Thirty Sad Songs and One Sweet Giveaway

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If you know me at all, you know that I only listen to sad music.

I actually have a playlist for entitled "Just In Case I Die: A Musical Tribute To Kelly Bergin" on my computer, because I will haunt any fool who tries to play "Spirit in the Sky" at my funeral. I will pull a Tom Sawyer and fall out of the ceiling to shut that shit off. It may be dark, but I want to be prepared to combat any crappy music played at my dope funeral party.

So whenever I meet someone new, I almost always ask to hear their favorite depressing song. I like bulking up my library with classics I haven't heard of. I may generally a positive person (stop laughing, I'm trying!), but nothing makes me feel and write like a good sad, song.

When I first met Matt Logelin nearly four years ago, the first thing we talked about was music (and booze). Since I moved to Los Angeles, Matt has dragged me along to Amoeba on Sunset more than a few Tuesdays to pick up a new album. Sure, he may pretend not to know me as I scour the VHS tapes for a rare copy of Hanson's 1998 tour video (buy me a copy, Internet!), but I know he totally appreciates my unique musical insight. (i.e., repeating things I read on Pitchfork).

So when I talked to Matt about giving away a copy of his book, coming April 3rd to paperback, I tried to think of a unique way to introduce Matt to those of you who may not know him. Music plays a big part in his memoir, which details the loss of his wife, Liz, 27 hours after the birth of their daughter Madeline. The narrative of Two Kisses for Maddy is loosely shaped around music both Matt and Liz loved, and I know a big thrill for Matt was getting some of his favorite artists to allow their lyrics to be reprinted in his book. (I also know how much he enjoys watching Maddy develop her own awesome music taste, no doubt aided by his catalog of songs with the words 'ghost', 'ninja' and 'Batman' in them.)

Matt graciously agreed to write up a playlist of his favorite songs AND allow me to give away a copy of Two Kisses for Maddy to 2 readers. I also wrote up my favorite sad songs, in case you also love weeping in your car while stuck in traffic on the 405.

Two winners will be chosen at random but first must provide their favorite happy, upbeat song. God knows our playlists need it.

But before you try to pump us up and make us see rainbows and sunshine, here are our picks for Songs That Make You Less Dead Inside...

Matt:
there are 61,467 songs currently in my itunes library. below are 15 of the saddest songs i can think of at the moment. sad, maybe because of the lyrics. sad, maybe because of the mournful tone of the song. sad, maybe because they just make me feel sad because of the memories they've become.

it doesn't matter why i think they're sad. shit. they may make you happy. i don't know. but i can promise you this…they will make you feel. so go feel some music.

1. when your bridges burned by jakob olausson from the album, morning & sunrise
2. woman, when i've raised hell by josh t. pearson from the album, last of the country gentlemen
3. trouble every day by tindersticks from the album, trouble everyday soundtrack
4. jim cain by bill callahan from the album, sometimes i wish i were an eagle
5. a place aside by beth orton from the album, comfort of strangers
6. i see a darkness from the album, bonnie "prince" billy - i see a darkness
7. everything is on the point of decline by the caretaker from the album, patience (after seabed)
8. song for bobby smith (alt. take) by gill scott-heron from the album, winter in america
9. gloomy sunday by billie holiday from the album, lady day - the best of billie holiday
10. alabama by john coltrane from the album, live at birdland
11. shoulders by larry jon wilson from the album, larry jon wilson
12. ii. solar system by the microphones from the album, mount eerie
13. april the 14th (part 1) by gillian welch from the album, time (the revelator) 1
4. northern sky by nick drake from the album, bryter layter
15. lost verses by sun ki moon from the album, april

Kelly:
i guess i'm going to be all casual and not use proper punctuation like matt. anyway, in the interest of being original, i won't include nick drake or bonnie prince billy on my list for fear that matt tries to take credit for my love of them.

here are some of my favorite sad songs:

1. whatever's written in your heart, gerry rafferty
2. hurt, johnny cash version
3. with you in your dreams, hanson, (1997 version where taylor's voice sounds like a beautiful girl)
4. skinny love, bon iver (when i broke up with my boyfriend, i listened to this 54 times in 1 week. oh, 2009 kelly! you were so sad and fat.)
5. somebody that i used to know, elliott smith
6. the fine art of falling apart, matthew good
7. casimir pulaski day, sufjan stevens (what, you don't like songs about people dying of cancer?)
8. i can't make you love me, bonnie raitt (i once sang this to a picture of Ed Burns)
9. late for the sky, jackson browne ("such an empty surprise/to feel so alone")
10. thirteen, big star (oh, the longing!)
11. hearts and bones, paul simon (divorce from princess leia really wrecked him! also, it's a surprise this entire list isn't all paul simon.)
12. landslide, fleetwood mac (this is the first song i ever fell in love with, and i think i heard it on a special on vh1. i just remember the vh1 logo at the corner of the screen and knowing the line "children get older/i'm getting older too" would stick with me forever. i was 9.)
13. river, joni mitchell (i will never go anywhere in my life without this song on my iPod)
14. fake plastic trees, radiohead
15. do what's easy, chris bathgate (A MUST!)

Okay, that's all we wrote. Make sure to leave a comment telling us your favorite happy song. Okay, and your favorite sad song too. There's always room for more. Make sure to include your email address. A winner will be picked at random by midnight on March 27th.

Thanks for playing!