songs that make you cry (happy or sad)

[TooPatient]

An old Neil Diamond song called "America" always makes my eyes well up with tears. My maternal Grandmother was one of the most influential people in my life. She helped to raise me and my sister since we lived on the top floor of her tremendous two family house in Brooklyn. She was the "storyteller" in our family.

My Grandmother came to America with her mother in 1918 on a freight ship from Riesi, Sicily with their family savings ($8.-) and my great grandmother's steamer trunk full of her most precious belongings (hand embroidered linens, pictures of family etc). My Grandmother was 11 yrs old but her first memory of seeing the Statue of Liberty remained vivid and profound until the day she died. She said in Italy, all people talked about was going to America, the land of riches, to start a new life, "where the streets were paved with gold"..... When that cold, dirty, over crowded freight ship neared Manhattan harbor and the Statue of Liberty was in sight, she said all of the women took out their hankerchiefs, all of the men took off their hats and placed them over their hearts, and everyone cried. She told us that story 100s of times during our lives and it always makes me cry!

AMERICA Written by Neil Diamond

Far
We've been traveling far
Without a home
But not without a star

Free
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream

On the boats and on the planes
They're coming to America
Never looking back again
They're coming to America

Home, don't it seem so far away
Oh, we're traveling light today
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm

Home, to a new and a shiny place
Make our bed, and we'll say our grace
Freedom's light burning warm
Freedom's light burning warm

Everywhere around the world
They're coming to America
Every time that flag's unfurled
They're coming to America

Got a dream to take them there
They're coming to America
Got a dream they've come to share
They're coming to America

They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
Today, today, today, today, today

My country 'tis of thee
Today
Sweet land of liberty
Today
Of thee I sing
Today
Of thee I sing
Today

1980 Stonebridge Music (ASCAP)

Gemgirl --
Thanks for sharing your grandmothers story. She sounds like a wonderful woman
That really is a wonderful song too.

 

[TooPatient]

My mother passed away in March of 2001 as I was nearing the end of my senior year of high school. She fought a very courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer for 5 very long years. She absolutely LOVED the movie "Beaches". Her best friend decided that "The Wind Beneath My Wings" should be played at her funeral because it was my mother's favorite song. I can remember anytime that song came on the radio my mom would turn it up as load as possible and we would all belt it out like nobody's business Clearly, there was not a dry eye to be found anywhere when it played at the funeral but I know my mom was belting it out while looking down on all of us.

To this day, I still cannot listen to that song without sobbing uncontrollably. Not so long ago, I was in the checkout line at a department store. Naturally, I'm in my own little world stoked about the deal I was getting on some shoes and all of a sudden... I hear it... "It must have been cold there in my shadow...." Immediately, chills shot up my spine and my eyes started welling up. I literally had to leave my stuff at the counter and rush out... I was an absolute wreck! I sobbed the whole way home.

Awwwww

Now I'm crying....

I hope that someday you'll hear this song and think of your mom and smile at the happy memories.

 

[dragonfly411]

I don't know if it was just that it was the weekend, or if there are truly this many songs out that make me cry right now but here were my counts from this weekend:

What do you Want - Jerrod Niemann
Real -James Wesley
Who Are You when I'm Not Lookin - Blake Shelton
Hello World - Lady Antebellum
Draw Me A Map - dierks Bentley
The baby - Blake Shelton



I MEAN REALLY?

 

[Rockdiamond]

Some really touching selections....

This song- Brokedown Palace, was played at a dear friend and band-mate's funeral. It always brings tears to my eyes...
Written by Jerry Garcia, and Robert Hunter

Fare you well, my honey, fare you well my only true one.
All the birds that were singing are flown, except you alone.

Im Going to leave this brokedown palace,
On my hands and my knees, I will roll, roll, roll.
Make myself a bed by the waterside,
In my time,in my time, I will roll, roll, roll.

In a bed, in a bed, by the waterside I will lay my head.
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.

River going to take me, sing sweet and sleepy,
sing me sweet and sleepy all the way back home.
It's a far gone lullaby, sung many years ago.
Mama, mama many worlds I've come since I first left home.

Goin' home, goin' home, by the waterside I will rest my bones,
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.

Going to plant a weeping willow,
By the bank's green edge it will grow, grow, grow.
Sing a lullaby beside the water,
Lovers come and go, the river roll, roll, roll.

Fare you well, fare you well, I love you more than words can tell,
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.

 

[Steel]

My mother passed away in March of 2001 as I was nearing the end of my senior year of high school. She fought a very courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer for 5 very long years. She absolutely LOVED the movie "Beaches". Her best friend decided that "The Wind Beneath My Wings" should be played at her funeral because it was my mother's favorite song. I can remember anytime that song came on the radio my mom would turn it up as load as possible and we would all belt it out like nobody's business Clearly, there was not a dry eye to be found anywhere when it played at the funeral but I know my mom was belting it out while looking down on all of us.

To this day, I still cannot listen to that song without sobbing uncontrollably. Not so long ago, I was in the checkout line at a department store. Naturally, I'm in my own little world stoked about the deal I was getting on some shoes and all of a sudden... I hear it... "It must have been cold there in my shadow...." Immediately, chills shot up my spine and my eyes started welling up. I literally had to leave my stuff at the counter and rush out... I was an absolute wreck! I sobbed the whole way home.

Awwwww

Now I'm crying....

I hope that someday you'll hear this song and think of your mom and smile at the happy memories.

Nicely said. Your post made me sad too DP, I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[dragonfly411]

Just had to add one. This doesn't necessarily make me cry, but I'm in love:

Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) - Dixie Chicks