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

[Super Sonic]

Jim Reeves - Old Tiger.
There are others, but this was the first.

[gazza285]

This one gets me every fking time, since I first heard it forty odd years ago, to right now, when I found the YouTube link. Dolly, you bd.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=CBq1s1AB2Uc

[Desiderata]

Me too.
I suffered from a period of severe stress and anxiety a few years ago to the point that I would suddenly burst into tears randomly and for no apparent reason (there was probably undiagnosed depression in there too). I'm now completely over it in almost every respect except for when I hear certain songs and the tears well up uncontrollably. I've learned to live with the embarrassment now if it happens in public and can appreciate the beauty of music that can have that power.
I have quite a mix of these trigger songs, like others, a few early "cowboy" songs such as "The Tennessee Waltz

https://youtu.be/-XCvfy6Huyc?feature=shared

, and songs where the words have relevance to me such as Don Williams' "You're My Best Friend"

https://youtu.be/yWGDeBFLsf8?feature=shared

seem to do it for me, but more than any of, this one gets me every time from the very first note.

https://youtu.be/Bld215FnvtM?feature=shared

Edited by Desiderata on Monday 5th February 22:11

[Scabutz]

It could be a depression thing and worth looking into, but could be nothing.

I've had my unfair share of anxeity and depression and yeah sometimes music brings out the sadness. I also find sad TV and Film is more likely to make me cry when I'm feeling low.

Music I think more than anything brings out memories and they arent always good.

Counting Crows Mr Jones I can barely listen to. Was a favourite of a friend of mine who died aged 18. Was her favourite.

Moody Blues Knights in White Satin I find sad for no reason at all, don't even know what it's about.

[Ezra]

Happens to me regularly. Doesn't have to be sad or melancholy either. I'm 60 and I think it's more prevalent when I hear music that triggers a memory of when I was much younger. Maybe its a subconscious way of recognising that time is passing and feeling a little nostalgic (perhaps wishing also of a simpler time, no responsibilities etc).

[thepritch]

lornemalvo said:

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

My brother and I are prone to this too so wondered if it was genetics! I did Google it a few times over the years, but it just comes up with the usual, music can make you cry. But you mean, quite regularly when listening to some songs right? I’m very much not depressed, and for me, its happened all my life - plenty of songs can just ‘get to me’! You’re very much not alone!

[nickfrog]

Ezra said:

Happens to me regularly. Doesn't have to be sad or melancholy either. I'm 60 and I think it's more prevalent when I hear music that triggers a memory of when I was much younger. Maybe its a subconscious way of recognising that time is passing and feeling a little nostalgic (perhaps wishing also of a simpler time, no responsibilities etc).

Same here, it probably happens to loads of blokes but men perhaps are not comfortable admitting it. For me it's normally songs that do relate to particular times of my life indeed but this modern one gets to me every time too:

Edited by nickfrog on Monday 5th February 23:09

[Roofless Toothless]

It’s Puccini that turns on the taps for me.

[LimmerickLad]

This does me every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmDxJrggie8

[Glosphil]

"The Air That I Breathe" - The Hollies

When I was a teenager a female friend committed suicide using the exhaust from her dad's car in a small closed garage.

Edited by Glosphil on Tuesday 6th February 10:41

[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

[pocketspring]

My sister's husband.

50 years old, thinks he's hard and knows better than everyone else. Yet put on Aerosmith I Don't Want To Miss A Thing and he has a good cry.

[lornemalvo]

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

[Voldemort]

These two.

[extraT]

The JCB song.

Love that song, absolutely hate when Dominic Byrne manages to get it played on radio x, because I’m often in the office and it leaves me in tears.

[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

[njw1]

pocketspring said:

My sister's husband.

50 years old, thinks he's hard and knows better than everyone else. Yet put on Aerosmith I Don't Want To Miss A Thing and he has a good cry.

That song makes me cry too, because it's so bloody awful...

[Lotobear]

Big River - Jimmy Nail

Sailing to Philadelphia - Mark Knopfler

Both speak to my Geordie roots which is probably why they pull so strongly and I clearly recall Swan Hunters and everything else Nail sings about in Big River, it never fails to cause an emotional response.

[Riley Blue]

Roofless Toothless said:

It’s Puccini that turns on the taps for me.

In which case don't, whatever you do, listen to this:




This is in my top three tear jerkers, I'm not sure what the third would be: