Contest: Best Break-Up Song of All Time? (hint: I already win)

[WilliamPitt]

I know it sounds funny but I just can't stand the pain
Girl I'm leaving you for my road
Seems to me, girl, you know I've done all I can
You see I've begged, stole, and I borrowed...

Yeah..Oooh...

(yeah, it's a break-up song...the best ever)

...your turn.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

1. I'll take "What is Harry Nilsson's 'You're Breaking My Heart'" for $500, Alex.

[Honeycombe8]

10. Amerigo, I have NEVER heard that Nilsson song before. Never heard any song like it....

I totally relate! A big thank you. This has enlarged my repertoire of faves!

[bluedave]

55. gr8

[Swede]

2. Sail On - the Commodores

Sail on down the line, 'bout a
Half a mile or so, and I
Don't really wanna know, a
Where you're going
Maybe once or twice, you see
But time after time, I tried
To hold onto what we got, but
Now you're going
And I don't mind
'Bout the things you're gonna say Lord
I gave all my money and my time
I know it's a shame
But I'm givin' you back your name, yeah, yeah
Yes, I'll be on my way
I won't be back to stay
I guess I'll move along
I'm looking for a good time
Sail on down the line, ain't it
Funny how the time can go, all my
Friends say the told me so, but it
Doesn't matter
It was plain to see, that a
Small town boy like me, just a
Wasn't your cup of tea, I was
Wishful thinkin'
I gave you my heart
And I tried to make you happy
But you gave me nothin' in return
You know it ain't so hard to say
Would you please just go away, yeah, yeah
I've thrown away the blues
I'm tired of bein' used
I wanna everyone to know
I'm looking for a good time
Good time
Woah, sail on, honey
Good times never felt so good
Sail on, honey
Good times never felt so good
Sail on, sugar
Good times never felt so good

[7wo7rees]

69. ^This

There can be only one right answer.

But Commodores was close.

[Populist_Prole]

3. Ramones 'Tomorrow She Goes Away'

Lively tempo and crunching guitar riffs made me actually feel good about a breakup:

[link:

&feature=related|

[LynneSin]

4. "Why" by Annie Lennox

I played it on repeat for like 10 hours straight after I broke up with the last long term relationship. At one point my neighbor was pounding on the door begging me to turn it off.

[7wo7rees]

70. I totally get why you did that.

Annie has that effect.
Once you go deep, you get there, and then you can say you looked it in the eye. And lived to tell the tale.

[Honeycombe8]

5. I'LL take "At This Moment" (you just don't love me no more)

[HopeHoops]

6. "Two out of three's not bad"

[Curmudgeoness]

7. "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor

Maybe you just have to be a woman to realize this one is better than yours.

[LynneSin]

9. Give me Cake's version of it any day of the week

[Curmudgeoness]

15. I had not heard that one before,

but.....it doesn't have the passion that Gaynor had.

But then again, I rarely like copies of songs....I get attached to the original.

[beac]

57. One of my all time favorites.

I can listen to it over and over and never get sick of it.

[LynneSin]

59. I was trying to describe the band Cake to my friend's husband

He's an old dead head. I told him if in the 90s the Dead decide to make a rap album they would sound something like Cake.

[struggle4progress]

26. Great song!

[Honeycombe8]

8. Then there's the classic piece de resistance: Roy Orbison, K D Lang in Crying

I was all right
For awhile
I could smile for awhile.
Then I saw you last night
YOu held my hand so tight
When you stopped...to say hello....
You wished me well
You couldn't tell....
That I'd been cryin'
Over you.
Cryin'.....
Over you.
Then you, said so long
Left me standin'....all alone
Alone and crying
Crying
Crying
Crying
It's hard to understand
That the touch....of your hand
Should start me cryin'......

[turtlerescue1]

11. Its not the BEST, but first thought was

"Ruby Tuesday" by Mick and the Boys....

Or "Yesterday"s Papers"

and The Commodores "Sail On" and when a person is drunk enough then Harry's "You're breakin my heart".

[Bucky]

12. Dude, you haven't even been married that long. Have yall tried counseling?

There must be, fifty ways to save your marriage

[MiddleFingerMom]

13. Sorry... I win (though I didn't fight fair).

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

[rug]

14. It Ain't Me, Babe

[struggle4progress]

30. Here's an old cover by Baez, which hauntingly exposes the disillusionment in the song

[rug]

40. It's interesting how other singers often pull out startling nuances from his songs.

It's a sign of a good song when there can be so many different takes on it.

[speedoo]

67. Dylan frequently changes the feel of his songs himself, in concert.

I just listened to a live version he performed, solo, sometime in the eighties, or maybe early nineties, last night. None of the melancholy in the studio version, mostly anger. And humor, as he allowed the audience to sing the chorus. The audience loved it.

[ohiosmith]

16. Not the best, but the most fun!

&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. Tears In My Ears

I've got tears in my ears from lyin' on my back
In my bed while I cry over you
And the tears in my ears, they're off the beaten track
Since you said "It's goodbye, we are through"
So if I should get water on the brain
You will know you're the one who is to blame
I've got tears in my ears from lyin' on my back
In my bed while I cry over you.
I've got tears in my ears from lyin'on my back
In my bed while I cry over you
I've been cryin' these tears and soakin' in my sack
Since the day I found you were untrue
And if I don't get up pretty soon
I'll turn into a sleepy lagoon
I've got tears in my ears from lyin' on my back
In my bed while I cry over you.
I've got tears in my ears from lyin' on my back
In my bed while I cry over you
It's been so many years, my sacroiliac
Feels as though it's been soaked through and through
Oh, you lied when you said we'd take the plunge
Now I know how it feels to be a sponge
I've got tears in my ears from lyin' on my back
In my bed while I cry over you.

[Arkansas Granny]

18. Alanis Morisset - "You Oughta Know"

"You Oughta Know"


I want you to know, that I'm happy for you
I wish nothing but the best for you both
An older version of me
Is she perverted like me
Would she go down on you in a theatre
Does she speak eloquently
And would she have your baby
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother

'cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able
To make it enough for you to be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me you'd hold me
Until you died, till you died
But you're still alive

And I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

You seem very well, things look peaceful
I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know
Did you forget about me Mr. Duplicity
I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner
It was a slap in the face how quickly I was replaced
Are you thinking of me when you fuck her?

'cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able
To make it enough for you to be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me you'd hold me
Until you died, til you died
But you're still alive

And I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

'cause the joke that you laid on the bed that was me
And I'm not gonna fade
As soon as you close your eyes and you know it
And every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back
I hope you feel it...well can you feel it

Well, I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

[Gidney N Cloyd]

19. "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" for the win in the classic 'fuck you' sub-category.

"Don't Think Twice It's All Right"

It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter, anyhow
And it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now
When your rooster crows at the breaks of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm traveling on
Don't think twice, it's all right.

It ain't no use in turning on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
And it ain't no use in turning on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
But I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talking anyway
So don't think twice, it's all right.

It ain't no use in calling out my name, gal
Like you never done before
It ain't no use in calling out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinking and a-wond'rin' walking down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
Don't think twice, it's all right.

So long honey, babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye's too good a word, babe
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't saying you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right.

[Martin Eden]

20. You beat me to it.

Damn Cubs fan.

Go White Sox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WilliamPitt]

22. Agreed

[struggle4progress]

29. +

[ellaydubya]

62. Yes, the best!!!

[pipi_k]

21. My man, I don't need

YOU to be bringin' me down!!!

And then there's...

[msu2ba]

23. Weird Al

(constant "doo wop"s in the background throughout the song)

Aahh....

Well I heard that you're leavin' (leavin')
Gonna leave me far behind (so far behind)
'Cause you found a brand new lover
You decided that I'm not your kind (aahh..)

So I pulled (I pulled) your name out (name out) of my Rolodex (oohh..)
And I tore all your pictures in two
And I burned down the malt shop where we used to go
Just because it reminds me of you (dippity dippity doo)

That's right (that's right) you ain't gonna see me cryin'
I'm glad (I'm glad) that you found somebody new
'Cause I'd rather spend eternity eating shards of broken glass
Than spend one more minute with you

I guess I might seem kinda bitter
You got me feeling down in the dumps
'Cause I'm stranded all alone in the gas station of love
And I have to use the self-service pumps

Oh, so honey, let me help you with that suitcase
You ain't (you ain't) gonna break my heart in two
'Cause I'd rather get a hundred thousand paper cuts on my face
Than spend one more minute with you

I'd rather rip out my intestines with a fork
Than watch you going out with other men
I'd rather slam my fingers in a door (yah)
Again and again and again and again and again

Oh, can't you see what I'm tryin' to say, Darlin...

I'd rather have my blood sucked out by leeches (leeches)
Shove an icepick under a toenail or two
I'd rather clean all the bathrooms in Grand Central Station with my tongue
Than spend one more minute with you

Yes, I'd rather jump naked on a huge pile of thumbtacks
Or stick my nostrils together with crazy glue
I'd rather dive into a swimming pool filled with double-edged razor blades
Than spend one more minute with you

I'd rather rip my heart right out of my ribcage with my bare hands
And then throw it on the floor and stomp on it 'till I die
Than spend one more minute with you

[Art_from_Ark]

24. American Woman (Get Away From Me)

[Brother Buzz]

25. How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away? - Dan Hicks and his Hot licks

[pipi_k]

35. That reminds me of...

[SnohoDem]

65. Thanks!

I haven't heard that in maybe 35+ years!

[struggle4progress]

27. Down to seeds and stems again blues

I'm sitting alone on a Saturday night
watching the late late show
A bottle of wine
some cigarettes
I got no place to go
Well I saw your other man today
he was wearing my brand new shoes
And I'm down to seeds and stems again too

Well I met my old friend Bob today
from up in Bowling Green
He had the prettiest little gal
that I'd ever seen
But I couldn't hide my tears at all
cause she looked just like you
And I'm down to seeds and stems again too

Now everybody tells me
that there's other ways to get high
They don't seem to understand
I'm too far gone to try
Now these lonely memories
they're all that I can do
And I'm down to seeds and stems again too

Oh my dog died just yesterday
left me all alone
The finance company dropped by today
and repossessed my home
That's just a drop in the bucket
compared to losing you
And I'm down to seeds and stems again too
Got the down to seeds and stems again blues

[struggle4progress]

28. Yesterday

[Whoa_Nelly]

31. No. I win ;)

[Spider Jerusalem]

32. Barry Adamson & Nick Cave, "The Sweetest Embrace"

"Our time is done my love, we've laid it all to waste
One thousand moonlit kisses can't sweeten this bitter taste
My desire for you is endless and I'll love you 'till we fall
I just don't want you no more
and that's the sweetest embrace of all"

&hd=1

[onestepforward]

33. "I'm Leaving Baby" - Con Funk Shun

...I've seen enough, I've given up,
OOh baby I given up sweet darlin'
Oooh baby I've seen enough
Believe me now I'm leaving you for me...

[AllenVanAllen]

34. I've already lost this one, but here's my go anyways.

And I

I'm giving the joy to you

I'm giving the joy to you

I give it back to you.

[dr.strangelove]

36. Losing My Religion - REM

From a certain TV moment.

[sinkingfeeling]

37. "I Will Always Love You" gets my vote.

&feature=player_detailpage

[IBEWVET]

43. What a voice

What a waste.

[KamaAina]

38. There is only one breakup song

and it is The Breakup Song.

[Pool Hall Ace]

54. Thank you!

My first thought, too.

[backtoblue]

39. I Can't Make You Love Me

[BrendaBrick]

41. Eagles - Wasted Time

[AllenVanAllen]

42. One more try for the impossible win. A fun tune and video by Reptar .

Oh well I won't call you if you don't call me
I'm feeling free, f-f-free, free free, f-free, yeah
This selfish kind of love
The love the love you ga-ave me

[Comrade_McKenzie]

44. No Children by The Mountain Goats

http://m.

[Arugula Latte]

45. The Killing Moon

Beautiful, haunting, timeless, unique

Under blue moon I saw you
So soon you'll take me
Up in your arms
Too late to beg you or cancel it
Though I know it must be the killing time
Unwillingly mine

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him

In starlit nights I saw you
So cruelly you kissed me
Your lips a magic world
Your sky all hung with jewels
The killing moon
Will come too soon

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him

Under blue moon I saw you
So soon you'll take me
Up in your arms
Too late to beg you or cancel it
Though I know it must be the killing time
Unwillingly mine

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him
You give yourself to him

[davsand]

47. I have two entries:

AND my personal favorite:

&feature=related



Happy listening!



Laura

[sadbear]

48. Jim Croce - One less set of footsteps

[ancianita]

49. "Goodbye To You" by Patty Smyth and Scandal

I like rockin' breakup songs.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

50. Bell bottom blues is the one.

Last edited Wed Jul 18, 2012, 02:49 PM - Edit history (1)

Bell bottom blues, you made me cry
I don't wanna lose this feelin'
And if I could choose a place to die
It would be in your arms

Do you wanna see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you wanna hear me beg you to take me back?
I'd gladly do it because

I don't wanna fade away
Give me one more day, please
I don't wanna fade away
In your heart I wanna stay

It's all wrong, but it's all right
The way that you treat me baby, ooh
Once I was strong but I lost the fight
You won't find a better loser

Do you wanna see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you wanna hear me beg you to take me back?
I'd gladly do it because

I don't wanna fade away
Give me one more day, please
I don't wanna fade away
In your heart I wanna stay

Do you wanna see me crawl across the floor to you? Oh yea yea
Do you wanna hear me beg you to take me back?
I'd gladly do it because

I don't wanna fade away
Give me one more day, please
I don't wanna fade away
In your heart I wanna stay

Bell bottom blues, don't say goodbye
I'm sure we're gonna meet again
And if we do, don't you be surprised
If you find me with another lover, oh

Do you wanna see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you wanna hear me beg you to take me back?
I'd gladly do it because

I don't wanna fade away
Give me one more day, please
I don't wanna fade away
In your heart I wanna stay

[handmade34]

51. Dirty Man

You're a dirty, dirty man
And you gotta dirty mind

You're a dirty, dirty man
You and that other woman, are two of a kind

But you forgot one thing baby
When you were doing me wrong.
That I'm a good house keeper
I'm gonna take my broom and sweep
All of the dirt, yes sir, out on the street

You're a dirty, dirty man
Ooo in so many, so many dirty ways.
You're a dirty, dirty man
You've been hiding your little dirt all over this here place
I know you have
Oh here's my chance baby to throw some mud in your face

Cuz I'm a good house keeper
I'm gonna take my broom and sweep
All of the dirt, yes I am, out in the street

Oh, I'm cleaning up my whole house
Fast as I can
Time to make everything spick and span

You're a dirty, dirty man
Oooooh you done me dirty for so many years, yes you did
You're a dirty, dirty man
And I'm tired of you and your woman and your dog too
You're a dirty man, dirty man
Oooooh get outta my house
And don't never, never, never, never come back again

You're a dirty, dirty man
Ooohh, I'm tired

[mykpart]

52. Sang this the night I left my first husband.

Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more

Old woman, old woman, don't ya treat me so mean
You're the meanest old woman that I've ever seen.
I guess if you say so
I'll have to pack my things and go

That's right, hit the road Jack, and don't ya come back no more, no more no more, no more
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more.

Old woman, old woman, don't you treat me this way
I'll be back on my feet someday

Don't care if you do, 'cause it's understood
You ain't got no money, you just ain't no good.

Well, I guess if you say so,
I'll have to pack my things and go.

[handmade34]

60. great song... deserves a video

[mykpart]

52. Sang this the night I left my first husband.

Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more

Old woman, old woman, don't ya treat me so mean
You're the meanest old woman that I've ever seen.
I guess if you say so
I'll have to pack my things and go

That's right, hit the road Jack, and don't ya come back no more, no more no more, no more
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more.

Old woman, old woman, don't you treat me this way
I'll be back on my feet someday

Don't care if you do, 'cause it's understood
You ain't got no money, you just ain't no good.

Well, I guess if you say so,
I'll have to pack my things and go.

[panader0]

56. "Already Gone" by the Eagles

Not just a break up song, but a break up song with a big F-you.

"Well I heard some people talkin just the other day
they said you were gonna put me on the shelf.
Well let me say I've got some news for you
and you'll soon find out it's true
and then you'll have to eat yout luch all by yourself.
'Cause I'm already gone and I'm feeeeelin' strong.........."

[beac]

58. Some great ones already posted. Here's my obscure but great pick:

Dionne Farris - I Know

&feature=fvwrel


I know what you're doing baby
I know why you call my name
I know why you say you love me
But I can't say the same
I can recognize the symptoms
You should know I've changed my mind
I know what you're doing
And it's not gonna work this time

[liberaltrucker]

61. How did we forget this one: "It's Too Late"-Carole King

[Ter]

63. So Sick by Ne-Yo

Greatest ever.

[kwassa]

64. "If You Leave Me, Can I Come, Too" Mental As Anything

[SnohoDem]

66. You're Gonna Miss Me

&feature=player_detailpage

[Bonobo]

68. I ACTUALLY broke up to this song... it was serendipity.

It was playing on the radio when I did the deed and I have never once listened to this song in the last 28 years without thinking about her.

Oo oo now baby....
Tell me how have you been
We all have missed you....
And the way you grin
The day is necessary....
Every now and then
For souls to move on....
Givin' life back again, and again
Fly on fly on....
Fly on my friend
Go on....
Live again....
Love again
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/stevie+ray+vaughan/life+without+you_20131711.html ]
Day after day....
Night after night
Sittin' here singin' every minute....
As the years go passing by....
By, by, by
Long look in the mirror....
We've come face to face
Wishin' all the love we took for granted....
Love we have today

Life without you....
All the love you passed my way
The angels have waited for so long....
Now they have their way
Take your place....

[Rhiannon12866]

71. What?! No Neil Sedaka?!

[HelenaHandbasket]

72. You Oughta Know

Alanis Morisette

[ti66er8pooh]

73. All American Rejects...:hope it gives you hell!"

[Dystopian]

74. Eurythmics - Would I Lie to You?

peace~