Tearjerkers

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I picked up an LP called "Places I've Done Time" by Tom T Hall this week because it featured a version of Mr Bojangles. For years the words Mr Bojangles brought to mind Robbie Williams and the rat pack themed episodes of the X-factor. Horrible cheesey karaoke. Then I heard Jerry Jeff Walker's original and realised how wrong I was.

Now it's a recognised standard so there's plenty of questionable versions, few of which serve the true purpose of the original ie to utterly destroy me and send me into floods of tears when I'm feeling a bit hungover.

I can appreciate Nina Simone's attempt, and John Holts, even John Denver's. Admirable - but they aren't gruff country singers and I can't see any of them bumping into a drunken tap dancer in the county jail.

The Tom T Hall version ticks all the right boxes. Next time I need to feel miserable I'm looking to putting it on loud:

You know what I'm after. I originally named this post "Country Tearjerkers" but I imagine there'll be as many soul tearjerkers and "Breakfast in Bed" by Dusty Springfield always gets me too.

What songs make you say "er, there's just something in my eye"

[Sam Electric Prunes Find all posts View Profile Close Sam]

I'll jump straight in with one you'll think is an April Fool - but I promise you it's not!

William Shatner - That's Me Trying. From the excellent Ben Folds-produced 'Has Been' album, the story of a father making contact with his estranged daughter:

(I'm fond of Tom T Hall stuff, too - not a tearjerker but his 'Ballad of 40 Dollars' is great fun.)

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[someblokecalledfuz Lonely Jelly Find all posts View Profile Close someblokecalledfuz]

This song covers both country and soul...

"He called me baby" by Patsy Cline and Candi Staton

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Going off topic already but in terms of miserable country music, which is the most miserable of any music, I have genuinely found no records more miserable than Matty O'Neil singing Don't Buy Daddy Any More Whisky as a baby cries in the background:

It's not a tearjerker. If anything it's one to cheer you up in an 'everything could be far far worse' way.

Thanks for the links so far - I'm wondering whether to listen now or save them for my fragile brain after some drinks

Here's another to bring the thread back on track - the payoff in this song gets me every time

[Shere Khan Lonely Jelly Find all posts View Profile Close Shere Khan]

I'm a total sucker for the adagio from Ravel's Piano Concerto In G Major. I'm drawn to Michelangeli partly because of his supreme style and partly because of the way he comes across as something like a character from a story by Julien Gracq. It always stops me in my tracks when I hear it and can reduce me to tears. The sections in this video which linger on Michelangeli's limpid finger movements give the impression that he's literally caressing the piano. I particularly like the section between 2.20 and 3.00 where he appears to stroke notes off the keyboard, and out into the concert hall. I wish they'd lingered at 2.30 instead of cutting to the flute

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My dad had "Don't sell daddy anymore whiskey" on '78. My sister and I would burst into tears whenever he played it when we were tinies. I'm sure he found it amusing. Another one thayt used to do the job was "Little Rusty is a cowboy in heaven"

Not sure that's the version we used to bawl to. The 78s are still in my mums loft. I'll check.
I think he used to play the miserable ones as it was a special occasion when the stand alone record player came out along with the box of 78s. Anything a bit jaunty would get me & my sister jumping around like a couple of mad things, which always ended in one of us bumping into the record player and sending the arm skating across the shellac. Much to dad's annoyance. Which explains why his 78 collection resembles a well used reggae 45 collection.
Jesus, it's all coming back to me now. Another gem from dads miserable 78s. He was pretty big on Jim Reeves too........

The years following Sandy Denny's death were guaranteed tearjerkers when Fairport played Meet On The Ledge live.

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My dad had "Don't sell daddy anymore whiskey" on '78. My sister and I would burst into tears whenever he played it when we were tinies. I'm sure he found it amusing.

That sounds delightfully evil. I have a copy on 45. I might try it on my kids this weekend.

The years following Sandy Denny's death were guaranteed tearjerkers when Fairport played Meet On The Ledge live.

That reminded me of the video for End Of The Line by Travelling Wilburys, there's a shot of an empty chair at Roy Orbison's verse - something else that can get right to me at the right time. That's another one to dig out for this kids - that LP was the soundtrack to a chunk of MY childhood

[amidar Lonely Jelly Find all posts View Profile Close amidar]

I've blubbed to this with no shame, the lyrics just hit home:

And I agree about the Shatner that album is bloody great, its beautiful that song, in fact Ben Folds have written a few tearjerkers come to think of it. Shatner's Rocketman gets me too alongside the orginal which brings me to my latest tearjerker:

and thinking about it this too:

Cant Stop me now:

Gawd, what a bloody baby I am, best stop.

Fak it one more:

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Fortunately I'd already heard the 'Nina Simone' version of that song before Simon Cowell and Mr Williams decided to inflict their 'love of swing' on the world.

I picked up an LP called "Places I've Done Time" by Tom T Hall this week because it featured a version of Mr Bojangles. For years the words Mr Bojangles brought to mind Robbie Williams and the rat pack themed episodes of the X-factor. Horrible cheesey karaoke. Then I heard Jerry Jeff Walker's original and realised how wrong I was.

Now it's a recognised standard so there's plenty of questionable versions, few of which serve the true purpose of the original ie to utterly destroy me and send me into floods of tears when I'm feeling a bit hungover.

I can appreciate Nina Simone's attempt, and John Holts, even John Denver's. Admirable - but they aren't gruff country singers and I can't see any of them bumping into a drunken tap dancer in the county jail.

The Tom T Hall version ticks all the right boxes. Next time I need to feel miserable I'm looking to putting it on loud:

You know what I'm after. I originally named this post "Country Tearjerkers" but I imagine there'll be as many soul tearjerkers and "Breakfast in Bed" by Dusty Springfield always gets me too.

What songs make you say "er, there's just something in my eye"

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I'll second Candi Staton's version of He Called Me Baby


This gets me every time though:

Mind you, Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) used to make me cry when I was 4 or 5

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Well it looks like everyone's too scared to put it up so I guess it's left to muggins. here you go then -

[amidar Lonely Jelly Find all posts View Profile Close amidar]

Haha funny 'Bright Eyes' should come up. I had a mate at school who reckoned he could make himself cry by listening to this tune so of course we said 'Go on then do it' it just ended with about four of us creased up, on the floor laughing, 'cept for him of course.

[Big Youth Electric Prunes Find all posts View Profile Close Big Youth]

Haha funny 'Bright Eyes' should come up. I had a mate at school who reckoned he could make himself cry by listening to this tune so of course we said 'Go on then do it' it just ended with about four of us creased up, on the floor laughing, 'cept for him of course.

Which brings us nicely to this (shame about pic quality). Btw apologies for thread hijack.