Top 10 Songs with the Saddest Backstories
#10: “Supermarket Flowers” (2017) Ed Sheeran
This heartbreaking song was inspired by an even sadder backstory. When Sheeran was working on his album “Divide,” his grandmother was hospitalized. Sheeran visited her often and was quite close with her. Sadly, she passed away when he was wrapping up the album, and he poured his sorrow into this song. Sheeran wrote the lyrics from his mother’s point of view in an attempt to work through his emotions. The song was never meant to be released to the public, but after he performed it at his grandmother’s funeral, his grandfather insisted that it be included on “Divide.”
#9: “More Love” (1967) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
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This heartfelt love song was inspired by a long series of tragedies. Lead singer Smokey Robinson’s wife Claudette was actually a member of The Miracles, so the two toured together from 1957 to 1964. Along the way, however, Claudette suffered several miscarriages and the stillbirth of twins. Devastated by the series of losses, Claudette stopped touring with The Miracles. Smokey wrote this song to let his beloved wife know how much he cherished her and that he was simply happy she was alive. The couple did eventually have two healthy children named Berry and Tamla.
#8: “3AM” (1996) Matchbox 20
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Most folks have sung along to this 90s Top 40 song without realizing it is based on a traumatic illness and time in a young boy’s life. When lead singer Rob Thomas was 12 years old, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and given half a year to live. The two already had a difficult relationship, and it grew even more fraught when his older sister ran away from home after their mom got sick. The young Thomas was left to take care of his ailing mother. She eventually entered remission, but their off-balance dynamic inspired the hit song years later.
#7: “Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor” (1998) Eels
The second studio album from the Eels was composed after frontman Mark Oliver Everett lost his sister and his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The first track, "Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor", is about his sister Elizabeth Everett, with the lyrics taken from one of her last diary entries before she took her own life. The album title “Electro-Shock Blues” also alludes to her experiences, referencing the electroconvulsive therapy she received while in psychiatric care. You can hear the tragedy of this story in every guitar note and in Everett’s vocals.
#6: “You Learn” (1995) Alanis Morissette
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The Canadian singer-songwriter often writes from personal experience, but the story behind this particular song is pretty sad. When Morissette was in Los Angeles, she was robbed at gunpoint by a man on an empty street. The experience shook Morissette to her core. She became anxious and suffered panic attacks. She was eventually hospitalized, but even psychotherapy sessions didn’t help. Morissette later reflected that her inner turmoil was only alleviated by writing. Crafting the song was therapeutic for Morissette, and a line from the song even gave her iconic album “Jagged Little Pill” its name.
#5: “Cloudbusting” (1985) Kate Bush
Many songs are written based on the writer’s experience, but this one was inspired by someone else’s pain. Although psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich was considered one of the main figures of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, his research was controversial in his lifetime. In fact, his work was seized and burned by United States authorities, and he died in prison in 1957. His son Peter later wrote a book dedicated to his father’s life and their relationship, including their time cloudbusting on their family farm. Kate Bush was deeply moved by the book and wrote “Cloudbusting” from Peter’s point of view.
#4: “I Wish It Would Rain” (1967) The Temptations
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This unusually melancholy song from the powerhouse American group has an unusually sad story behind it. Legendary Motown lyricist Rodger Penzabene wrote the song after he found out that his wife was cheating on him. “I Wish It Would Rain'' expressed the immense pain he felt at being betrayed by the woman he loved. He wrote that he wished the rain could hide his tears and his sorrow. Unfortunately, even after writing down his feelings, Penzabene was still distraught. Tragically, the 23-year-old songwriter ended his own life a week after the song was released. on New Year’s Eve 1967.
#3: “Zombie” (1994) The Cranberries
This haunting protest song has an even more haunting backstory. Lead singer Dolores O'Riordan wrote the song in response to the 1993 Warrington bombings during the Troubles. The March 20 attacks resulted in the deaths of two children who were shopping for Mother’s Day cards. O'Riordan was near the location when the bomb went off, and the event absolutely devastated her. She wrote the song later that year and shaped the song far beyond its lyrics, noting that it was the most aggressive piece The Cranberries had created to date.
#2: “Save the Last Dance for Me” (1960) The Drifters
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Most songs written about the writer’s own wedding day are happy, but this one has a poignant backstory. As a child, singer and songwriter Doc Pomus contracted polio. As a result, he relied on crutches and later a wheelchair. Pomus married Broadway actress and dancer Willi Burke in 1957. During the reception, Burke was reluctant to dance with anyone but the groom, but Pomus encouraged her to dance with his brother and other guests. He wrote “Save the Last Dance for Me” about his conflicted feelings over not being able to dance with his lovely bride.
#1: “Circus” (1998) Eric Clapton
Although there’s another, better known song based on this event, “Circus” really hits a chord with its feeling of impending tragedy. On March 20, 1991, Conor Clapton fell from the window of a 53rd-story New York apartment. His father Eric Clapton was devastated by the loss and released “Tears in Heaven” the next year. In 1998, Clapton released “Circus Left Town,” also known as “Circus,” which details the last night he spent with his son. The song reflects on the love he and Conor had for each other and how the joy Conor brought to his life is gone.
