by Emma Riley Sutton

Created on: April 21, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2008

It isn't just the sad songs that makes us cry. In fact, it may not be the song at all. It is the memories, thoughts, and emotions the words of the song brings up that make us cry. Even those up-beat, happy songs can make us cry; they just aren't known for it. There are so many songs that will make you cry...

"Honey" performed by Bobby Goldsboro is one of the saddest songs ever written. Surprisingly, it was written by Mel Tillis, known for his county comedy. It describes the life of a young man who just lost his wife. He sings about the life they had together; the tree she planted when it was just a twig; the puppy he got her; how she wrecked the car and thought he would be mad. It was early spring when Honey went away. "She was all alone the day the angels came..." Now that Honey is gone, the twig has grown into a tree. The chorus is "And, Honey, I miss you and I'm bein' good and I'd love to be with you, if only I could." Nothing more needs to be said.

"Teddy Bear" performed by Red Sovine, is also a tear-jerker. Teddy Bear CB handle of a little crippled boy. He used his CB to tell his story to a trucker. His dad was a trucker who died in an accident. His dad promises he'd take him for another ride, but died before he could keep that promise. Teddy Bear wants just one more ride in a big 18-wheeler. Unknown to the little boy, the trucker he was talking to turns his rig around to go to Teddy Bear. When he gets there, there is a line of trucks already there. Others had heard the little boy's story and came to give him a ride. My feeble words can't compare to the lyrics written by Boxcar Willie. His words can be found at www.cmt.com/lyrics/boxcar-willie/teddy-bear/7098287/ lyrics.jhtml. Please read them with a tissue or two in hand.

"Detroit City," written and performed by Bobby Bare, is a song about a man miles from home. His misses his family back with "those cotton fields." His family thinks he's "big in Detroit City," but "by day I make the cars, by night I make the bars." Despite his letters home, he is really homeless. At the end of the song, he decides to "take my foolish pride and put it on a southbound freight and ride" because "I wanna go home, oh how I wanna go home." I listened to this song in college. I was on the east coast and my family was back home in the south. At the time, I couldn't agree more; nobody knows the times I all I could think about was "I wanna go home."

"Chiseled in Stone," written and performed by Vern Gosdin is about "another piece of

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