Need a good scream? You are in the right place!
These songs are all about grief, whether your grief is related to mental health, a failed romance, or a personal loss, these tracks are sure to bring you some comfort. From power ballads to club songs, nothing inspires art quite like pain.
Grab your tissues and listen to these songs about pain.
Index
- Wounded - Johnny Cash
- Everyone Suffers - R.E.M.
- Let's Hurt Tonight - OneRepublic
- Hurt Feelings - Mac Miller
- Calm down for me - Adele
- Points - Shawn Mendes
- Love hurts - Nazaré
- Someone You Love - Lewis Capaldi
- WER - Justin Timberlake
- Mi Inmortal – impermanence
- Celine Dion - I love you, bye
- Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball
- Russian Roulette - Rihanna
- La La La - spoiled brat
- A Million Reasons - Lady Gaga
- How You Sleep - Sam Smith
- Life After You - Daughtry
- Heartless - Kanye West
- Take what you want - Post Malone
- Perish - transience
- Granada-Bruno Mars
- Hurt me now - Quinn Lewis
- Hurt me - Jugo WRLD
- Make It Hurt - Rascal Flatts.
- Injured – Christina Aguilera
- Doi – Emeli Sandé
- Es tut so weh - John Cougar Mellencamp
- Pain—James Arthur
- Hurts Like Heaven - Coldplay
Wounded - Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash's somber, sultry voice makes this a painfully moving version of the original Nine Inch Nails song. The line "Today I hurt myself to see if I still feel it" is somber but beautifully asks if it's better to be in pain or to be numb to it all.
Related: This song is one of thesaddest songs of all time.
Everyone Suffers - R.E.M.
Intended as a lifeline for the hopeless, Everybody Hurts was written to bring comfort to those going through difficult times. They say: "Don't get carried away because everyone is crying". It's a reminder that everyone goes through hard things and can overcome them and move on even if it's not easy.
Related: Cry a river with himChoro-Musik-Playlist.
Let's Hurt Tonight - OneRepublic
'Let's Hurt Tonight' is a beautiful song about two people who love each other despite mental illness and hard times. It has an anthem-like sentiment that'll give you goosebumps or tears (or maybe both!) "They say love is pain so baby we're gonna hurt each other tonight." This couple wants all the pain in their lives and theirs Feeling love because it knows it's the pain that makes it real.
Related: Are hereThe best songs about tough love..
Hurt Feelings - Mac Miller
Instead of dealing with personal hurt, Mac Miller sings about how he might hurt others' feelings. The song is about how he's grown and changed from the person he was in his hometown: "I always say I won't change, but I'm not the same anymore." When you change, sometimes those around you resist it. Miller doesn't want to hurt these people's feelings, but he doesn't regret who he's become.
Related: Get better with itPersonal growth playlist.
Calm down for me - Adele
An emotional song about the difficult decision of divorce, "Easy On Me" was Adele's return to the music scene after five long years. Her soulful voice and soulful melodies are as beautiful as ever as she urges her ex-husband, son and the listener to take it easy. There is no easy option when it comes to ending a relationship, especially when you start building a family with them. When it comes down to it, you should put yourself first and expect others to make it easy for you.
Points - Shawn Mendes
"Stitches" was Shawn Mendes' first UK number one song, and its inevitable catch leaves no room to wonder why. Lost and hurt, Mendes wonders why he loved that person when everything they did hurt him. "You watch me bleed 'til I can't breathe," he sings, but he was a "moth drawn to a flame." Love can be self destructive at times, a clear sentiment in this song.
Related: This song is in oursPlaylist of songs about moving on.
Love hurts - Nazaré
Wounded by love, Nazareth sings about the scars, the burns and the pain that love leaves. The line "Love is just a lie, made to make you sad" shows the song's resentful and hurt attitude. After a brutal injury, it's easy to believe that the pain of broken love outweighs the good of peaceful love.
Related: You can listen to this song inBaffled and confused soundtrack.
Someone You Love - Lewis Capaldi
Vulnerable lyrics and Lewis Capaldi's raspy, plaintive voice helped keep this simple piano ballad at the top of the charts for weeks. Heartbreak songs never seem to get old, and "Someone You Loved" reminds us of universal pain. Just when you start to get comfortable with someone, they rip the rug out for you, leaving you lost and confused. "Day bleeds to night," but the person whose comfort you most desire may never come.
Related: Take a tissue and listen moresad love songs.
I love the way you lie - Eminem and Rihanna
"Love The Way You Lie" describes an on-off relationship that borders on poison. Rihanna's hurt voice and Eminem's angry voice capture the range of emotions in this type of relationship. Will you stand there and watch me burn? Well it's okay because I like how it hurts. The narrator suffers, and although the partner only watches, he doesn't care.
Related: see oursBetrayal songs playlist.
WER - Justin Timberlake
"TKO" stands for Total Knockout, a wrestling move that guarantees victory. In this song, Justin Timberlake compares watching an ex walk by to being knocked unconscious. He incorporates many boxing metaphors and sings "I rock by the bell and by every whistle". He feels his change is unfair because it hurts him, even though deep down he knows it was something that had to happen.
Mi Inmortal – impermanence
The lyrics of "My Immortal" are ambiguous, but the narrator is clearly in deep pain. A turbulent relationship of sorts left scars that can be seen along the lines of, "These wounds don't seem to heal, this pain is very real, there's so much time that can't be erased." Cinematic strings and full vocals add to the emotion of this song.
Celine Dion - I love you, bye
Accepting that you weren't made for someone is a difficult proposition. No matter how much you love someone, it's just not meant to be. Celine Dion's piano ballads are always soulful, but with lyrics like "I don't want to leave you baby, it's breaking me inside but I'll never be who you need," this is the next level.
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Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball
Miley Cyrus falls in love with Wrecking Ball, but in return she gets destroyed. This hit pop song follows a relationship that one person is fully invested in and the other just isn't ready for. They just end up hurting each other. To put things in perspective, Bridge says, “I never wanted to start a war. I just wanted you to let me in.
Russian Roulette - Rihanna
"Russian Roulette" compares a dangerous relationship to the life-threatening gambling that gives the song its name. This type of relationship can be good one moment and bad the next, creating the same sense of anxiety and tension as playing Russian roulette. "I'm scared but I'm not going," Rihanna sings, showing her commitment to this relationship, cruel as it is.
La La La - spoiled brat
It's a natural instinct to try to avoid and ignore the things that hurt us. "La La La" describes a child's reaction to a breakup: "I cover my ears like a child." The narrator does not want to hear the words because they will bring about a change in his life that is too painful to pass to think about it. Despite the sad lyrical content, this is quite a fun electronic dance song.
A Million Reasons - Lady Gaga
I've got a hundred million reasons to go, but baby I only need one good one to stay. The directness of this line is just one of the many beautiful components of Lady Gaga's "Million Reasons." Even though being with this person is emotionally draining, it only takes one bright spot to convince you to stay. A common mistake of lovers, we look for the good in a relationship even when all the bad is in front of our eyes.
Related: Find this song in ourBreakup songs playlist.
How You Sleep - Sam Smith
'How do you sleep?' It's about the outrage and pain that comes with being betrayed. Sam Smith asks "How do you sleep if you lie to me?" Desperate to know how someone they thought loved them could knowingly cause so much pain. While this is a catchy pop song that you could definitely dance to, it could also make you cry.
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Life After You - Daughtry
This country rock song reflects life without the person you love. Every relationship has its obstacles, but what if there's a problem that can't be solved? Daughtry looks at life after an unsolvable argument and concludes that "there is no life after you".
Heartless - Kanye West
The catchy beat of "Heartless" makes it an instantly recognizable rap song. Kanye West sings about a man who loses his soul and heart to a woman's cold temper. The dramatic opening lines "In the night I listen them talk, the coldest story ever told, once along this road he lost his soul to a woman so ruthless" make this song a warning to anyone looking for love.
Related: Need to fix your heart? here is oursPlaylist of songs about broken hearts.
Take what you want - Post Malone
Toxic love is downright exhausting, and Post Malone succumbs to exhaustion on "Take What You Want." Leave him in peace. It will come in handy when it means it's all over sooner: a grim solution to an impossible situation.
Perish - transience
The song's narrator struggles to keep her head on the ground, despite the burden of her cruel love. After "yelling, cheating, and bleeding" for that person, he decides it's time to save himself. The heavy rock style of "Going Under" amplifies the intensity of their determination and suggests a sense that the stakes are high.
Related: Let yourself be inspired by itList of battle songs.
Granada-Bruno Mars
A classic song from the 2010s, "Grenade" sings about the feeling of giving someone everything and getting nothing in return. Bruno Mars would give his life for that person, but he knows they wouldn't do the same for him. Despite this, he would still "take a grenade" for her. The song feels like one giant question: "Why? Why don't you love me?" with a clear and deep pain that is echoed in the words of Mars.
Related: If they don't love you, listen to theseSongs about loving someone you can't have.
Hurt me now - Quinn Lewis
This almost vulnerable song tells the story of the end of a broken relationship. Quinn Lewis felt a change in this relationship and doesn't know what went wrong. However, he knows the end is near. He says, "If you need to hurt me, hurt me now," he wants the answers and the pain to end.
Hurt me - Jugo WRLD
Often the simplest response to pain is to turn off yourself and others. Juice WRLD's "Hurt Me" walks us through his experiences with it. He locks his doors, turns to drugs, and has no mercy on friends and strangers who annoy him. While being alone can be powerful, that kind of independence feels self-defeating, especially with the line, "Crack my whip at the drugs I dodge."
Make It Hurt - Rascal Flatts.
"Let It Hurt" is a response to loss. The pain of losing a loved one is one of the hardest things to go through, and Rascal Flatts says, "just let it hurt, let it bleed." We often "put on our best face in the world," but that only prolongs the inevitable moment when grief overwhelms us. Feel everything and hope it gets better.
Injured – Christina Aguilera
This haunting, sad song is heavy. Writing about her late father, Christina Aguilera wishes she could repeat her last words to her father on Hurt. She lists things she would have said if given the chance, like "Thank you for everything you've done" and "Forgive me for all your mistakes." Her powerful voice combined with the orchestral instrumentation make this song moving.
Related: Hear sweet excuses with thesesorry songs.
Doi – Emeli Sandé
Love is a common cause of heartbreak and a common muse for heartbreak songs. Emeli Sandé's "Hurts" is a song of regret about how a lover hurt her. The intense build up of drums and vocals throughout the song amplifies the mounting pain Sandé is feeling along with the breaking point that snaps her out of her anger and into an acoustic finale.
Es tut so weh - John Cougar Mellencamp
This iconic rock song uses intriguing guitar riffs and catchy drums to create something that appreciates the pain love can cause. The slogan "Come on baby make it hurt so bad" gives this song its suggestive touch. A track meant to be fun, that kind of pain isn't something most of us want to avoid.
Pain—James Arthur
This track is a stripped down version of the song "Hurts" by Emeli Sandé. James Arthur's deep voice, powerful delivery and breathless voice create an emotional experience that lets you feel his pain. Arthur sings about all the memories of that person and how they left him with nothing but pain.
Related: Looking back at ourList of sentimental songs.
Hurts Like Heaven - Coldplay
"Hurts Like Heaven" is a cathartic anthem about when everything feels wrong but you don't know what. The fast tempo of the music reinforces the feeling of being overwhelmed by a pain you don't understand. The line "I fight with the feeling that my life is not my own" captures the whole idea of the song. Feeling inexplicably out of control and lost is one of the worst types of pain.