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The End Of The Innocence

Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standin' by
But "happily ever after" fails
And we've been posisoned by thse fairy tales
The lawyers dwell on small details
Since daddy had to fly

But I know a place where we can go
That's still untouched by men
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass wave in the wind
You can lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence

O' beautiful, for spacious skies
But now those skies are threatening
They're beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king
Armchair warriors often fail
And we've been poisoned by thse fairy tales
The lawyers clean up all the details
Since daddy had to lie

But I know a place where we can go
And wash away this sin
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass wave in the wind
Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair spill all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence

Who knows how long this will last
Now we've come so far, so fast
But, somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us
I need to remember this
So baby give me just one kiss
And let me take a long last look
Before we say goodbye

Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence

Don Henley

This is actually a poem by Maya Angelou, but I first heard it performed as a song with Buckshot LeFonque (B Marsalis et al) so I always think of it as a song.


I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings


The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and is tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Dear all,
I've read the posts on this thread (big thanks to Lightning for kicking it off!), and trawled through my memory bank to locate my own "saddest song".
It was mentioned on a previous post: "Ne Me Quite Pas", by Jacques Brel.
I have a tape of him singing this masterpiece, and it has never failed to draw tears. Forget the cover versions (including Dusty Springfield's); Brel delivers something beyond a mere song: this is a dramatic unveilling of utter desolation. Brel was a "chansonnier", as opposed to a "singer": the difference is so much more than that of language.
Lightning, you also mentioned Georges Brassens. I have a C.D. of his, "Bobino 64" (a 21-track live album recorded in 1964. If you're interested, I'll send you a copy).
A previous poster on this thread commented that the saddest songs were written by the French: this is not true, Brel was Belgian.

There is another song (am I allowed 2 ?) which may be more accessible to English speakers, of which I'm one. The singer/songwriter is Roy Orbison. He had a tremulous vulnerability in his singing which carried/delivered the song.
And the song?......."It's Over".
The title sums it up. I have a C.D. of the "Big O" singing it live.

This is indulgence: I blame it on Lightning.
Andrew.

P.S. I'm not about to start a "happiest song" thread . I don't need to. I have it already. You will all agree. Language is no problem. This song crosses cultures and continents. It can be sung in many languages; in fact I've heard it sung in 5, so far.
I'm not sure of the tune, but here's the lyrics....

"Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, dear .............
Happy Birthday to you".

I have heard the fem interpretation of Ne me quite pas with Edith Piaf and Mireille Mathieu......I am not sure if both or one of them

The best happy song is surely Happy Birthday....! (even when it may be sad when we are up to 40 )

What about this one?



Oh my love my darling
I’ve hungered for your touch a long lonely time
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love I need your love
God speed your love to me ……
Lonely rivers flow to the sea to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh “Wait for me wait for me”
I’ll be coming home wait for me ……

Oh my love my darling
I’ve hungered for your touch a long lonely time
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love I need your love
God speed your love to me …… 　

Dear Insanitor ~

I cried when I read Maya Angelou's poem. It has been a long time since I've read it. Thank you for posting it. I wonder if its musical treatment did it justice.

~ Elizabeth

Brel fans should be sure to get the 2003 gorgeously re-mastered 2CD set "Infiniment" which contains all his best songs plus 5 unreleased tracks from 1977. Ne Me Quitte Pas is the last song on the second CD. The European version has the lyrics to the the unreleased songs in the booklet while the DRG North American re-release is half the price and contains short translations into English of all 40 songs ( done by yours truly).Cover versions, mostly in English, can be found on "Next" released first in Europe and just re-released in North America by DRG for half the price (liner notes by yours truly).
The classic video performance of Ne Me Quitte pas is affixed to the end of "Les Adieux a L'Olympia". He cries and his face takes on the cast of child. It is considered the finest song in the French language by a recent internet poll, and one of the worlds great love songs. Brel thought of it as a kind of anti-love song, showing what ridiculous and unkeepable promises lovers make to each other and how they wind up abasing themselves as "love" ends. It was Brel's mission to portray "cons" and "ratés" as was the rejected lover of Ne Me Quitte Pas.
Thanks Andrew, but I just got a 2CD Brassens set, which is what started me on this thread. I am just discovering it.
P.S. Piaf never covered Brel, she had her own songwriters. Dietrich covered NMQP in German, Nina Simone in French, Marianne Faithful et. al in English.

Unchained Melody is a favorite of mine but it doesn't seem sad to me.It was the song Elvis is reported to have sung just before he died.

Dear Lightning,
You deserve thanks for reminding forum members of the artistry of Jacques Brel: another of my favourites (first heard when I was 16) is "Le Plat Pays", and of course "Amsterdam".
There's a link to his music/life via http://www.jacquesbrel.be
Andrew.

"Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
On thy bosom let me rest,
More I would, but Death invades me;
Death is now a welcome guest.
When I am laid in earth, May my wrongs create
No trouble in thy breast;
Remember me, but ah! forget my fate."


This is Dido's last song of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas"

Obviously no LC song can be mentioned here. I always thought his song were very joyfull, even, for exemple, Nancy.

Pinks song about her parents divorse "Family portrait" is sooooo sad. She sings it with so much anger and sorrow, so one really does feel quilty for putting our kids through such a hard thing as splitting up the family.

hugs from Cia

Thanks Lightning for the thread and Jacques Brel. Also, Andrew for observing "It's Over". Orbison could make practically any song leave a lingering sadness.

Linda.

Patyou,

It is interesting that, with Leonard's rep as a poet to 'slit one's wrists' to, LC's songs did not come immediately to mind as being 'sad'.

Linda.

Dear Lizzytysh,

If you can get a copy it is well worth listening to, very moving. It is read by Maya which is incredible anyway, but the Marsalis music treatment just gets all the juice out of it I think.

here is a blurb

Among the sterling guest artists joining Marsalis and DJ Premier is America's poet laureate Maya Angelou who reads her classic poem "I Know What the Caged Bird Sings" on a track of the same name.

The saddest song for me is "Fare thee well love" sung by the Rankin family. It was played at my dad's funeral and most times after that I would ask people to turn it off if they played it. it may not be very sad for others but I have a hard time listening to it even nine years later.

Fare thee well love, Fare thee well love
Far away, you must go
Take my heart love,Take my heart love
We will never meet, again no more

Far across love, Far across love
O'er the mountains and country wide
Take my heart love, Take my heart love
No one knows, the tears I've cried

So I'll drink today love, I'll sing to you love
In paupers glory my time I'll bide
No home or ties love, a restless rover
If I can't have you, by my side

Oh come back love, Oh come back love
The sun and moon refuse to shine
Since I've gone love, gone away love
This lonely girl has had no peace of mind

So I'll drink today love, I'll sing to you love
In paupers glory my time I'll bide
No home or ties love,a restless rover
If I can't have you, by my side

Fare thee well love, Fare thee well love
Far away, you must go
Take my heart love, Take my heart love
We will never meet, again no more


On a more humerous note I went to a performance of a local giutar player and although it was instrumental he did a few cover songs and he sung "I hung my head" I hadn't heard it and wasn't sure if he wrote it I got very uncomfortable sitting five feet from him. he said it was Stings song and I was releived. It probobly had to do with the atmosphere too but it was very sad and powerfull.