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Grief Song (view source)

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{{trope}}
{{quote|<poem>''"How could I ever forget?<br />
''This was<br />
''the moment my life was set<br />
''That day that I lost you<br />
''It's clear as the day we met<br />
''How could I ever forget?"''</poem>|''[[Next to Normal]]'', "How Could I Ever Forget?"}}
 
Someone died (or is otherwise gone), we're very sad, and we're singing about it. Frequently a [[Tear Jerker]].
 
Compare [[Break Up Song]], [[Death Song]]. See also [[Really Dead Montage]].
{{examples}}▼
 
▲{{examples}}
== Music ==
* "Paperthin Hymn" by Anberlin.
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* "The Other Side", by [[Richard Marx]] (a tribute to his late father).
* Also by Richard Marx, "Straight From My Heart".
* [[Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan|Hitomi Yaida's "Over the Distance"]]
* [[X Japan]]: First we have "Tears," which was written in memory of [[Yoshiki Hayashi|Yoshiki]]'s]] late father and is Yoshiki's coping with his suicide. This song was later dedicated to be tothe late guitarist [[Hideto Matsumoto|Hide]] as well. Then, we have the [[Grief Song]] trilogy of "Without You," "I.V.," and "Jade," which are three songs that compose a dialogue between Yoshiki and Hide and Yoshiki coming to terms with the loss of his beloved friend.
* "Tears in Heaven" by [[Eric Clapton]] was dedicated to his son Conor, and later Princess Diana.
* "Candle in the Wind" by [[Elton John]], about Marilyn Monroe. A version with revised lyrics, titled "Candle in the Wind 1997", was about Princess Diana.
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* "How to Save a Life" by The Fray
* [[Watership Down|Bri-ight eeeeyes! BUUURN-ing like FI-RE!]]
* "No More Fear" from ''[[Lonelygirl15]]'', sung by Emma (Katherine Pawlak), following the death of {{spoiler|Gina Hart}} in the previous episode.▼
* Gruesomely parodied by [[Tom Lehrer]] in "I Hold Your Hand in Mine".
* "Night Shift" by The Commodores and "Missing You" by Diana Ross were both responses to the murder of [[Marvin Gaye]].
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* "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by [[Green Day]].
** "J.A.R." (written to a friend of Mike Dirnt who had died) as well, even though that's more upbeat.
* "Gone Too Soon" by [[Michael Jackson]] was originally about his friend Ryan White, who died of AIDS at age 19. More recently, it has also beenbecome attributedassociated towith Jacskon's own death.
* The appropriately named "Tearjerker" by [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]], about Kurt Cobain.
** Also "Transcending", on the same album, about River Phoenix.
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* [[Jimi Hendrix]], "It's Too Bad", about Hendrix's troubled relationship with his half-brother Leon.
* "Elle G." by the [[Newsboys]]
* [[My Chemical Romance]] produced their [[Concept Album]] "''Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge"'' in honor of Gerard Way's recently deceased grandmother Helena (see the song "Helena"), whom he was close to. A [[Grief Song|Grief Album]], really.
* "Let Me In" by [[REM]] was recorded live in the studio after the death of [[Nirvana|Kurt Cobain]].
* "When You Go", "Summer's Over", "I Hate California", and a number of others by [[Jonathan Coulton]]
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** There's also "The God Who Failed", about the death of James' mother.
* "Eva" by Orgy, on their science fiction [[Concept Album]] slash [[Rock Opera]] ''Vapor Transmission.'' Notably, the album is about real people, and Eva is one of only two individuals named by real name, and the only one whose role was explained: she was the late mother of one of their producers.
* [[Dream Theater|Dream Theater's]]'s "Take Away My Pain" (about John Petrucci's deceased father) and "The Best Of Times" (About Mike Portnoy's deceased one).
* [[ACDC]]: "Hells Bells", towards their deceased ex-singer Bon Scott. In fact, the entirety of ''Back In Black'' was dedicated to him.
* Almafuerte's "En este viaje" was written about Ricardo Iorio's deceased wife.
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** The song "Afterlife" from [[Gamma Ray|Gamma Ray's]] album ''Land of the Free'', written by former Helloween lead guitarist Kai Hansen, is also dedicated to Schwichtenberg.
* "Angel's Son" by [[Sevendust]], dedicated to the lead singer of Snot.
* The [[Grateful Dead|Grateful Dead's]]'s "Bird Song" was written about Janis Joplin after her death, and "Cassidy" is partly about the death of Neal Cassady (its spelling derives from its also being about the ''birth'' of staff member Eileen Law's baby Cassidy). "He's Gone" was originally a trope subversion: a slow dirge about erstwhile manager Lenny Hart, who hadn't died yet; he had merely drained the band's bank accounts and vanished. However, after the death of original keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, the song quickly reverted to a straightforward example of this trope in the minds of fans and the band alike.
** There is also a Grief Song ''about'' Jerry Garcia; guitarist Warren Haynes wrote "Patchwork Quilt" in memory of Garcia, and has played the song with The Dead and Phil Lesh & Friends.
* [[Evanescence|Evanescence]]'s]] ''"Hello''", ''"Like You''", and ''"My Immortal''".
** ''The Other Side'', ''My Heart is Broken'', ''Never Go Back'' and ''Even In Death''.
* "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World. It was written in memory of two young women, Mykel and Carli, who ran Weezer's fan club and were personal friends of the band. They both died in a car wreck. "Hear you me" was more or less their [[Catch Phrase]].
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* "Night Comes Down" by [[Judas Priest]]. [[Manly Tears|Even metalheads grieve.]]
** Which brings us to "Watching Over Me" by [[Iced Earth]].
* Pretty much the entirety of [[Eels]]' ''Electro-shock Blues'' album.
* "Fred Bear" by Ted Nugent is an unusual example of this. While the song is in remembrance of his deceased hunting partner, the song is more a celebration of hunting.
* "Friend of a Friend" and "Word Forward" by [[Foo Fighters]]. The former is the ''only'' song by the band confirmed to be about Kurt Cobain, and the latter is about Dave Grohl's childhood friend.
** "Friend" was written and recorded in 1992 whilst Cobain was still alive, it becomes more poignant in the updated version.
* [[Kamelot|Kamelot's]]'s "Don't You Cry" and "The Mourning After".
* [[Tori Amos]]' "Toast", "Marianne", and "1000 Oceans."
* "KKK Took My Baby Away" by [[Ramones]].
* "Harvest of Sorrow" by [[Blind Guardian]].
* The entirety of [[Neil Young|Neil Young's]]'s album ''Tonight's The Night'' is about two friends who overdosed. One of them, guitarist Danny Whitten, bought his last shot with the severance pay from when Neil fired him. Neil was... shaken up, to say the least, and [[Tear Jerker|it shows]]. Also, some of ''Sleeps With Angels'' is about [[Nirvana|Kurt Cobain]], who quoted Neil in his suicide note.
* In honour of Freddie Mercury, the surviving members of ''[[Queen]]'' wrote, performed and sang "One By One (Only The Good Die Young)" for the'' Queen: Greatest Hits III'' album.
** "All Dead, All Dead", from ''News Of The World''.
** The album ''Innuendo''. Even though Freddie Mercury is alive, it was his last album, made knowing he was dying of AIDS. Several songs refer to his dying, especially the song "The Show Must Go On" where his voice is replaced by a record stuck in the groove.
* "Together Again" by [[Janet Jackson]] is a tribute to a friend who died of AIDS.
* "I'll Be Missing You" by P-Diddy (then Puff Daddy), dedicated to [[The Notorious B.I.G.]].
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* "The Other Side" by Paul van Dyk & Wayne Jackson, a tribute to the victims of the Indonesian tsunami.
* "Little June" by Groove Coverage, which is about a [[Dead Little Sister]] or a friend who was murdered.
* "Moonlight Shadow" by Mike Oldfield (and later "Missing Heart" and "Groove Coverage").
* '"In My Darkest Hour'", '"Foreclosure Of A Dream'", '"A Tout La Monde'" and '"Promises'" by [[Megadeth]].
** Although technically, '"Foreclosure of A Dream'" is about financial loss, namely the loss of the Ellefson family farm under Reagonomics. It is a form of grief, though.
* [[The B-52's|The B 52s]]: "Ain't It A Shame". It was not written as a tribute to their guitarist Ricky Wilson, as he played on it. However, it was released the year after his death, and so became a de facto tribute to him. There's also Cindy Wilson's solo song "Ricky" which IS''is'' directly about him.
* [[Simple Plan]] are known for this. Their most well-known example is likely "Untitled (How Could this Happen to Me?)", written from the point of view of someone who is dying at an accident scene caused by a drunk driver. The video for it was produced in partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
* The [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] song "Since I Lost You" is about the death of a child.
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* [[Space]] have 'Bad Days' and 'Avenging Angels' ([[Lyrical Dissonance|no, really]]).
* "Jueves", written for the Madrid's subway bombings by the spanish group La Oreja de Van Gogh
* [[Delta Goodrem]], ''A Year Ago Today'', about an aunt who passed.
* Several of the songs off the [[Rush]] album ''Vapor Trails'' could be interpreted this way, such as Ghost Rider and The Stars Look Down.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ry4cx6HfY&ob=av3e "So Far Away"] by [[Avenged Sevenfold]], in honor of their late drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan.
* "House Carpenter" by [[Hurt]] seems to combine this with [[Obsession Song]].
{{quote| ''If you're not breathing, why am I''}}
* Gary Numan wrote "A Prayer for the Unborn" when his wife suffered a miscarriage after finally becoming pregnant via IVF treatment. In his early performances you can hear his voice crack with emotion when he sings it live. No word on whether the sonogram typically projected behind him during this song is the real thing.
* "The Edge of Glory" by [[Lady Gaga]] was written about her grandfather, who was dying, and an intimate moment she saw him share with her grandmother in the hospital. It's not sad, so much as it's about accepting life will always come to an end, but you need to experience life anyways. When she plays the song in a capella, the song shifts to a ballad, and goes become more of a sad grief song.
** "Speechless"
* "May" by [[James Durbin]].
* "Nur zu Besuch" (translates as "Just Visiting") by the very popular German band Die Toten Hosen. It's about the vocalist's mother and the lyrics describe a visit to her grave. It's very simple and low key, peppered with little ordinary details and mostly avoids [[Purple Prose]] and soppyness, and it's all the more effective for it. ("And your garden... It's really doing well. Although you can tell it's missing you very much. And there's still mail arriving, adressed to you in big letters. Even though everyone knows you've moved away.") Unlike most other grief songs, this one ends on a note of acceptance and with the hope for an end to depression.
* "Goodbye My Lover" by James Blunt was just meant to be about a break up, according to [[Word of God]]. But considering the amount of people playing it at their spouse's funeral, [[Word of God]] hardly matters in this case.
** Also "No Bravery", which is a grief song for an entire country / people / the person James Blunt was before going to war.
* "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" by Boyz II Men.
* "My Angel" was written after the death of Kellie Pickler's grandmother.
* [[Bone Thugs-inn-Harmony]] honored several deceased friends (including Eazy-E) in "Tha Crossroads".
* "Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)" by [[Toby Keith]] is a tribute to Toby's friend Wayman Tisdale, and has been described as being too depressing even for [[Country Music]].
* "Last Kiss" by Wayne Cochran.
* “See you on the Other Side” from [[Ozzy Osbourne| Ozzmosis]] fits this because it talks about mourning over a loss and telling the person they’ll reunited on the other side… i.e. in the afterlife.
* "The Living Years" by Mike and the Mechanics.
 
== [[Film]] ==
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** In the novel ''The Two Towers'', Aragorn and Legolas sing an emotional lament for Boromir.
** In the novel ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', the elves of Lothlorien sing a lay for Gandalf, whom they thought was dead.
* The song "Remember Me This Way" by Jordan Hill was featured in the movie ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]''.
* "My Heart Will Go On", performed by [[Celine Dion]], from the film ''[[Titanic]]''.
 
== [[Theatre]] ==
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* Parodied in ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat'' with "One More Angel in Heaven". Joseph's brothers know he isn't really dead, but they put on a show of grief for Dad's benefit.
** Played straight with "Close Every Door to Me," where Joseph has hit rock bottom in prison.
* Also parodied in ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', with "Pore Jud is Daid".
* "Endless Night" in the stage musical version of ''[[The Lion King]]''.
** Can't forget "Rafiki Mourns."
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* The [[Dark Reprise]] of "If I Loved You" from ''Carousel'' is an interesting variant, as it's sung from the viewpoint of a deceased person who's about to leave for the afterlife after being allowed to see his wife and daughter on Earth fifteen years after he died.
* "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables" from ''[[Les Misérables (theatre)|Les Misérables]]'', dealing with Marius' grief and survivor's guilt.
* "Chavaleh" from ''[[Fiddler Onon the Roof]]'' is an interesting case, as Tevye has to declare his daughter Chava dead to him after she marries outside the Jewish faith, but this song makes it clear it's not easy for him. He loves his daughter, yet he believes he has no choice but to disown her.
* The reprise of "For Good" serves this purpose in ''[[Wicked (theatre)|Wicked]]''. Just to up the [[Tear Jerker|tearful irony,]] it's paired against a [[Triumphant Reprise|triumphant]], if [[Dark Reprise|concordant]], reprise of "No One Mourns the Wicked."
** "No Good Deed" is one for {{spoiler|Nessarose and Fiyero's deaths and Dr. Dillamond's mutation, which may as well be death}} which drives Elphaba over the edge and into wickedness.
* "Days of Plenty" from the musical of ''[[Little Women]].''
* "Those You've Known" from ''[[Spring Awakening]].'' Interesting in that it is {{spoiler|sung mostly by the ghosts of the departed.}}
** Also "Left Behind".
* "No More" could be seen as a variant of this in ''[[Into the Woods]].'' For sure, though, "The Witch's Lament" is a straight example.
* Invoked by ''[[Urinetown]]'' with "Tell Her I Love Her", which is part {{spoiler|[[Death Song]] for Bobby}} and this for {{spoiler|Little Sally.}}
* "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" sung by Christine about her father in ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]''.
** The Phantom's mournful "All I Ask Of You" Reprise also qualifies, as he is singing about Christine who he believes he has lost forever to Raoul.
* The the final scene of [[Love Never Dies]] is a series of [[Dark Reprise|Dark Reprises]]s that are all [[Grief Song|Grief Songs]]. {{spoiler|It starts with Meg reprising "Giry Confronts Phantom" and "Bathing Beauty" when she tells how she used her body to help Phantom. Phantom uses a brief version of "The Beauty Underneath" to apologize too Meg and try to calm her down. And after Christine is shot and dying, she and Gustave reprise "Look With Your Hearts". Then Christine and Phantom sing a reprise of "Once Upon Another Time". And finally Christine uses the tune of "Till I Hear You Sing Once More" to ask for her final kiss.}}
* "Supper Time." Holy ''[[Wham! Episode|god]]'', "Supper Time." From the 1933 revue ''As Thousands Cheer'', this number is a black woman wondering how to explain to her kids that their father has just been lynched.
* ''[[Notre Dame de Paris]]'': Quasimodo's "Danse mon Esmeralda" (doubles as [[BSOD Song]]), right after Esmeralda's death. He's witnessed the death of the woman he loves and killed his adoptive father. He's resolved to die holding Esmeralda's dead body, because "dying for you is not dying". Yeah, he's pretty broken.
* "Why" in ''tick, tick, BOOM''. Jon has just found out his best friend Michael {{spoiler|has AIDS. The song is about Jon remembering the good times he and Michael had, and wanting to make the best of the time they have left.}}
* "Alabanza" from ''[[In the Heights|"Alabanza"]]'' is the neighborhood grieving {{spoiler|Abuela Claudia}}.
 
== [[Video Games]] ==
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== [[Web Original]] ==
* "Everything You Ever" from the end of ''[[DoctorDr. HorriblesHorrible's Sing -Along Blog]]''.
* "Missing You" from ''[[A Very Potter Musical]]'' is one of these, as Harry sings about Dumbledore's death and Quirrell about [[Ho Yay|having been abandoned by Voldemort]].
▲* "No More Fear" from ''[[Lonelygirl15]]'', sung by Emma (Katherine Pawlak), following the death of {{spoiler|Gina Hart}} in the previous episode.
 
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rzpuAx0PsM Chorale For Snow White]."
* Owen's upcoming song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts4xxICfXWk Oh, My Izzy!] in [[Total Drama Island|Total Drama World Tour,]] while it has a very up-beat tempo is sang right after {{spoiler|Owen breaks up with Izzy, and she is taken out of the game due to head trauma.}}
** Coupled with the [[Art Shift]] during the song, which is done in Owen's crayon style (which is his imagination.)
* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender|Leaves from the vine]] / falling so slow / like fragile, tiny shells / [[Tear Jerker|drifting in the foam.]] / Little soldier boy comes marching home / Brave soldier boy, come marching home.
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* "Ghost" by Indigo Girls
* "Yellow Butterfly" by Meg & Dia.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jldngb69BTc It Changes] from ''[[Snoopy Come Home]]''.
* Nefertiti from Fireaxe's ''[[Food for the Gods]]''.
 
== Anime ==
* "The Time Has Come (Pikachu's Goodbye)" from the ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]: 2B A Master'' album. Although the song itself is a perfectly straight example, when it's actually used in the anime, Pikachu immediately returns as soon as the song is over.
** Also, "If Only Tears Could Bring You Back", by Midnight Sons from ''[[Pokémon: The First Movie|Pokémon the First Movie]]''.
 
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Musical Number Index]]
[[Category:Music Tropes]]
[[Category:Grief Song{{PAGENAME}}]]
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