Easily reduced to tears?

[lornemalvo]

As a male of advancing years, I find that I'm easily reduced to tears by certain music. I've always been slightly prone to this and I wonder if I'm alone in this but also perhaps whether this a sign of depression? I can only describe these pieces of music as so beautiful they have an emotional effect on me. Currently it's this one, best listened to with headphones. There are several versions of this song by various artists including Townes Van Zandt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILfCEPL-9Oo

[lornemalvo]

Glad I'm not alone in this, although I never really worried about it affecting my masculinity in any way. Some songs definitely affect me because of memories. The Seekers' Morningtown Ride takes me straight back to a Christmas I spent in a children's home as one of the girls was always playing it. With other songs it's different. Amazing Grace with bagpipes always gets me. This song is also so nostalgic and plaintive it always gets me. It's also the best pop song ever written and performed in my opinion. The song, the voice, the production values. Just perfection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvWiiUgT8Nk

[lornemalvo]

There should be a way to "like" posts on this forum, because I've appreciated all the responses to my post

[lornemalvo]

There is another song that gets me every time. I'm not sure whether it's because of its intrinsic beauty or because it's played during the footage of the funeral of Abraham Lincoln in the superb series of The Civil War by Ken Burns. I'm familiar with two versions, although there are many on Youtube, one played by the composer Jay Ungar and the other by a full scale orchestra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kZASM8OX7s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtsgVqH77KI

[lornemalvo]

Chubbyross said:

OP, I'm the same as you. It's not only some pieces of music but certain scenes in films or TV shows too. They don't have to be particularly sad either. Sometimes uplifting scenes will do it to me as well. I used to be really embarrassed about it and try to hide the tears but I've learned to embrace it and laugh about it. My teenage kids will now glance over at me if we're watching something sad/happy/moving to check if it's set me off. There I will be, smiling and nodding to them with tears streaming down my cheeks. For me it's great that I can listen to a piece of music or watch something that moves me so much that it makes me cry. I'd much rather be like this than never being moved by anythng.

Off the top if my head this is a quick list:

Rousing speeches in films (the pre-battle speech the president gives in Independence Day, for examples - utterly cheesy but gets me every time)
Hey Jude by the Beatles - reminds me of one of my school friends who died in a bike accident 40 years ago
The Jeremy Clarkson review of the V12 Vantage on Top Gear with Eno's music playing in the background
Brass band music - it's a reminder of times gone by and my Yorkshire roots
Anything in a movie with a dog where the dog or owner dies - if you're moved to tears by these films then do/don't watch Hachi, released in 2009. It will take you days to recover!

I say embrace those tears!

I agree, anything in which animals get hurt or die for me is out, even though I know it's not real. I will never be able to watch Warhorse, for example. It's not uncommon and there is a website called "does the dog die" where you can check movies for this kind of content before watching them.

[lornemalvo]

Myfanwy is stunningly beautiful, but I'm also Welsh and it gets me every time.

Edited by lornemalvo on Sunday 11th February 13:08

[lornemalvo]

I just started watching Saving Private Ryan. As war movies go, it's close to perfection and there are several scenes in the first forty minutes or so that get me going.

[lornemalvo]

Munka01 said:

Most Ludovico Einaudi (modern classical pianist and composer) music gets me in the feels. Listening to this live at Sydney Opera made me cry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN_q-_nGv4U

Similar with this one, reminds me of home (moved from UK 13 years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUFJJNQGwhk

Love the first one although (and I know nothing about music) I can't help thinking the percussion dominated a bit too much over the piano. Bit more piano, bit less tambourine perhaps. IMHO

[lornemalvo]

I did not expect this level of response when I posted and I feel good that it's not just me. I think a lot has to do with age and nostalgia. The way life is now for so many, who doesn't prefer to look backwards at times? I wish there was a like button because many of these posts (and songs) resonate with me. Many of the songs that affect me have no personal connection, although some do. Morningtown Ride by the Seekers always affects me because it was a song someone repeatedly played when I spent time as an 11 year old in a children's home in Carmarthenshire. Mercy Now by Mary Gaultier makes me think of my father - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL6JoP0KCoo
One song with no real personal connection is Bob Dylan's brilliant song about JFKs assassination. It is intrinsically a sad song but obviously also has such a tragic story to it, while referencing many events and people throughout the sixties. Some references only Americans will get. I genuinely think it's a masterpiece - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NbQkyvbw18

[lornemalvo]

TGCOTF-dewey said:

I really like Silent Night - the hidden track on the Damien Rice album - sung by Lisa Hannigan.

Always reduces me to tears.

First time I heard it (wasn't paying attention) I associated the lyrics with someone on their death bed being horrible to their partner to spare them the grief of sitting there at the end.

It's absolutely not about that, but the association stuck.

https://youtu.be/a3GtiQaxhIw?si=FSGO_SqEttZjU1kl

Silent Night gets me every time, possibly sue to some hard Christmases when I was a child. Sinead O'Connor's version is good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWpXRk5f254

[lornemalvo]

snuffy said:

CanAm said:

But all these songs pale into insignificance (for me anyway) when I recently watched the last episode of M*A*S*H again for the first time. If you remember the scene with the Korean lady with her chicken on the bus, you'll know what I mean.

I've always felt that M*A*S*H was the best tv programme ever made, but I don't understand why people think it's a comedy, because scenes like that show you it's not.

And the episode where Hawkeye remembers being pushed into a lake by his brother.

Most of the best comedy has elements of pathos and sadness.

[lornemalvo]

snuffy said:

CanAm said:

But all these songs pale into insignificance (for me anyway) when I recently watched the last episode of M*A*S*H again for the first time. If you remember the scene with the Korean lady with her chicken on the bus, you'll know what I mean.

I've always felt that M*A*S*H was the best tv programme ever made, but I don't understand why people think it's a comedy, because scenes like that show you it's not.

And the episode where Hawkeye remembers being pushed into a lake by his brother.

Most of the best comedy has elements of pathos and sadness.