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Guaranteed to Make You Cry

As a rule, I'm not a weepy person.  I have my moments.  We all do.  There are certain topics (favorite Charlotte memories) or commercials (Damn you, St. Judes!) that push me over the edge from time to time but I am not, by nature, a person who cries easily. 


Except when it comes to music. 


I have always thought it was my connection to music as a musician that made me feel the emotion more closely than others.  There are certain songs (we will get to that in a moment) that are guaranteed to trigger the tears, regardless of the time, date, or setting.  I always figured, "Well, maybe it's me."


It turns out that it's NOT me. There is actually some science behind the weepy triggers in music.  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal  explained this phenomenon, highlighting Adele's music as a prime example of the powerful emotions a well-crafted tune can bring.  On the Media covered the same story and gave similar examples.  


So with that in mind, I present to you the TOP 5 SONGS THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO MAKE ME CRY. In no particular order, we have:


The Circle of Life from The Lion King:  We recently saw the stage version of the show. It is currently touring through Richmond until March 11th. It is an amazing show for all kinds of reasons, but this song gets me every single time.  I sat in the dark theater entranced by the amazing animal costumes, the scene-setting lights, and that amazing music.  The tears just streamed. 


Silent Night: This Christmas carol has been meaningful to me for decades.  If I hear it outside of Christmas Eve service, I am slightly less likely to cry. Only slightly.  Now I just expect it.  If I don't try to sing along, I do a little better but if I'm singing and the candles are lit and the twinkly lights are sparkling....forget it.  




Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland: I'm sure you could analyze this score given the information in those articles and figure out just what it is that triggers such strong emotions. It never fails. Especially when you get to 2:50 in the video.  That moment when the orchestra comes together for the rousing climax is emotionally incredible!  I've already told Roger that I want this played at my funeral. Please take note.  














Baby Mine from Dumbo: I triple dog dare you to watch this video and not get dust in your eye! It's simply impossible.  Fun fact and bit of trivia: Roger sang this song as part of his Masters recital.  He also did a big band arrangement of Rubber Duckie.  True story.  












Love at the Five & Dime by Nanci Griffith: Speaking of Roger, this song's emotional pull is most certainly due in large part to him.  He's one of the reasons I am a Nanci Griffith fan to begin with and I have always liked this tune.  Years into our marriage, the tale of a young girl who falls in love with the musician (and eventually becomes a writer) rings true in an almost eerie way.  If I cry when I hear this song, it's usually happy tears.






So, that's my list.  What songs make you cry?



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