One might call this a cheater post. But, I thought I’d share with you the the go-to songs from my friends** given in response to the post: Songs for Hurting Hearts. This is a nice, eclectic list of songs for when your soul has been torn from your body and left trembling on the floor, sprinkled in salt and garnished with poisonous thorns. Welcome to adulthood. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. 

**There were two songs I could not track down on Spotify: Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush and No Place for a Heart by Allison Moorer. 

I don’t know if you remember, but earlier this year I acquired a new skill: Surviving the Breakup.

It sucked.

Then it got better.

Then it got worse, almost to the point of starting over. 

Then it got better.

Then it got a lot better.

Then it became something that I did not think about every second of every day. Want to know a secret? Sometimes I forget about it. Maybe even for half a day. It’s rare, but it is happening. I am moving on. 

But back to the crappy part…in the first week or two I began seeking songs to communicate how I was feeling. It was kind of a journal for when I didn’t have words. Some of the songs are more “overall sentiment” rather than literal situations. Some are quite literal situations. I can really, really remember shuffling through my days knowing with absolute certainty that I would never be over him. Ever. (Thus, the Colin Hay song.) But that’s kind of how it is when things like that first happen. And you know what? I climbed that mountain of grief, one pebble at a time. I’m getting over it. And him. I don’t want to talk about it too much more other than to give myself a pat on the back and hope that my words give other people hope in their time of despair. 

I have friends going through similar situations. It is bizarre to see so many breakups happen in this year with its unlucky number. I was telling my aunt about that phenomenon the other day and she said she’s seen it in her world, too. Not just this year, but in years that end in 2 or 3. She pointed out that my parents divorced in ’82/’83. Numerical coincidences always catch my attention. 

Anyway, enjoy my sad songs. Let them help you process some bullshit. Or, just be entertained…because they are all great pieces of music. 

What are your go-to sad songs?