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 Heaven gone to Hell." A man has a fight with his wife and "ran off to the bar." There he meets a man who puts it all into perspective. The man says, "thank your lucky stars that you've got someone to go home to" because "you don't know about sadness til you've faced life alone; you don't know about lonely til it's chiseled in stone." The man listens to this man, buys his wife some "pretty flowers hoping [she] would understand," and goes home. Those words are too true. You can't understand until that person is gone what lonely means.
"Concrete Angel," performed by Martina McBride, is a song about a little girl who "hides the bruises with the linen and lace" and "sometimes wishes she was never born." Despite this, "her dreams gives her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved." One night, the little girl cries and "the neighbors hear but they turn out the light..when morning comes it will be too late." The little girl is murdered by the family that is suppose to love her. Now "a statue stand in a shaded place, an angel girl with an upturned face, a name is written on a polished rock, a broken heart the world forgot." It is okay though because "through the wind and the rain, she stands hard as stone in a world that she can't rise above, but her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she is loved [she is a] concrete angel." Child abuse is on the rise. Makes you wonder how many other "Concrete Angels" are being forgotten, too.
"The Little Drummer Boy" performed by various artists. is a Christmas cry-fest. Who can't relate to not being good enough or what they have to give isn't in line with what others are giving? The little drummer boy "played [his] best for him." Even though he felt his gift wasn't good enough "Mary smiled at him." It was good enough. If you ask me, it was the best gift of all. His gift was the very best he could give and it came from his heart. We all want gifts like that. We all need gifts like that.
"Feed Jake," performed by Pirates of the Mississippi, is a song about a man and his love "Jake," his dog. The man is "standing at the crossroads in life" and is unsure of his next move. The only thing he is sure of is that "if I die before I wake, feed Jake - he's been a good dog, my best friend right through it all." The man sees the world isn't what it used to be because a "wino's passed out on the side walk..some say he's worthless," but the man disagrees "and so would his mama." This man will somehow make it through because he has Jake.
"Coat of Many Colors," written and performed by Dolly Parton, is a song about how cruel children can be and how that doesn't matter when you have a family that loves you. The little girl's mother made her a coat out of rags, the only thing they had to make it out of. When she wore the coat that she "was so proud of," the children laughed at her. It didn't matter to that dirt-poor little girl. She knew her mother loved her and that she wasn't really poor because that loved made her rich.
"Drugs or Jesus," performed by Tim McGraw is a raw commentary on today's society. "Everybody just wants to get high, sit and watch the world go by; we're looking for love and meaning in our lives. We follow the roads that leads us to drugs or Jesus. He sings about how "everybody wants acceptance...everyone's just looking for the truth." The man has been running from his small town life and "the stained glass windows in my mind." At the end of the song, he makes his choice between drugs and Jesus - "oh, I need you, Jesus," he sings. He made the right choice; drugs only leads to destruction and death, but Jesus leads you to love and life.
"Hold the Fort" was sang in my home church all my life. It was my grandfather's favorite song. He was a World War II veteran and he related to the lyrics. Alzheimer's took his mind and, eventually his life on Earth. The night before his last hospital stay, he managed to mumble "sing to me." I did. I sang, "Hold the fort for I am coming, Jesus signals still. Wave the answer back to Heaven, by your grace we will." He had suffered so long and had been so brave through it all. Not just through that wretched disease, but through his entire life. How I was able to say what I said to him, I will never know. With a smile, I boldly said, "It is okay to go home. You have taught me well and I can hold this fort until I go home with you." I had never lied to him before, but I did when I told him it was okay for him to go home. I didn't mean it. It was not okay in any sense of the word. Everything else I said was true, though. He taught me so much - things I use everyday, especially with his great-granddaughter. I would keep going, living my Christian life and holding the fort that must never fall to the enemy. Seventeen days later, he left that fort in my hands and I've been holding it ever since. I told him I would and I will until I do go home to see my Savior and him.
Now that I have brushed away my tears and attempted to bury all the feelings these songs brought up, I can manage a weak smile. Even though they are sad songs, they each have a spirit of hope within their lyrics. Please don't hold back your tears; they are good for you. More importantly, don't hold back the hope; it is really one of the only things that will get you through life.