Recommendation: Songs about being lonely
Posted by Chris on July 8, 2009
As we all know, most of the best country music is culled from experiences of heartache and loneliness. A lot of my friends thought Taylor Swift’s “White Horse” was too sad of a song — they ain’t seen nothing yet! I love a good sad song. It’s some cheap therapy for my own bad times, and too many happy songs can get boring anyway.
One of my favorite singers, Patty Loveless, sings about a lot of loneliness. Whether she’s constantly about to cry (“On The Verge Of Tears“), listening to her lover being gone (“Sounds Of Loneliness”) or has lost control of her limbs ( The oft covered “Crazy Arms”), she gets across the feeling of loss like no other.
Recently, in my quest to obtain all of Patty’s albums, I got her 1997 album Long Stretch Of Lonesome. The song that really stood out to me was the title cut, “Long Stretch Of Lonesome”. It has a gorgeous performance from Patty as the instrumentation builds up to a crescendo with strings and guitar aplenty. She knows that someday she’ll break her “Long Stretch Of Lonesome” and she’ll succeed in life; she’s just waiting for that to happen. That’s why I love Patty Loveless’ music because she just does them so well.
What are your favorite songs about being lonely?
Erik said
The “Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands” cover by Reba is one of her very best. “The Great Divide” is another one of her greats, as is “It Always Rains On Saturday”, and “Long Distance Lover”. I like songs about loneliness that don’t actually utter the word, but makes it very clear what the narrator is. I’m on a Reba kick, so she’s the one whose songs keep popping into my head as I’m writing this!
highwayman3 said
One that stands out for me is another Patty song written by Steve Earle, ‘My Old Friend The Blues.’
Others that come to mind
Sara Evans ‘Tonight’
Keith Urban ‘Tonight I Wanna Cry’
Lee Ann Womack ‘Lonely Too,’ ‘Solitary Thinkin’
Chris said
Those are all favorites of mine too, especially “Solitary Thinkin’ “.
Razor X said
Patty wrote “Sounds of Loneliness” for her father when he passed away.
As far as “lonely” songs go, the ones that immediately come to mind are a pair of Vince Gill tunes — “Never Knew Lonely” and “When I Call Your Name”.
Todd said
The two songs that come to my mind first are Gary Allan’s “Songs About Rain” and “Greyhound Bound For Nowhere” by Miranda Lambert.
Steve from Boston said
Razor, that’s not true…Patty wrote that song when she was 14 years old, and it was one of her Dad’s favorites, he used to have her sing it over and over for him.
Great topic Chris, NO ONE does lonely like Patty…even on Vince’s lonesome masterpiece, When I Call Your Name, Patty sings harmony for Vince, and according to the liner notes, she (they) brought producer Tony Brown to tears…If I remember correctly.
Steve from Boston said
Also, Patty played Sounds of Loneliness when she and her brother Roger met Porter for the first time, and she was 15 or 16 then…and that was the song that really got to Porter as well, and I believe was the reason he took Patty under his wing as his protege’. I think her Dad passed away back in 79, and Patty would have been 21 or 22 at the time.
Patty said the emotions of the song were inspired by missing her East Kentucky childhood home, after they moved to Louisville. But the essence as well as the details of SOL have universal impact.
What an incredible song, though by an artist of any age!
Razor X said
My mistake. She dedicated it to his memory in the liner notes of her first album. That’s what I was thinking of.
Steve from Boston said
What you said makes a lot of sense though…an easy mistake to make for sure. And it is so fitting for that purpose.
I was going to say that she almost certainly has her Dad in her mind and her heart when she sings it now, but according to Patty’s longtime fans. she has never sung it in concert. Perhaps, like How Can I Help You, it is just too emotionally charged for her, not sure…
Patty Loveless Builds On Mountain Soul; Digital Album Sales Climb | The 9513 said
[...] My Kind of Country: What are your favorite songs about being lonely? [...]
KathyP said
What immediately came to mind was Miranda Lambert’s “Greyhound Bound for Nowhere.” It just drips loneliness and sadness. I see commenter Todd picked it too. I wished the had released it as a single. Beats “New Strings.”
Blake Boldt said
Patty Loveless. Name rings a bell.
Of course, Loveless does the concept so well, but the first song that came to mind, oddly, is “Flowers on the Wall,” which is a wickedly sarcastic take on being lonely.
Joe said
Anyone remember that old “Snapshot” album track from Sylvia, “Tonight I’m Getting Friendly With the Blues?” I’ve always loved that one.
OTWG said
The number one song without a doubt is “Sunday Morning Coming Down”. One of the finest songs penned by Kris Kristofferson and one of the best performed by Johnny Cash.
OTWG said
Also, an honorable mention for “Proud Souls” by Jason Boland & the Stagglers. We gotta have some Red Dirt on the list.
lucasj04 said
I have two both by Garth Brooks “What’s she’s doing now” and “Every Now and then”
Emmy said
Alan Jackson’s Monday Morning Church. I think Patty Loveless sang backup on that, which is fantastic, but the lyrics are what stand out to me.
I’m partial to her You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive from Mountain Soul, done by others as well.
Ashley said
Chely Wright’s “South Side of Lonesome”
Julie Roberts “All I Want is You” & “Chasin Whiskey”
bll said
“Please Operator” Garth Brooks is another good one.
Jaime said
“Holdin’ On to Nothin’ But the Wheel” by Patty, of course. A classic.
Roxanne Panama said
Kudos from one braniac to another.