The Best Break Up Songs Ever

I’d date Stevie Nicks. It would be worth the break-up to have had her in the firs place.
This song and I have a little history. I broke up with a girl a few years back. Days after that I was playing one of my Earth Wind and Fire CDs and decided to skip that song because I just couldn’t handle it at that point. Then, I went to Starbucks for some coffee. There are MILLIONS of songs in the world and what did they decide to play? The one I’d skipped :frowning: .

However much I am enjoying this thread, I’d like to point out that there have actually been a few good break-up songs written after 1990. I’m a geyser like the rest of you, but come on - can’t anyone post anything sung from before the dinosaurs died (or Noah packed his ark - if you don’t believe in dinosaurs).

For a best recent song on the topic, let me nominate Adele:

For me, this is an ultimate break up song:

“… the scars of your love remind me of us,
… I’m gonna make your head burn …
… we could have had it all …”

All in all, a spectacular song: the voice, the love, the regret over possibilities, the anger – it’s all there. I wouldn’t mess with Adele.

This is one of my guilty pleasures that I like this song.

And this is a demo.

Since I am a geezer, I guess I will have to go in the opposite direction and post even older songs. The music the kids have today just isn’t like we had in my generation. I guess today’s generation are a bunch of self absorbed morons who don’t feel any hurt when they have their hearts stepped on. Nor do they have any conscience when they step on the hearts of others.


:aiyo:

[quote]“Don’t leave me!” I cried.
“Don’t take that airplane ride.”[/quote]

[quote]I’m tired of weepin’.
I’m tired of moanin’.
Tired of cryin’ for you.[/quote]

[quote]I hate your guts.
You ruined my life.
Bye-bye, baby.
I’ll never be your wife.[/quote]
(This vid contains two songs; “Night Owl” is the breakup song.)

I can’t find these two on YouTube, but Amazon.com has brief samples of them:

[quote]Oh, but when sundown comes, I can say,
“Lord, I done made it for one more day.”
'Cause when she left and took her love away,
I never thought today I’d be okay,
Enough to say,
“Aw, it’s all over now.”[/quote]–“When Sundown Comes,” Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
amazon.com/When-Sundown-Comes/dp/B001NU40UM

[quote]If I saw you in the morning, I’d have to have you back again.
The nighttime gets lonely with the moonlight climbing in.
The moonlight climbing in through the window,
The curtains sway, and the wind blows.
The honeysuckle smelling sweet and warm
Reminds me of you. . . .[/quote]–“If I Saw You in the Morning,” Ronee Blakley
amazon.com/If-I-Saw-You-Morn … B0023B97Z8

I heard Jimi wrote this after an argument with his girl. Heartache can produce such great art :frowning: :wink: .

Sorry I am showing my geezerdom again. I am looking for some more current breakup songs.

Here’s one of my favourites.

I always thought that he wrote the song but it turns out that someone else did. I think a guy named Jerry Chestnut.
The opening lines to this song are amazing. It’s one of my favourite songs.

I can hardly bear the sight of lipstick
On the cigarettes there in the ashtray
Lying cold the way you left them
But at least your lips caressed them
While you packed

Or the lip ring on a half filled cup of coffee
That you poured and didn’t drink
But at least you thought you wanted it
That’s so much more than I can say for me

I like the Merle Haggard. I tried to find You Don’t Love Me Anymore, but couldn’t.
Here’s some Sinatra.

This song was the best thing about Kill Bill. Written by Sonny Bono.

This is it:

For Pete’s sake, do not post Mariah’s version. Sacrilege!

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Bringing on the Heartache. Good one!
I think this song counts as a break up song. I think Bono is singing about somebody who loves you, but not as much as you love them. “And you give, and you give, and you give yourself away, but I want more…”

Don’t know why I enjoy this genre of music. I’ve been married for 20 years. Maybe it’s the soulful Irishman in me!

Anyway, here’s a couple of good ones by Madison Ryann Ward. She’s not very well known but she sings mostly R&B type of songs with a very unique singing style (for example, her runs are very unique).

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Breaker Breaker

Peter Bjorn and John

Before you break my heart
Before you start
I’m gonna break your arm and concentration
Before you make a sound
And try to turn us down
I’m gonna stuff your mouth with all your riddles

I don’t need your lovin’
But your words are digging through me like a knife
I’m trying to express a thing
I haven’t got a clue about
I guess that’s how it’s done
You had to follow
If you didn’t know the way around

Before you break my heart
Before you run
I’m gonna break your nose and sing about it

I don’t need your lovin’
But your words are digging through me like a…

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The great Lauryn Hill

Tell me, who I have to be
To get some reciprocity

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This post will be the best thing that’s happened to my youtube algorithm since, uh, youtube algorithms.

Starting off strong. Ben Folds five:
Song for the Dumped

Mellowing out with Death Cab for Cutie, [and yes, most of their music is about getting dumped]
Tiny Vessels [or, Song for the Dumper]

Another Dumper from The Shins,
A Call to Apathy

Liz Phair, getting dumped in Divorce

The National - Sorrow

And last one [for now] Tom Petty and the HeartBreakers Feel a Whole Lot Better

these are just the songs that sprung to mind.

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Not every song here is specifically about a break up, but they are cathartic if you’re experiencing one or just looking for a good ol fashioned cry about it:

This last one I was surpised they released a music video, 15 years after the song was originally released, lol. Nothing like a little midwest emo when you’re feeling down.

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Nice throwbacks to Liz Phair and first Deathcab

Whoever’s in charge of this forum should probably fix or delete the hundreds of dead links. Just sayin’.

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