Wistful Sad Songs

[Coinneach]

I've always thought the saddest, most tragic song I've ever heard is Tammy Wynette's "You and Me."

[james a. husky]

With the mention of "Bobby Goldsboro's 'Honey'", I immediately thought of this tribute by the Smothers Brothers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGBdbRqflUg


Enjoy!

Jim aka kiltiemon

[turpin]

Green Fields of France

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Ashoken Farewell (not a song, but forever linked to Ken Burns' "The Civil War")

Si Beag, Si Mor

[BobsYourUncle]

What a great thread! What a collection of tear jerkers! To keep close to our forum theme I would offer the following. Some may not realize that many pipe tunes have lyrics, many have several versions propounded for them--fulflling the poem/video theme of this thread. IMHO, the pipes are unmatched for expressing grief or sadness. Several pipe tunes and lyrics that I feel fit the bill are:

Fingal's Weeping: I associate this tune with the Glencoe Massacre, as Finn MacCool [pardon my anglicization](Fin Gael) and his folk were said to be inhabitants of Glencoe in times of legend. Some lyrics for Fingal's Weeping are:

Fingal's Weeping.
Because they were so brave and young
Who now are sleeping,
His old heart wrung, his harp unstrung,
Fingal's a-weeping.
There's warble of waters at morning in Etive glen,
And the mists are flying ;
Chuckle of Spring in the wood, on the moor, on the ben,
No heed for their dying!
So Fingal's weeping the young brave sleeping,
Fingal's weeping.
They'll be forgot in Time,-forgot!
Time that goes sweeping;
The wars they fought remembered not,
And Fingal's weeping.
Hearken for voices of sorrow for them in the forest den
Where once they were rovers--
Only the birds of the wild at their building again,
Whispering of lovers!
So Fingal's weeping, his old grief keeping,
Fingal's weeping.
They should be mourned by the ocean wave
Round lone isles creeping,
But the laughing wave laments no grave,
And Fingal's weeping.
Morven and Moidart, glad, gallant and gay in the sun,
Rue naught departed;
The moon and the stars shine out when the day is done,
Cold, stony-hearted,
And Fingal's weeping war's red reaping,
Fingal's weeping!

Lochaber No More: There are versions of this tune called King James March to Ireland dating from the 17th century. It is known in Ireland as Limerick's Lament. It was the poet Allan Ramsay who in 1724 set the words Lochaber No More, about an enlisted Highlander's nostalgia.

Farewell to Lochaber, farewell to my Jean,
Where heartsome wi' thee.. I ha'e mony days been;
For Lochaber no more, Lochaber no more,
We'll may be return to Lochaber no more.
These tears that I shed, they are a' for my dear,
And no for the dangers attending on weir,
Tho' borne on rough seas to a far distant shore,
Maybe to return to Lochaber no more.
Though hurricanes rise, though rise ev'ry wind,
No tempest can equal the storm in my mind;
Though loudest of thunders, on louder waves roar,
There's naething like leavin' my love on the shore.
To leave thee behind me, my heart is sair pain'd;
But by ease that's inglorious no fame can be gain'd;
And beauty and love's the reward of the brave;
And I maun deserve it before I can crave.
Then glory, my Jeanie, maun plead my excuse;
Since honour commands me, how can I refuse?
Without it, I ne'er can have merit for thee;
And losing thy favour, I'd better not be.
I gae then, my lass, to win honour and fame:
And if I should chance to come glorious hame,
I'll bring a heart to thee with love running o'er.
And then I'll leave thee and Lochaber no more.

And who could forget Mist Covered Mountains, played by the Black Watch pipers and band at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy:

Chorus
Oh ro soon shall I see them;
Oh he ro see them oh see them.
Oh ro soon shall I see them the
mist covered mountains of home.

There shall I visit the place of my birth
And they'll give me a welcome the warmest on earth
All so loving and kind full of music and mirth,
In the sweet sounding language of home.

Chorus
Oh ro soon shall I see them;
Oh he ro see them oh see them.
Oh ro soon shall I see them the
mist covered mountains of home.

There shall I gaze on the mountains again,
On the fields and the woods and the burns and the glens,
Away 'mong the corries beyond human ken
In the haunts of the deer I will roam

Chorus
Oh ro soon shall I see them;
Oh he ro see them oh see them.
Oh ro soon shall I see them the
mist covered mountains of home.

Hail to the mountains with summits of blue,
To the glens with their meadows of sunshine and dew.
To the women and men ever constant and true,
Ever ready to welcome one home.

Of course, there are inumerable laments for the pipes, and I'm sure everyone has their favorites, these are mine. And yes, I count Flowers of the Forest as one of the most touching, but we'll save that for graveside...

Yours in maudlin excess, BYU

[Jerry]

Songs from The American Civil War:
All Quiet Along The Potomac Tonight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq1Q5ho9cAo

Lorena

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9BfD...eature=related

Tenting Tonight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9kfwle5Cqg

[haukehaien]

Some of my favorites (so many are Irish!)

The Fields of Athenry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJG3mHp8lAs

The Blackbird of Sweet Avondale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzW-mmMlJ30

The last verse always gets me: "Oh, Heaven, give ear to my consultation
And strengthen the bold sons of Old Granuaile
And God grant that my country will soon be a nation
And bring back the Blackbird to sweet Avondale"

Free and Green
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB_GDoWGDJk

"... and tell them Captain Taggart is coming home tonight..."

The Chill Eastern Winds (Silly Wizard)
I couldn't find an online version - here's lyrics:
"Prepare you sweet flowers, for winter advances
And drink well the sunlight that touches your form.
Draw strength from the earth and repay her with beauty,
For the dark days are comin', oh, and they'll do you harm.

When the chill eastern winds replace summer breezes,
And the long summer days are remembered no more,
Then you'll know how it feels when a woman's love changes,
When at last she has told you she loves you no more.

I saw her today, when she walked with her new love,
In all the fine places that we'd walked before.
They kissed by the rocks where she told me she loved me,
And soon she'll be using those same words once more.

There's none that could blame me for wanting her beauty,
But it lies like a snowflake in the hands of a child.
When the warmth of my love tried to reach out and hold her,
It's then she was gone, to prove she's still wild."

Along the same lines is Richard Thompson's "Beeswing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HApy-Xoix-g

The Last Trip Home (Ed Miller)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3mirhMh2ng