Micah Tillman

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Jul 14th, 2008 by Micah Tillman | 8 Comments |

Is “Brick,” by Ben Folds Five, the saddest song ever?

Tags: Ben Folds Five, Brick, Songs

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Life

8 Responses to “The Saddest Song”

on 15 Jul 2008 at 6:07 am1Seb

Possibly. But probably not.

For me, it’s long been either “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” by the Smiths, or “No Surprises” by Radiohead. Though there are other songs that, while not merely or explicitly sad, are far more overwhelming.
on 15 Jul 2008 at 9:51 am2Amanda

It’s pretty wretched.

In college I could listen to songs like that. I don’t know if it’s just maturity or being a mom, but I’m much more sensitive to things like this. I can’t really watch things like CSI anymore and I almost never watch movies. (’Course, I will be watching The Dark Knight this weekend!) I just find that since I was first pregnant, I really have to guard my heart.

That is all. :)
on 15 Jul 2008 at 12:33 pm3Andrew Stevens

There is Roy Orbison’s anthem to unrequited love: “Crying.” This link has it in Spanish sung a capella by Rebekah del Rio and directed by David Lynch (from Mulholland Drive). The subject matter (mere unrequited love) isn’t all that sad, of course.

Or, of course, there’s “Danny Boy” or Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.” Or “Gloomy Sunday” as sung by Billie Holliday.
on 15 Jul 2008 at 1:29 pm4Seb

Out of Lynch’s oeuvre, I find the use of another Orbison tune, “Candy-Coloured Clown,” in Blue Velvet to be much more affecting. Partially, it’s my knee-jerk reaction to people with technically spectacular singing voices: really good singers (like del Rio) are emotional alchemists, who can turn lead to gold, and cheap cliches to heart-rending epiphanies. In other words, they can’t be trusted.

And upon further reflection, a couple more additions to the list: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, “The Day I Died” by the Billy Nayer Show, and anything sung by Kaji Meiko.
on 15 Jul 2008 at 7:34 pm5Andrew Stevens

It’s funny you say that. I actually prefer Don McLean’s version who doesn’t have a technically spectacular singing voice. (I included the del Rio version because it’s so well sung and beautifully shot.) “Crying” is one of those songs (like Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself”) which is clearly meant for a male voice, but almost always covered by women since most tenors don’t have the range.

I’ve never really thought of “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” as a particularly sad song. There are some melancholy lyrics, but musically it’s never struck me as that sad.
on 15 Jul 2008 at 9:32 pm6joanna

Quite possibly. I’ll agree with Seb in that the Smiths have some pretty sad ones, too. But they’re usually more *depressing* and Brick is definitely just…heartbreaking.

I’m seeing BF in concert in September, by the way. EXCITED!
on 16 Jul 2008 at 11:53 am7Daddy

I haven’t heard the song “BRICK” yet but I read the lyrics. At first I didn’t understand completely what it was about, until I read some comments of Ben Folds’ Fans. There is no antidote or anecdote that I know of to eradicate the unfathomable sadness of the situation depicted in “BRICK”. The pain never goes away. The survivors must just live on - as “the living dead” because of their loss - and stay together (which is best I think) or go their separate ways - which lessens the pain not at all. Suicide probably doesn’t help either, although I haven’t the nerve to try THAT yet. Reading the book TILLY by Frank E. Peretti helps a little if you can make it through the pages and see the words through your tear-flooded eyes.
on 18 Jul 2008 at 5:43 am8jeffsdeepthoughts

Nearly anything on Sinead O’Connor’s “I do not want what I have not got” belongs on my version of “saddest songs ever.” Ditto several tracks off Elvis Costello’s “Spike”

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The Saddest Song

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