Yes I do realize there are other threads on this but I can't post in them because they're over 8 years old.

What do you think are the saddest Prince songs & why?

Another Lonely Christmas- It starts off like they're broken up but as the song goes on you realize his lover is dead on Christmas. As I said in another thread, a lot of people feel extra sad on Christmas because they have relatives or people important to them die on or around Christmas.

17 Days (piano version)- Besides his vocals and the sparse vocals, and the calendar notes and the rain, the smoking gets me. I never smoke. I only smoke when I've actively repressing emotion and want to kill myself because my lungs cannot take it. It doesn't help that someone I love died of lung cancer even though she never smoked a day in her life.

tbag said:

The Love We Make 4 The Tears In Your Eyes Free It's Gonna Be Lonely

I'm not sure how these are sad songs.

"The Love We Make" is uplifting, and encouraging, detaling the harder things in life, but then giving resolution to it. It certainly doesn't have a sad message.

"4 The Tears In Your Eyes" is about Christ (although Christ never changed stone to bread, ever).

"Free" is all about appreciating life itself.

"Comeback" is probably, always, going to be the saddest song he ever wrote. I mean, when your baby dies at 7-days old, and you write about that, what else can be worse? Nothing. Not divorce, not a broken relationship.

I don't really count "Another Lonely Christmas" every time, because it's ficitonal. And while many Prince songs were fictional, or ambiguous, it's his true life songs that hold more weight with me overall, whether happy or sad.

There Is Lonely

.

Solo

.

There´s Others Here With Us

.

Papa

.

Way Back Home

.

Anna Stesia

.

Comeback

.

Another Lonely Christmas ( sure, it´s a fictional story but still a very sad and great song).

.

I think there are many more sad songs but these are the ones that come to my mind first. Songs like When Doves Cry, Purple Rain,Another Lonely Christmas (another great, sad song) basically most of his break-up songs are all quite sad but in a different way.

TrivialPursuit said:

"Comeback" is probably, always, going to be the saddest song he ever wrote. I mean, when your baby dies at 7-days old, and you write about that, what else can be worse? Nothing. Not divorce, not a broken relationship.

I don't really count "Another Lonely Christmas" every time, because it's ficitonal. And while many Prince songs were fictional, or ambiguous, it's his true life songs that hold more weight with me overall, whether happy or sad.

Comeback without a doubt. And it is too close to home.

TrivialPursuit said:

"Comeback" is probably, always, going to be the saddest song he ever wrote. I mean, when your baby dies at 7-days old, and you write about that, what else can be worse? Nothing. Not divorce, not a broken relationship.

I don't really count "Another Lonely Christmas" every time, because it's ficitonal. And while many Prince songs were fictional, or ambiguous, it's his true life songs that hold more weight with me overall, whether happy or sad.

That's interesting that you feel like the true life songs have more weight. Do you have a separate list in your head between fictional Prince songs and autobiographical Prince songs?

Would "Comeback" have the same resonance if we didn't know the story behind it? As we do know, it sounds like the denial stage of grief on an acoustic guitar, which is painful in its own way.

PurpleBabied said:

CalhounSq said:

PurpleBabied said:

That's interesting that you feel like the true life songs have more weight. Do you have a separate list in your head between fictional Prince songs and autobiographical Prince songs?

Would "Comeback" have the same resonance if we didn't know the story behind it? As we do know, it sounds like the denial stage of grief on an acoustic guitar, which is painful in its own way.

I didn't know the story behind Comeback & I find it incredibly sad. It's more about how it strikes you, I guess.

It's still very sad as a self contained song. I think it's much sadder once you know the story (kind of like "Tears in Heaven")

PurpleBabied said:

Power Fantastic...something about the mealody and the way he sings makes me feel sad.

Annastasia...great song..the lyrics convay desperation, isolation and loneliness very well.

Mr. Happy.

sunset3121 said:

Breakdown. Even Prince sings "this could be the saddest story ever told".

Inasenselost said:

sunset3121 said:

Comeback without a doubt. And it is too close to home.

I agree..."Comeback" makes my heart ache...and I share the sentiment that it is too close to home for me...then and now. "...tears go here..."

At least he says "they'll Come Back" (implied to you)! I guess this would hold for him too!!!

gandorb said:

PurpleBabied said:

TrivialPursuit said:

"Comeback" is probably, always, going to be the saddest song he ever wrote. I mean, when your baby dies at 7-days old, and you write about that, what else can be worse? Nothing. Not divorce, not a broken relationship.

I don't really count "Another Lonely Christmas" every time, because it's ficitonal. And while many Prince songs were fictional, or ambiguous, it's his true life songs that hold more weight with me overall, whether happy or sad.

That's interesting that you feel like the true life songs have more weight. Do you have a separate list in your head between fictional Prince songs and autobiographical Prince songs?

Would "Comeback" have the same resonance if we didn't know the story behind it? As we do know, it sounds like the denial stage of grief on an acoustic guitar, which is painful in its own way.

We're specifically talking about the saddest song, not his whole catalog.

Art reflects life, so if Prince's music told us something about this life, then yes it totally holds more weight as far as the saddest song(s). He's said that ALC was just a fictional story. I mean, it's pretty dreary in the story itself - lover dead on Christmas, etc - but a song about your dead child that really happened? Pffft, hands down the latter wins that one.

For me, I feel like Prince had about 60/40 of fictional vs. personal, so it's almost an even split if you were to divide up his songs that way. But we are talking about his saddest song. And what's sadder than a baby dying in your arms?

purplegirl00 said:

Way Back Home It's sounds to me that he is ready to give up/ be done with whatever personal struggles he is facing/has faced. He is ready to go home where his loved ones are. This is why I think he puts his baby's ultrasound heartbeat as the background beat to the song.

I did notice that! I wasn't able to confirm that's an ultrasound heartbeat but it sounds very similar to one. He sounds like a sad alien getting ready to get beamed back up to the mothership in this one.

bigbrother said:

Empty Room - probably about an ex but could be about someone who has died. The part when he sings 'found a strand of your hair...' is really poignant.

Yes, this one for me too... I recently discovered the Live version from Zurich that I find even more poignant than the original version. Very powerful.

PurpleBabied said:

purplegirl00 said:

Way Back Home It's sounds to me that he is ready to give up/ be done with whatever personal struggles he is facing/has faced. He is ready to go home where his loved ones are. This is why I think he puts his baby's ultrasound heartbeat as the background beat to the song.

I did notice that! I wasn't able to confirm that's an ultrasound heartbeat but it sounds very similar to one. He sounds like a sad alien getting ready to get beamed back up to the mothership in this one.

It certainly sounds like a Doppler heart sound (distinct whooshing sound). Very sad song indeed. The way his voice cracks, as if he is on the verge of tears, is heartbreaking.

Solo, Breakdown and Empty Room. Very sad, very beautiful, very powerful.