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{{trope}}
{{quote|<poem>''"How could I ever forget?
''This was
''the moment my life was set
''That day that I lost you
''It's clear as the day we met
''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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* 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 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.
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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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* "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]].
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* "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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* "Chavaleh" from ''[[Fiddler on 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.}}
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* ''[[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]] ==
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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}}
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