songs that make me ugly cry

Bridge Over Troubled Water
by Simon & Garfunkel

When you're weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I'll dry them all
I'm on your side
Oh, when times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
Oh, when darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
Oh, if you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

i cannot stress enough how quickly the waterworks turn on when i hear this song. it reminds me how lucky i am to have such a supportive partner and a wonderful group of friends, since for a lot of my life people have not had good intentions toward me and i struggled a lot. it also makes me nostalic for times with my grandma, since we listened to Simon & Garfunkel often.

Ode to My Family
by the Cranberries

Understand the things I say
Don't turn away from me
Cause I've spent half my life out there
You wouldn't disagree
Do you see me, do you see?
Do you like me
Do you like me standing there?
Do you notice, do you know
Do you see me, do you see me?
Does anyone care?

Unhappiness where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
Cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother
She'd hold me
She'd hold me when I was out there
My father, my father
He liked me, well he liked me
Does anyone care?

Understand what I've become
It wasn't my design
And people everywhere think
Something better than I am

But I miss you, I miss
'Cause I liked it
'Cause I liked it
When I was out there
Do you know this, do you know
You did not find me
You did not find
Does anyone care?

Unhappiness where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother
She'd hold me
She'd hold me when I was out there
My father, my father
He liked me, well he liked me
Does anyone care?

Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?

this song makes me cry because i feel like it perfectly represents my bittersweet nostalgia for childhood and how simple things were, as well as how lonely it can feel to be an adult. it also makes me cry because the lead singer, Dolores O'Riordan, left this earth too early. it probably sounds selfish to say, but i wish i could have seen the Cranberries live at least once.

Look Who's Inside Again
by Bo Burnham

Trying to be funny and stuck in a room
There isn't much more to say about it
Can one be funny when stuck in a room?
Being in, trying to get something out of it
Try making faces
Try telling jokes, making little sounds, uhh
I was a kid who was stuck in his room
There isn't much more to say about it
When you're a kid and you're stuck in your room
You'll do any old shit to get out of it
Try making faces
Try telling jokes, making little sounds

Well, well
Look who's inside again
Went out to look for a reason to hide again
Well, well
Buddy, you found it
Now, come out with your hands up
We've got you surrounded

the COVID lockdown was hard on everyone and that's part of why this song makes me cry. more than that, it reminds me of how much time i've spent (and still spend) isolating myself in my bedroom. when i was younger, it was to avoid my emotionally abusive mother. now, i'm not entirely sure what keeps me inside (although i suspect mental illness has something to do with it, lol).

Fast Car
by Tracy Chapman

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me, myself, I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us outta here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

See, my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle, that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said 'Somebody's got to take care of him,'
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
We go cruising, entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in the market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere
Take your fast car and keep on driving

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

i mean, if you pay attention to the lyrics, how could you not cry to this song? it perfectly reprents the hopes and dreams as well as the plight of parentified children and how that trauma might show up later in their adulthood. my experience with it was different than how this song depicts it, but i still relate to it and Tracy Chapman's incredible voice just moves me to tears.