Some of the best heartbreak songs fly under the radar. Here are a few popular folk songs that sing about this emotion more quietly. In a way, I think this makes them even more impactful, but maybe that’s just me.
“Same Old Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg
This song, written by Dan Fogelberg, documents an event from the songwriter’s life. While at home with family for Christmas, Fogelberg ran into his high school ex-girlfriend. He ended up writing this song about it.
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This song definitely presents a softer kind of heartbreak, one that makes you wonder what could have been if these two lovers had stayed together.
“Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)” by Jim Croce
This little folk tune by the one and only Jim Croce is so joyful sounding, you would never expect it to be so sentimental. But by the time you get to the end of the chorus, the mask is off, and you realize that there’s a lot more depth to this Croce tune than meets the eye.
But isn’t that the way they say it goes?
Well, let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So, I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine
And to show I’ve overcome the blow
I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real
But that’s not the way it feels.
“Taxi” by Henry Chapin
This 1972 storytelling song presents heartbreak in a fairly casual way. Chapin tells the story of a taxi driver who picks up a woman who used to be his old flame. “Taxi” is surprisingly mellow, and it doesn’t really discuss the emotions of the situation, but there’s an undercurrent of feelings that are hard to ignore.
“There’s not a single line that tells how the guy or the girl felt,” Chapin said of this song to Bruce Pollock. “It’s a very cinematic technique. But it’s also a very uneconomical technique. That’s why my songs are so long. I literally put you in that cab and let you experience. It’s a more involving form of music than sitting and hearing somebody sing ‘I’m lonely’.”
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UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: John LENNON between 1970 and 1973. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images) -
1972: (L-R) Jim Hodder, David Palmer, Denny Dias, Donald Fagen, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Walter Becker of the rock band "Steely Dan" pose for a portrait in 1972. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Kyu Sakamoto. (1941-1985) Japanese singer, best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Aruko" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song on the chart. (Photo by Sjöberg Bildbyrå/ullstein bild via Getty Images) -
Picture taken in 1974 in Stockholm shows the Swedish pop group Abba with its members (L-R) Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus posing after winning the Swedish branch of the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Waterloo". – Sweden's legendary disco group ABBA announced on April 27, 2018 that they have reunited to record two new songs, 35 years after their last single. The quartet split up in 1982 after dominating the disco scene for more than a decade with hits like "Waterloo", "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia" and "Super Trouper". (Photo by Olle LINDEBORG / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo credit should read OLLE LINDEBORG/AFP via Getty Images) -
IN CONCERT – Airdate: March 1, 1974. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) LINDA RONSTADT -
HOLLYWOOD, CA – 1979: Teens dance to the music at the 1979 Hollywood High School prom held in Hollywood, California. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
