Jazz pianists employ various techniques to produce sad music. For instance, they may alter scales and chord progressions in order to evoke different feelings in listeners.
A mediant chord, for instance, can sound melancholic due to being a minor chord with an added flat note. Furthermore, melodies repeating major tonic chords may suggest hopelessness and make people sadder.
Oh You Crazy Moon
Jazz music can be upbeat and joyous, yet also deliver some dark lyrics. This track is an example: its narrator chastises the moon for promising her love only to abandon her later; she wants “to wake up with a smile on my face,” but too late!
Bill Evans’ version of this classic tune stands out. His piano playing is delicate yet expressive; just the right combination to convey sadness through music. The piano can also help express grief more effectively than most instruments can.
Though this song didn’t chart, it remains one of the most iconic jazz songs to date. Inspired by a poem written about the aftermath of lynching, it serves as an incredible example of how jazz can be used to portray tragedy. Additionally, vocalist Naama Leibovich showcases her talent beautifully by singing those heartbreaking lines with great conviction – truly memorable! This heartbreaking track captures all aspects of heartbreak beautifully – such a shame it wasn’t more successful!
B Minor Waltz (For Ellaine)
Evans’ originals serve as a poignant ode to two forms of love lost, including that of common-law wife Ellaine Schultz and brother Harry. These melancholic songs memorialize both losses with spiraling piano melodies backed up by minimal support from his trio – especially given that both Ellaine Schultz and Evans themselves would commit suicide shortly after this album’s release.
Evans had a talent for crafting melodies that convey emotion without using words alone, such as his song “B Minor Waltz (For Ellaine). Listen as Evans sings out against the moon’s promises for tomorrow – you can almost feel her pain through his music.
Astrud Gilberto was one of jazz music’s great singers. Her interpretation of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s iconic “The Girl From Ipanema” brought it to an entirely different level; her renditions of sad songs are unforgettable. Recorded just prior to her death in 1966, Astrud sings this lament with hope that its effects may eventually subside; its melancholic and heartbreaking melody leave you with a lump in your throat as she sings it with an emotional intensity that leaves audiences holding breath as Astrud sings it just before leaving them speechless!
Don’t Be Sad
No matter your heartache, loss or loneliness during quarantine-related long distance drama, nothing beats a good cry to help get through. With these soothing songs for every mood and inclination available at our fingertips – be it ballads, slow piano dirges or instrumentals, these will undoubtedly get those tears flowing.
Taken from Dylan’s iconic Dylan line, this track tells a spine-tingling tale of a woman leaving her lover behind to pursue her dreams. Wu-Tang Clan sampled its haunting vocal hook, while dance-pop outfits Saint Etienne and Natalie Imbruglia successfully navigated its unexpected chord scales.
Damon Albarn unveils his heartache on this devastating break-up song, which captures the sound of an affair gone sour. A haunting piano motif sounds like an eternal lament: this melancholic tune will strike an emotional chord in anyone who’s experienced dealing with lost romances.
A Stranger in Town
Bob Seger’s A Stranger in Town album marks him starting to understand his new status as a star. Following up from Live Bullet, this record sees Seger take more control as a songwriter while simultaneously increasing emotional resonance on this record.
It begins with a scornful “Oh You Crazy Moon!” and has since been covered by Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan among many others. This song contains a bittersweet quality with its protagonist being angry that her beloved moon promised love but then betrayed it and left.
The album also contains a disturbing track written by Strayhorn: “Strange Fruit”, an unsettling depiction of lynching that has been covered by many artists but Billie Holiday remains its master interpreter.
Though A Stranger in Town may not follow the same smooth arc as Night Moves, its songs nevertheless show Seger is capable of more than mere humor. His characters still face similar hardships as those seen on Night Moves but with lessened levels of self-pity and bitterness.
A Sentimental Journey
Jazz music is famously associated with joyous musical experiences, yet it also contains its share of sad songs by some of its finest performers. Here are five such tracks to prove this point.
Tristram Shandy was structured around a narrative structure; A Sentimental Journey differs in that there is no central plot, instead focusing on Parson Yorick as he travels throughout France and Italy. Filled with digressions, ironic incidents, philosophical musings, reminiscences and philosophical discourse. Sterne’s unique writing style blended humor and irony together with tender feelings into one of the first stream-of-consciousness writers.
A Sentimental Journey was among the earliest works to criticize and oppose xenophobic attitudes, pitting religion with hypocrisy and sexual repression while showing how religious devotion can motivate admirable behavior. Its characters associate religion with hypocrisy and sexual repression while its narrator demonstrates its potential as a source of motivation for admirable actions.
This song speaks of longing and inability to return home, and was performed by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, respectively, with Holiday’s version being the definitive rendition. Additionally, it was featured on M*A*S*H when Col. Potter asked that it be played several times throughout each day over their camp P.A system.
To Say Goodbye
No matter if it’s to say goodbye or wish someone well, there are multiple ways of conveying your sentiments. From formal to more casual expressions like bye or see you later; even an extremely polite way such as take care can work!
This 1989 country hit, written and performed by Don Henley, features the narrator as they try to come to terms with a relationship they know will never last. But instead of dwelling in his sorrow, he attempts to see its positive aspects. Reminding himself that his love has taught him valuable lessons which no other partner could.
This song has been recorded both in English and Spanish versions, making it accessible for any mourning ceremony or funeral service. A 2019 study conducted by Co-op Funeralcare identified Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman’s version as second most preferred choice of funeral song choice across the nation – making this beautiful piece both sad and hopeful at once, making it suitable for anyone grieving or saying goodbye to someone special.
Gloomy Sunday
Rezso Seress wrote Gloomy Sunday while living in Paris and feeling despair over Hungary’s deep recession and rising fascist influence; perhaps this contributed to its haunting atmosphere and melancholic narrative.
Lyrically, the song laments his lover’s passing while hoping they will meet again in the afterlife. With its mesmerizing melody and dark undercurrents, this track has become one of the most requested funeral songs. Additionally, claims have surfaced that this tune may have played a part in numerous suicide attempts although these claims cannot be independently verified.
Gloomy Sunday has been covered by artists such as Billie Holiday and Pal Kalmar, among others. This sad jazz tune has inspired myths surrounding cursed melodies. Some governments have even banned Gloomy Sunday altogether but that hasn’t stopped its widespread popularity.