music)|Apocalyptica]] - "I Don't Care"
* Tara's side of "Under Your Spell/Standing Reprise" in the musical episode of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''.
* [[The Veronicas (Music)|The Veronicas]]- "Leave Me Alone" "In Another Life"
* [[The Corrs (Music)|The Corrs]] - "Goodbye"
* Roxette - "It Must Have Been Love" - the breakup theme from [[Pretty Woman]], written by Per Gessle
* [[The Cure (Music)|The Cure]] "Boys Don't Cry" and "The End of the World"
* The Swell Season - "Lies"
* [[Robyn (Music)|Robyn]] - "With Every Heartbeat"
* [[Relient K (Music)|Relient K]] - "This is the End (If You Want It)"
* [[Music/The Dresden Dolls|The Dresden Dolls]] - "The Jeep Song"
* [[Sia (Music)|Sia]] - "The Girl You Lost To Cocaine"
* [[Pet Shop Boys (Music)|Pet Shop Boys]] - "Love Is A Catastrophe"
* The Bouncing Souls - "Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)"
* [[The Beatles (Musicband)|The Beatles]] - "For No One"
* [["Weird Al" Yankovic (Music)|Weird Al Yankovic]] - "One More Minute". Oddly enough, this is a completely straight example, despite being a Weird Al song; he wrote it to help himself through an ''actual'' breakup.
** It's not completely straight, since it's set to the tune of a slow dance and the lyrics are turned [[Up to Eleven]]. Weird Al also had "You Don't Love Me Anymore", which is definitely ''not'' a straight example.
** He also did "Since You've Been Gone", which starts out sounding like a straight depressing breakup song (albeit comparing his lovers absence to several outlandishly painful and masochistic acts). This being Weird Al, there's of course a twist at the end.
* Carole King - "It's Too Late" (also covered by Gloria Estefan)
* [[Aerosmith (Music)|Aerosmith]] - "What It Takes" and "Hole in My Soul".
* Keyshia Cole - "I Changed My Mind", "(I Just Want It) To Be Over"
* [[Taylor Swift (Music)|Taylor Swift]] - "Tim [[Mc Graw]]McGraw"
* Epica - Never Enough
* [[Keith Urban (Music)|Keith Urban]] - "You'll Think Of Me"
* Martina McBride - "When Love is Gone", from ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]''.
* The Greg Kihn Band - "The Break-Up Song (They Don't Write 'Em)"
* [[Edguy (Music)|Edguy]] - "Trinidad", effectively "you don't give me respect because you're taller than me, so I moved to Trinidad without telling you."
* [[The Crystalline Effect (Music)|The Crystalline Effect]]- "Poetry"
* Anneliese van der Pol - "Cute Boys with Short Haircuts", from the musical of ''Vanities''
* OneRepublic: "Apologize"
** Also covered by Silverstein
* [[Justin Timberlake (Music)|Justin Timberlake]] - "What Goes Around..."
** Also covered by Alesana
* Hoobastank - "I Don't Think I Love You"
* [[Journey (Musicband)|Journey]] - "Separate Ways"
* [[David Bowie (Music)|David Bowie]] - "Something in the Air."
* All-American Rejects - "It Ends Tonight"
* [[Space (Music)|Space]] - 'There's No You', 'Begin Again'
* [[The Veronicas (Music)|The Veronicas]] - "In Another Life"
* [[Delta Goodrem (Music)|Delta Goodrem]] - "Not Me Not I"
* [[Ben Folds (Music)|Ben Folds]] - "Song for the Dumped", which has become an anthem for mishandled breakups.
* [[Nick Cave (Music)|Nick Cave]], being a bit broody, is partial to these. "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?" and "It Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore" are two of the lighter, happier example. Note that this is not a joke: they get darker.
* No Light, No Light - [[Florence and+ The Machine (Music)|Florence and Thethe Machine]]
* "Leave" by [[Jojo (Music)|Jojo]]
* [[Adele (Music)|Adele]]'s album ''21'' is all about these (thanks to her going through a rough breakup) and various songs can be found on the folders. It was the album that brust her into the United States charts and several songs have become HUGE hits.
* [[Selena Gomez (Music)|Selena Gomez]] - "Middle of Nowhere"
* Vanessa da Mata/Ben Harper - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSTWcsU91ZY "Boa Sorte (Good Luck)"]
* Commodores - "Easy"
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== Warning others about the ex ==
* [[Cee Lo Green (Music)|Cee Lo Green]]'s "Fuck You"-- which—which also has some "I Want You Back" elements.
* Dion - "Runaround Sue"
* [[Carrie Underwood (Music)|Carrie Underwood]] - "Cowboy Casanova", "Good Girl"
* E-Rotic - "Max Don't Have Sex With Your Ex"
* Elastica - Stutter (Unlike most of these, this one isn't about the ex's personality, it's about his "performance")
* Frankie Valli - "Walk Like A Man"
* Tony! Toni! Tonè!- My Ex-Girlfriend Is A Hoe
* [[Paula Abdul (Music)|Paula Abdul]] - "Cold Hearted"
* Toni Braxton - "He Wasn't Man Enough"
* [[The Zombies (Music)|The Zombies]] - ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cYdH46HqpE Tell Her No]'', the main message of which boils down to "She said she loved me too"
* Måns Zelmerlöw - "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOvzuTbghFo Brother Oh Brother]", where the singer's brother gets together with the singer's ex
* [[Three Days Grace (Music)|Three Days Grace]] - "Last To Know" starts out with the singer wanting the girl who cheated then dumped him back, but when the electric guitar kicks in halfway through the song, he switches to warning her new boyfriend that when she leaves him for dead, he too will be the last to know.
* [[The Beach Boys (Music)|The Beach Boys]] - "Here Today"
* [[Phil Collins (Music)|Phil Collins]] and [[Earth, Wind and& Fire (Music)|Philip Bailey]] - "Easy Lover"
* Usher - "You Make Me Wanna"
* Bel Biv Devoe - "Poison", which warns to never trust a big butt and a smile
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* Coal Chamber - "Friend"
* [[Green Day]] - "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
* [[Pokémon (Animeanime)|Pokémon]] - "The Time Has Come (Pikachu's Goodbye)"
* "Hard To Say Goodbye, My Love" from ''[[Dreamgirls]]'', since the Dreams sing it when they're about to disband.
* [[Ozzy Osbourne (Music)|Ozzy Osbourne]] - "Goodbye To Romance" (The booklet for the ''Blizzard of Ozz'' rerelease says Ozzy wrote it about his departure from [[Black Sabbath (Music)|Black Sabbath]].)
* [[Starflyer 59 (Music)|Starflyer 59]]'s ''Gold'' was almost an entire album of breakup songs of this type.
* [[Simon and Garfunkel (Music)|Simon and Garfunkel]]'s "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" is a very thinly-veiled farewell from Paul to Artie. ("All of the nights we harmonized till dawn...")
* ''Vanities'' - "Friendship Isn't What it Used to Be"
* [[Nick Cave (Music)|Nick Cave]] and the Bad Seeds saw off their long-time guitarist, Blixa Bargeld, with "The Fable of the Brown Ape"...which...let's just say there's reason to assume it wasn't a smooth transition.
* [[Taking Back Sunday (Music)|Taking Back Sunday]]- "There's No 'I' In Team"
 
 
== Please Don't Go / I want you back / I wish we were still in love ==
* [[Adele (Music)|Adele]] - "Rolling In the Deep"
** [[Woman Scorned|Despite that it's not a pathetic as it seems.]] As [[Todd in Thethe Shadows|Todd]] said, "It's a song to load ammo too. It's the kind of breakup song that preceeds a serious ass-kicking."
* Alejandro Fernández - "Si Tú No Vuelves," "Pájaro Perdido"
* Basshunter - "Now You're Gone," "All I Ever Wanted," "I Miss You," "Please Don't Go," "Camila" ([[What Song Was This Again?|but only the English version]])
* [[Bloc Party (Music)|Bloc Party]] - "Like Eating Glass"
* Boyz II Men - "Please Don't Go," "End of the Road," "On Bended Knee"
* [[Brave Saint Saturn (Music)|Brave Saint Saturn]]: "Binary"
* [[Cascada (Music)|Cascada]] - "Miracle", "One More Night", and "Love Again"
* [[Cher (Music)|Cher]] - "If I Could Turn Back Time"
* [[Chicago (Musicband)|Chicago]] - "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," "If You Leave Me Now", "Hard Habit to Break"
* [[The Corrs (Music)|The Corrs]] - "Radio," "Long Night," "Old Town," "Give Me A Reason," ...suffice it to say, they like this one.
* Crystal Gayle - "You Never Miss a Real Good Thing ('Til He Says Goodbye)"
* Dannii Minogue - "I Don't Wanna Take This Pain", "So Hard To Forget", "Kiss And Make Up", and "I Begin To Wonder"
* Debbie Gibson - "Foolish Beat"
* Deep Blue Something - "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
* Dierks Bentley - "Settle for a Slowdown" (although in the end he resigns himself to her leaving, and only wishes she would show some sorrow over it)
* Most songs by Double You. [[Lyrical Dissonance|Dissonantly]], their music style is bouncy Eurodance.
* [[Foo Fighters (Music)|Foo Fighters]] - "Walking After You"
* [[Frou Frou (Music)|Frou Frou]]- ''Hear Me Out''
* Gloria Estefan - "Can't Forget You"
* [[Gotye]] feat. [[Kimbra]] - "Somebody That I Used To Know" is arguably a [[deconstruction]]. It seems like a song in this vein, but then in the second part we hear the perspective of the ex and it could, from her angle, be a "Don't Want You Back" song.
* Ian van Dahl - "Will I" and "Where Are You Now?"
* Jackson Five - "I Want You Back"
Line 187 ⟶ 186:
* Jaya - "If You Leave Me Now"
* Jennifer y Los Jetz - "Contigo Otra Vez," "You Say," Vuelve"
* [[Jessica Simpson (Music)|Jessica Simpson]] - "Where You Are"
* [[Jewel (Music)|Jewel]] - "You Were Meant For Me"
* Jodeci - "Stay", "I'm Still Waiting"
* [[Journey (Musicband)|Journey]] - "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
* KC and the Sunshine Band - "Please Don't Go"
* [[Kelly Clarkson (Music)|Kelly Clarkson]] - "My Life Would Suck Without You"
* [[Kenny Rogers (Music)|Kenny Rogers]] - "Ruby (Don't Take Your Love To Town)"
* Keyshia Cole - "Love"
* [[Kid Rock (Music)|Kid Rock]] & Sheryl Crow - "Picture" (Two ex-lovers both realize they can't live without each other)
* Kumbia Kings - "Con El Tic Tac Del Reloj," "Se Fue Mi Amor," "Why Did You"
* [[Kylie Minogue (Music)|Kylie Minogue]] - "I'll Still Be Loving You", "Hand On Your Heart", "Never Too Late", "Better The Devil You Know", "If You Were With Me Now", "No World Without You", "Where In The World?", "Put Yourself In My Place", "Disco Down", and "Soul On Fire"
* Laura Branigan - "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" (co-written, and later covered, by Michael Bolton) (singer's love for other person apparently unrequited, other person has found love of his/her own life)
* Lifehouse - "Whatever It Takes"
* Luis Fonsi - "Se Supone," "Te Echo De Menos," "Viviendo En El Ayer"
* [[Mariah Carey (Music)|Mariah Carey]] - "Can't Let Go," "Just to Hold You Once Again," "My All", "Love Takes Time", "I Still Believe"
** "Always Be My Baby" is a variant, saying "[[Love Will Lead You Back|I don't mind if you leave, because I know you'll come back]]." Forever is another variant, where she acknowledges the time between them is over but if he ever wants her back then all he has to do is call her back. Butterfly is, yet another, example. Its main message is very similar to Always Be My Baby except it's more, "If you truly love me, you will come back but, until then, I have to set you free."
** Don't Forget About Us and her exceptionally famous We Belong Together definitely do count.
** Candy Bling, Angels Cry and Inseparable off of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel count. H.A.T.E.U. is an odd variant where she wishes for him back, but, at the same time, wishes that she didn't so she can hate him.
* Maroon 5 - "Won't Go Home Without You"
* [[Michael Jackson (Music)|Michael Jackson]] - "She's Out of My Life"
* Mike Mareen - "Don't Leave Me Now". Uses [[Lyrical Dissonance]], setting the breakup lyrics in a dancy Hi-NRG song.
* Mike Posner - "Please Don't Go"
* [[My Brightest Diamond (Music)|My Brightest Diamond]] - "Gone Away".
* No Mercy - "Where Do You Go" and "Please Don't Go"(not a cover)
* NSYNC - "I Drive Myself Crazy," "I Thought She Knew", and of course, "I Want You Back"
Line 215 ⟶ 214:
* Patsy Cline - "Faded Love," "I Fall to Pieces," "She's Got You," "So Wrong", "Crazy"
* Peabo Bryson - "Can You Stop the Rain"
* [[Pet Shop Boys (Music)|Pet Shop Boys]] - "The Way It Used To Be"
** "What Have I Done To Deserve This", for both singers
* [[Prince (Music)|Prince]] - "Nothing Compares 2U" ([[Covered Up|famously sung]] by Sinead O'Connor)
* [[Pink (Music)|PinkP!nk]] - "Please Don't Leave Me"
* Player - "Baby Come Back"
* [[Rascal Flatts (Music)|Rascal Flatts]] / [[Cascada (Music)|Cascada]] - "What Hurts The Most"
* Regina Belle - "Make it Like it Was"
* Robert Knight - "Everlasting Love" (Covered by many, many other performers)
* [[Roy Orbison (Music)|Roy Orbison]] - "Crying"
* [[The Script (Music)|The Script]] - "Break Even"
* [[Selena Gomez (Music)|Selena Gomez]] - "The Way I Loved You", "Ghost of You"
* [[Space (Music)|Space]] - 'Love You More Than Football'
* The Steps - "One for Sorrow" and "Deeper Shade of Blue"
* [[Sonata Arctica (Music)|Sonata Arctica]] - "Tallulah"
* Stevie B. - "Spring Love"
* Steve Winwood - "Valerie" ([[Sampled Up]] by Eric Prydz in "Call on Me")
* Sugar Ray - "When It's Over"
* [[Take That (Musicband)|Take That]] - "Back For Good"
* [[Taylor Swift (Music)|Taylor Swift]]: "Back to December"
* Tiffany - "Could've Been," "Should've Been Me"
* Toni Braxton - "Unbreak My Heart"
* Travis Tritt - "Tell Me I Was Dreaming"
* Trisha Yearwood - "When a Love Song Sings the Blues," "When We Were Still in Love"
* Harry Nilsson - "You're Breakin' My Heart" and "Without You" ([[Covered Up]] by [[Mariah Carey]])
* [[Within Temptation (Music)|Within Temptation]] - "What Have You Done Now" (About two lovers who are [[Foe Yay|also mortal enemies]])
* "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," from ''[[Dreamgirls]]''
* [[The Beatles (Musicband)|The Beatles]] - "Yesterday"
* [[Taylor Swift (Music)|Taylor Swift]] - "Back To December"
* Deborah Cox - "Things Just Ain't The Same", "I Never Knew", and "House Is Not A Home"
* [[Escape the Fate (Music)|Escape the Fate]] - "Harder Than You Know"
* [[The Birthday Massacre (Music)|The Birthday Massacre]] - "To Die For"
* [[The Veronicas (Music)|The Veronicas]] - ''Someone Wake Me Up, Worlds Apart, Don't Say Goodbye, In Another Life, We Are One'' Amongst others..
* [[Delta Goodrem (Music)|Delta Goodrem]] - Lost Without You, I Can't Break It To My Heart.
* [[The Alan Parsons Project (Music)|The Alan Parsons Project]] - "If I Could Change Your Mind"
* [[Florence and+ The Machine (Music)|Florence and Thethe Machine]] - "No Light, No Light"
* [[Hurt (Music)|Hurt]] - "Falls Apart," "On the Radio", "Aftermath" (with shades of a passive [[Obsession Song]])... They like these.
 
 
== We're about to break up because I know you're cheating ==
* [[Hank Williams (Music)|Hank Williams]], Sr. - "Your Cheatin' Heart"
* Ace - "How Long Has This Been Going On"
* Brandy - "Tomorrow"
* [[DestinysDestiny's Child (Music)|Destinys Child]] - "Bills, Bills, Bills" (cheating with her money)
* [[The Who (Music)|The Who]] - "I Can See For Miles (And Miles)"
* Jill Jones - "I Used To Worship The Ground You Walk On" from ''[[Earth Girls Are Easy]]'', which led to a great [[Defenestrate and Berate]] scene.
* Sanford and Townsend - "A Distant Fire"
* [[Carrie Underwood (Music)|Carrie Underwood]] - "Before He Cheats"
* Kelis - <s>[[Refrain From Assuming|"I Hate You So Much Right Now"]]</s> "Caught Out There"
* Theory of a Deadman - "Little Smirk"
* [[The Offspring (Music)|The Offspring]] - "Spare Me The Details"
* Kumbia Kings - "U Don't Love Me"
* [[The Clash (Music)|The Clash]] - "Train in Vain"
* Hey Monday - "How You Love Me Now"
* [[Jojo (Music)|Jojo]] - "Leave (Get Out)"
* [[Garth Brooks (Music)|Garth Brooks]] - "The Thunder Rolls" (particularly extreme example, if you listen to the live version)
* [[Doctor Who Expanded Universe|Fitz Kreiner - "Contains Spoilers"]]<ref>the singer/songwriter time-traveled to the future and discovered the person he thought was his true love ends up with another man.</ref>
* [[Mayday Parade (Music)|Mayday Parade]]'s ''When I get home, You're so dead''
* Showbread's "Check Yes If You Like Me (If You Don't I'll Die)"
* [[Pet Shop Boys (Music)|Pet Shop Boys]] - "So Hard" (''both'' partners are cheating on each other) and "Domino Dancing"
* Joe - "Stutter"
* [[Kesha (Music)|KeshaKe$ha]] - "Kiss 'n' Tell"
* [[Kylie Minogue (Music)|Kylie Minogue]] - "It's No Secret" and "Word Is Out"
* Dannii Minogue - "Mystified"
* [[Girls Generation (Music)|Girls' Generation]] - "Run Devil Run"
* [[Taylor Swift (Music)|Taylor Swift]] - "White Horse", "Should've Said No"
* [[Music/The Like|The Like]] - "Wishing He Was Dead"
* Deborah Cox - "It's Over Now"
* The Band Perry - "You Lie"
* In this case, the singer is the one caught cheating. [[Rihanna (Music)|Rihanna]] - "Unfaithful"
* Simple Plan - "Your Love is Just A Lie"
* [[Taking Back Sunday (Music)|Taking Back Sunday]] - "Cute Without The E (Cut From The Team)"
* [[Panic! Atat the Disco (Music)|Panic At the Disco]] - "Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off"
* [[The Veronicas (Music)|The Veronicas]] - "Revenge Is Sweeter", "Everything I'm Not"
* [[Hurt (Music)|Hurt]] - "Unkind"
* [[Vanessa Amorosi (Music)|Vanessa Amorosi]] - "Sleep With That".
* [[The Byrds (Music)|The Byrds]] - "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better"
* [[Mariah Carey (Music)|Mariah Carey]] - Standing O, It's A Wrap, and Betcha Gon Know from Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel count. Shake It Off from Emancipation of Mimi counts too.
 
 
== You Cheated On Me So I'm Ruining Your Stuff ==
* Jazmine Sullivan- "Bust Your Windows"
* [[Carrie Underwood (Music)|Carrie Underwood]]- "Before He Cheats"
* Blackhawk - "Goodbye Says It All" (except it's the narrator commenting on '''his partner''' having ruined '''his''' stuff)
* Blu Cantrell - "Hit'em up Style (Oops)"
* Bowling For Soup - "Two Seater"
* Theory of a Deadman - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHUdLyshWfI "Little Smirk"]
* [[Garbage (Music)|Garbage]] - "Vow" (actually, not so much the lover's stuff as the lover himself... it's [[Yandere]] overdrive)
* [[Victoria Dawn Justice]] - "Begging on Your Knees". Also has elements of the warning others type.
* [[Space (Music)|Space]] - 'Now She's Gone' (not so much breaking the woman's stuff as ''spiking her food with cyanide'')
* [[The Veronicas (Music)|The Veronicas]] - "Revenge Is Sweeter"
* In the video for [[Shakira]]'s "Don't Bother", she sends her bf's Ford Mustang to the crusher.
* [[Vanessa Amorosi (Music)|Vanessa Amorosi]]- "I Thought We'd Stay Together.", "Sleep With That".
* "The Ground You Walk On" from the film ''[[Earth Girls Are Easy]]'', sung by [[Geena Davis]] as she systematically demolishes everything owned by her (former) boyfriend.
 
 
== Teetering on the brink of a breakup ==
* [[Ace of Base (Music)|Ace of Base]] - "Don't Turn Around"
* Olivia Newton-John - "Hopelessly Devoted To You"
** Reprised in ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'' by Olive Snook, who knows it isn't presently working out but harbors hopes for the future.
* Olivia Newton-John - "Suspended in Time", from ''[[Xanadu (Film)|Xanadu]]''
* [[Electric Light Orchestra (Music)|ELO]] - "The Fall", from ''[[Xanadu (Film)|Xanadu]]''
* Sort of inverted in ''Heaven Help my Heart'' in [[Chess (Theatretheatre)|Chess]]. The singer enters a relationship knowing that it will end with the guy leaving her despite all that's she's done and how much he loves her.
* [[Beyonce (Music)|BeyonceBeyoncé]] - "Ring the Alarm"
* [[Taylor Swift (Music)|Taylor Swift]]: "The Story of Us"
* Jazmine Sullivan - "My Foolish Heart"
* [[Paul Simon (Music)|Paul Simon]]'s ''50 Ways To Leave Your Lover'' and ''Overs''. Paul describes the latter as being 'about that point in a relationship where you both know it's going nowhere'.
* Debbie Gibson - "Goodbye," "How Can This Be?"
* [[Mariah Carey (Music)|Mariah Carey]] - "I Don't Wanna Cry," "If It's Over", "Forever" could be interpreted like this but the more common interpretation is listed above.
* NSYNC - "Tearin' Up My Heart"
* Patsy Cline - "Leavin' On Your Mind"
Line 329 ⟶ 327:
* Luis Fonsi - "Te Vas"
* Emilio Navaira - "Lo Dice Tu Mirada"
* [[Pearl Jam (Music)|Pearl Jam]] - "Parting Ways"
** "...She knows their future's burning, but she can smile just the same..."
* John Mayer - "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"
* Orianthi - "According to You"
* [[Havalina Rail Co (Music).|Havalina Rail Co]]: For the [[Concept Album]] ''Space, Love, & Bullfighting'', the Love theme is entirely about a relationship on the brink.
* The Cardigans, "My Favourite Game"
* [[Celine Dion (Music)|Celine Dion]] - "Think Twice"
* [[Huey Lewis and The News (Music)|Huey Lewis and Thethe News]] - "If This Is It"
** "Girl, don't lie and tell me that you need me...girl, don't cry and tell me nothing's wrong...I'll be all right, one way or another...so let me go or make me want to stay..."
* [[Kylie Minogue (Music)|Kylie Minogue]] - "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi", "Tell Tale Signs", and "Trippin' Me Up"
* Dannii Minogue - "Be Careful" and "Who Do You Love Now"
* The Righteous Brothers - "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (cover versions by lots of people)
* [[The Veronicas (Music)|The Veronicas]] - "All I Have" "Don't Say Goodbye" "In Another Life"
* Intimacy by Bloc Party is a goldmine of these. It was written after a bad breakup of the lead singer, Kele Okereke. We've got: Trojan Horse, One Month Off, Your Visits Getting Shorter, Zephyrus and One More Chance.
** Arguably Letter to My Son as well.
*** From other albums you could have We Were Lovers.
* Dan Hill (with Vonda Shepard) - "Can't We Try"
* [[Sarah Brightman (Music)|Sarah Brightman]] - "Tell Me On a Sunday," from the [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] musical of the same name. Knowing that their relationship is doomed, the singer details how she wants her lover to finally end things.
** "Let me down easy/ No big song and dance/ No long faces, no long looks/ No deep conversation..."
* [[Cascada (Music)|Cascada]] - "Can't Stop The Rain"
* [[Vienna Teng (Music)|Vienna Teng]] - "Between"
* Pussycat Dolls - "I Hate This Part"
* [[Space (Music)|Space]] - 'Disco Dolly'
* [[Escape the Fate (Music)|Escape the Fate]] - "Something"
* [[Brooks and Dunn (Music)|Brooks and Dunn]] - "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone"
* [[Florence and+ The Machine (Music)|Florence and Thethe Machine]] - No Light, No Light
* [[Hurt (Music)|Hurt]] - "Assurance," "Et Al"
* A Great Big World and [[Christina Aguilera]] - "Say Something"
 
 
== Don't want you back ==
* [[Ace of Base (Music)|Ace of Base]] - The Sign
* [[Adele (Music)|Adele]] - "I Found A Boy." (She's happly dating someone else)
* Angelina - "I Don't Need Your Love"
* Krypteria - "You & I"
Line 369 ⟶ 367:
* Eamon - "F*** It (I Don't Want You Back)"
** And the follow-up song, from the woman's perspective, Frankee's "Fuck You Right Back"
* [[Mariah Carey (Music)|Mariah Carey]] - "Someday", also, her, "You cheated on me so get out" songs count. H.A.T.E.U. is an odd mix between this and, "I really do still want you back". She goes back and forth between longing to be with them, and stating she can't wait to hate them. Up Out My Face is another example.
* [[Three Days Grace (Music)|Three Days Grace]] - "Gone Forever" (arguably, more denial)
** While it ''is'' a breakup song, it's not actually about a woman: [[Word of God]] says that it's about the lead singers addiction to a painkiller.
** From the same album is "Over And Over", which is about the same subject despite the generic break-up lyrics.
* [[Evanescence (Music)|Evanescence]] - "Call Me When You're Sober", "Sweet Sacrifice" "Going Under" "Lacrymosa", "The Change", "Oceans" and "Made Of Stone"
* Travis Tritt - "Here's a Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares"
* T'Pau - "Thank You For Goodbye"
* The Grass Roots - "Where Were You When I Needed You?" (later covered by the Bangles)
* Selena - "Si Una Vez," "Ya No"
* [[Space (Music)|Space]] - 'Influenza'
* Los Mismos - "No Quiero Volverte a Ver"
* Patty Loveless - "Blame It On Your Heart"
* [[Gamma Ray (Music)|Gamma Ray]] - "Leaving Hell"
* Jo Dee Messina - "Bye Bye"
* [[Music/N Sync|N Sync]] - "Bye Bye Bye"
* [[The Corrs (Music)|The Corrs]] - "I Never Loved You Anyway"
** Again, more of a denial song than anything else.
* [[Beyonce (Music)|BeyonceBeyoncé]] - "Irreplaceable"
* Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts
* [[Brave Saint Saturn (Music)|Brave Saint Saturn]]: "Enamel"
* [[Britney Spears (Music)|Britney Spears]] - "What U See (Is What U Get)" "Lonely" "[[Rockstar]]"
* [[Mary J. Blige (Music)|Mary J Blige]] - Not Gon' Cry
* Melys - 'I Don't Believe In You'
* [[Kylie Minogue (Music)|Kylie Minogue]] - "I'm Over Dreaming Over You", "What Kind Of Fool (Heard All That Before)", "Through The Years", "Dancefloor", "Baby", "Promises", "Obsession", and "Someday"
* Dannii Minogue - "Get Into You", "Someone New", and "Goodbye Song"
* [[Restart (Music)|Restart]] - "Bye Bye" (Noticing a pattern there?)
* Few would see the [[Foe Yay|characters']] [[Cargo Ship|relationship]] as romantic, but ''[[Portal 2 (Video Game)|Portal 2]]'''s "Want You Gone" is a perfect example of this kind of song.
* [[My Chemical Romance (Music)|My Chemical Romance]] - I Don't Love You
* [[Linkin Park (Music)|Linkin Park]] - "Don't Stay"
* [[Blink 182 (Music)|Blink -182]] - "Dammit"
* Rockell - "I Fell in Love" and "What You Did to Me"
* [[Whitney Houston (Music)|Whitney Houston]] - "It's Not Right"
* OMD - "So in Love"
* [[Scandal (Musicband)|Scandal]] - "Goodbye To You"
* [[Shakira (Music)|Shakira]] - "Don't Bother"
* "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" sung originally by Teresa Brewer, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m7bB-WtKow&feature=BFa&list=LL99E3ZhTOBPmYyc6aX5zA0A covered brilliantly by Aussie Pop Singer Tracey Dey] and by the duo She & Him.
* [[Ben Folds (Music)|Ben Folds]] - "Smoke", a particularly melancholy example even for the genre comparing unloading your emotional baggage to burning a book, before taking a particular bitter turn towards the end.
* [[Taylor Swift (Music)|Taylor Swift]]: "Picture to Burn" and "Should've Said No"
* [[Bowling for Soup (Music)|Bowling for Soup]]'s "Life After Lisa" is an odd example. The singer clearly misses the girl, and is saddened by the end of the relationship, but to his surprise is doing okay without her; the song focusses on that last part.
* "Take Back Your Mink" from ''[[Guys and Dolls]]'.
* Yvette Michele - "I'm Not Feeling You"
* [[Pink (Music)|PinkP!nk]] - "There You Go"
* [[Epica (Music)|Epica]] - "Never Enough"
* [[Selena Gomez (Music)|Selena Gomez]] - "Bang Bang Bang", "Sick of You"
* ''[[Ariya (Music)|Ariya]]'' - Go Away And Never Come Back (Уходи и не возвращайся)
 
 
== I Have to Leave/It's Me not You ==
* [[Whitney Houston (Music)|Whitney Houston]]- "I Will Always Love You"
* [[Florence and+ The Machine (Music)|Florence and Thethe Machine]] - "No Light, No Light"
* Fergie - "Big Girls Don't Cry"
* Expose - "I'll Say Goodbye for the Two of Us"
* [[Celine Dion (Music)|Celine Dion]] - "I Love You, Goodbye"
* [[The Beatles (Musicband)|The Beatles]] - "I'll Follow the Sun"
* [[Ronnie Milsap (Music)|Ronnie Milsap]] - "I Wouldn't Have Missed it For the World."
* [[Kelly Clarkson (Music)|Kelly Clarkson]] - "Already Gone"
* Peach (Union) - "On My Own"
* Rockell - "When I'm Gone"
Line 431 ⟶ 429:
* [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] - "Free Bird"
* Papa Roach - "Scars"
* [[Avenged Sevenfold (Music)|Avenged Sevenfold]] - "Unholy Confessions"
* [[The Veronicas (Music)|The Veronicas]] - "Don't Say Goodbye", "In Another Life"
* "For Good" from ''[[Wicked (Theatretheatre)|Wicked]]''
* 98 Degrees - "The Hardest Thing"
 
 
== Over You ==
* [[Beyonce (Music)|BeyonceBeyoncé]] - "Irreplaceable"
* [[Elton John (Music)|Elton John]] - "I'm Still Standing", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
* Dannii Minogue - "Someone New" and "Goodbye Song"
* [[DestinysDestiny's Child (Music)|Destinys Child]] - "Survivor"
* [[Cascada (Music)|Cascada]] - "Another You"
* Chris Daughtry - "Over You"
* [[Kelly Clarkson (Music)|Kelly Clarkson]] - "Since U Been Gone"
** Also covered by A Day To Remember
** "Stronger"
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* Kimberley Locke - "Coulda Been"
* Kumbia Kings - "Desde Que No Estás Aquí"
* [[Kylie Minogue (Music)|Kylie Minogue]] - "I'm Over Dreaming Over You", "The World Still Turns", "What Kind Of Fool (Heard All That Before)", "Dancefloor", "Baby", "Promises", "Someday"
* Apacalyptica - "I Don't Care"
* Röyksopp - "Beautiful Day Without You" (it stresses that the memory will last, but still)
* [[Clutch (Music)|Clutch]] - "Electric Worry" (Not too straight of an example as it's implied he's trying to get her out of his head with sufficient success.)
* [[Le Ann]] Rimes - "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)"
* Lorrie Morgan - "I Didn't Know My Own Strength"
* [[Pink (Music)|PinkP!nk]] - "So What" (though it's also "It's over, so I'm gonna screw your - and probably other people's - life!")
* [[Miranda Cosgrove (Music)|Miranda Cosgrove]]: "Brand New You", "There Will Be Tears" and "Oh Oh"
* [[Pet Shop Boys (Music)|Pet Shop Boys]] - "I Get Along" ("...without you very well!")
* [[Pulp (Musicband)|Pulp]] - "Bad Cover Version" and "Razzmatazz"
* Yeasayer - O.N.E.
* [[Relient K (Music)|Relient K]] - "Over It". Rare case where the girl dumped the narrator.
* [[HermansHerman's Hermits (Music)|Hermans Hermits]]-"I Can Take or Leave Your Loving"
* [[Madonna (Music)|Madonna]] - "The Power of Goodbye" (also fits with "I have to leave")
* [[Cher (Music)|Cher]] - "Believe", "Strong Enough"
* [[Restart (Music)|Restart]] - "[[Signature Song|Recomeçar]]"
* [[Space (Music)|Space]] - 'One O'Clock'
* [[Lily Allen (Music)|Lily Allen]] - "I Could Say"
* Adele - "Someone Like You"
* Boys Like Girls - "Love Drunk"
* Squeeze - "Black Coffee in Bed"
* Aaron Tippin - "[[Verb This|Kiss This]]"
* [[Vanessa Amorosi (Music)|Vanessa Amorosi]] - "Blow Me Away", "Sleep With That".
* [[The Pretty Reckless (Music)|The Pretty Reckless]] - "Since You're Gone"
* [[Rogue Traders (Music)|Rogue Traders]] - I Never Liked You
* [[Garbage]] - "Special"
 
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Break Up Song{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Music Tropes]]
[[Category:Pop]]
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