I know most of you have probably heard Dust in the Wind - but if you didn't look for it or stumble across it, I think the Dutchman is a little more obscure. If you haven't heard it before - tell me your impressions, and if you can think of a song that saddens you more than this one. (thought I would bring everyone right down today lol)
Ahh - another just hit me - Elenore Rigby....why is she picking up that rice ? but such a sad image...
So much easier to name songs that are "Angry", "Rebellious", tell stories, love songs. Actually, sad love songs is extremely common - I suppose it's harder to find sad non-love songs, which is what I meant initially. I wonder if anyone has ever analyzed the most common themes in songwriting - How would you order them ? Sad ones have to be on the bottom. And if you write - which themes would you say most run through your songs - do you think that says anything about you ? ; )
We had an apartment in the city Me and Loretta liked living there Well, it'd been years since the kids had grown A life of their own left us alone John and Linda live in Omaha And Joe is somewhere on the road We lost Davy in the Korean war And I still don't know what for, don't matter anymore
Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day Old people just grow lonesome Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello"
Me and Loretta, we don't talk much more She sits and stares through the back door screen And all the news just repeats itself Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen Someday I'll go and call up Rudy We worked together at the factory But what could I say if asks "What's new?" "Nothing, what's with you? Nothing much to do"
Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day Old people just grow lonesome Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello"
So if you're walking down the street sometime And spot some hollow ancient eyes Please don't just pass 'em by and stare As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello"
I never heard that before so thanx for listing it.
I Drive Your Truck and Hello in There are two other good ones. There are a couple more on John Prine's first album that you could have included, such as Sam Stone.
Sam Stone hit home here as a some of my friends came back from that war with issues.
I haven't lost all of my marbles but there is a small hole in the bag someplace!
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i've been here since ten this morning there's no end in sight just my luck, i get stuck with all the drunks tonight when it comes to talking troubles i might raise my voice i'm working as a waitress cause i've got no choice my feet hurt so badly i can barely stand that busboy's so damn lazy he won't lend a hand another dollar tip another pack of kents i'd quit right now if i knew how else to pay my rent
sometimes i wonder what it's all for life's just a b-movie with no back door is this someone's idea of a clever joke since i was seventeen i've been choking
my old man past away seven years it's been a heart attack at fifty-two his job did him in you bust your [*****] all your life but it never pays he left me here with nothing but three kids to raise i'm forty-six tommorow you think my children care it gets to where you count on them not being there they say to set your sights on the highest star that's just to keep you from seeing where you really are
sometimes i wonder what it's all for life's just a b-movie with no back door is this someone's idea of a clever joke since i was seventeen i've been choking
Lyrics Sam Stone came home, To the wife and family After serving in the conflict overseas. And the time that he served, Had shattered all his nerves, And left a little shrapnel in his knees. But the morhpine eased the pain, And the grass grew round his brain, And gave him all the confidence he lacked, With a purple heart and a monkey on his back.
There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don't stop to count the years, Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.
Sam Stone's welcome home Didn't last too long. He went to work when he'd spent his last dime And soon he took to stealing When he got that empty feeling For a hundred dollar habit without overtime. And the gold roared through his veins Like a thousand railroad trains, And eased his mind in the hours that he chose, While the kids ran around wearin' other peoples' clothes...
There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don't stop to count the years, Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.
Sam Stone was alone When he popped his last balloon, Climbing walls while sitting in a chair. Well, he played his last request, While the room smelled just like death, With an overdose hovering in the air. But life had lost it's fun, There was nothing to be done, But trade his house that he bought on the GI bill, For a flag-draped casket on a local hero's hill.
There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don't stop to count the years,
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For me it's "Mr Bojangles". As a pet lover hearing the following lyric sung gets me every time, knowing that, that animal was all he had for companionship!
"He spoke with tears of fifteen years how his dog and him Traveled about The dog up and died He up and died After twenty years he still grieves"
Something about Piano Man by Billy Joel always gets to me - and someone else mentioned it, but Johnny Cash's rendition of Hurt is another contender.
On a more obscure note, Karissa by Sun Kil Moon always gets me. It's an ode to a distant relative of his who passed away. It captures a really unique melancholic feeling, for me at least. It addresses how you feel when you lose someone close enough to you that it jars you, but doesn't destroy you. It's a unique mood I think most of us can relate to, but the way it's presented on this song is melancholic, haunting, and beautiful.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
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Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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