To get over a bad breakup, there’s nothing much better than belting out the lyrics of a great breakup ballad. Songs about splits can rouse a good cry (for that much-needed cathartic release) or fire you up to get out and move on. Sure, the post-breakup state-of-mind includes loneliness, distress, and grief — but research shows that your emotional health can be quickly restored if you are able to put a positive spin on your split. And that’s where songsters such as Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Nancy Sinatra come in. Upload these 10 breakup songs to your iPod — and sing them loud!
1.'Forget You'
Cee Lo Green’s rock-out tune F*@k You (which he co-wrote with Bruno Mars and Phillip Lawrence) — or its radio-friendly counterpart, Forget You — scaled to the No. 1 spot of Billboard’s Top 40 list in April, probably because so many Americans can relate to getting dumped for someone else. Once the cleaned-up song hit the airwaves, people everywhere were belting out lyrics like “I pity the fool who falls in love with you” — including Gwyneth Paltrow on a Glee guest appearance.If your sweetheart recently flew the coop, this explicative-ridden ditty may help you forget her faster.
If Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way speaks to you, it’s because it was inspired by a real split: Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham penned the song after his breakup with band mate Stevie Nicks. The tune came out in 1977, but when it comes to breakup songs, this one has stood the test of time. In fact, the song’s cathartic lyrics may help you gain perspective on your own bad breakup: You, too, can “go your own way” and begin to stand on two feet.
3.'I Will Survive'
The Gloria Gaynor single I Will Survive reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979 — but the disco favorite is still a top breakup ballad. The song, written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris, tells the story of a woman who starts out feeling alone (and petrified) after her breakup, but gradually gets stronger as her self-confidence returns. The driving beat and rousing lyrics are sure to get you out of a breakup funk.
4.'All by Myself'
There’s nothing wrong with indulging in a little self-pity after a bad breakup, and few songs set as mournful a mood as Eric Carmen’s All by Myself — a 1975 classic that’s been covered by everyone from Celine Dion to Charice on TV’s Glee. Jamie O’Neal also sang it in the movie Bridget Jones's Diary, when an over-served Bridget (played by Renee Zellweger) is alone on New Year’s Eve. In the breakup anthem, Carmen regrets his carefree attitude toward sex and relationships (which has left him alone and miserable). Perhaps you can imagine your own ex realizing the error of his ways one day.
5.'I Wanna Be Around'
Misery loves company, and that’s why the song I Wanna Be Around may be one of the best breakup tunes of all time. The song was released in 1963 by the great Tony Bennett (and written by the equally great Johnny Mercer). It starts off sweet: "I want to be around to pick up the pieces when somebody breaks your heart." Ultimately, though, Bennett reveals that what goes around comes around, ending with the words “like you broke mine.” If you need a little companionship after your split, there’s no one better than Bennett, who’s still crooning this standard nearly 50 years later.
6.'It Ain't Me, Babe'
Feel like you’ve taken the blame for a bad breakup one too many times? Next time, tell your ex to take a clue from Bob Dylan. The message behind his song It Ain't Me, Babe, written and released in 1964, is a deep self-realization that he’s not right for the person he’s involved with. Remember: Going through the throes of a breakup now is better for your emotional health than holding on to a toxic relationship that won’t ever really satisfy you.
7.'50 Ways to Leave Your Lover'
The best breakup strategy? It may just be to rip off a bad relationship like an old Band-Aid (and get yourself free). That's what Paul Simon sang about after divorcing his first wife back in 1975. The up-tempo breakup number, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, is still Simon's biggest selling solo hit, and it’s complete with plenty of suggestions for splitting up.
8.'You Oughta Know'
Sometimes, the best way to get over a breakup is to vent (and vent loud). Alanis Morissette co-wrote the Grammy-winning song You Oughta Know with Glen Ballard in 1995, and it was the first of many chart toppers from Morissette’s emotionally-charged album Jagged Little Pill. Through her lyrics, Morissette takes the opportunity to let her ex-lover know about the mess he left behind. If you have some unresolved anger you need to unleash, this is your song.
9.'These Boots Are Made for Walkin''
Nancy Sinatra’s feminist anthem makes it known that she’s not going to take any more abuse from a guy who’s being unfaithful to her. Singer and producer Lee Hazlewood wrote the song in 1966 for himself, but realized it would be more powerful sung by a woman. Released at the start of the women’s liberation movement, this breakup song remains inspirational even today, over four decades later.
10.'Crying'
Call it what you will: Blubbering, bawling, wailing, weeping — but bad breakups often require a good cry before you can move on. And the great balladeer Roy Orbison knew just that. He wrote Crying back in 1961 as a testament to a lost love he was having a hard time getting over, emotions made worse by seeing her again. Turn up this classic when you want to tear up — and draw inspiration from the fact that, just a few years later, he recorded the upbeat Pretty Woman.
No comments:
Post a Comment