[Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
I thought it was only natural for you to be by my side, but one day you suddenly disappeared…
If you’ve experienced the death of someone dear, you probably can’t help but feel, “No matter how much time passes, I can’t forget,” and “I wish I could see them once more.”
At the same time, you might be trying to move forward by putting a lid on your grief and forcing yourself to face ahead.
In this article, we introduce songs themed around “death,” told from a variety of perspectives.
Surely there will be a song that stays close to your sorrow.
When times are hard, please give them a listen.
- [Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.
- [Memorial Song] A moving classic and love song dedicated to a beloved person embarking on a journey to heaven
- A song I want people who have lost a beloved partner to listen to
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Songs to Play at My Own Funeral: Timeless Gems to Make Farewells Uniquely My Own
- A song about losing a friend: bereavement, betrayal, and separation.
- [Music Funeral] BGM to Remember the Deceased | Spotlight on Requiems and Dirges Praying for Peace
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
- [Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
- “I Want to See You”: A love song that makes you cry when you listen to it while you can’t meet
- Love, bonds, parting, cheers… songs so moving they pierce the heart and make you cry uncontrollably
- A classic song that sings of gratitude to one’s parents. Thank you, Dad and Mom!
- Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
[Bereavement Songs] To you whom I can no longer meet… Tear-jerking songs about death (91–100)
red collarYoshida Yamada
If you watch the music video, you’ll see it’s a heartwarming song written about a beloved pet dog who has passed away.
The lyrics, carried by a simple guitar accompaniment, are filled with the bond, memories, and love shared until now.
Of course, if you listen while thinking of someone precious to you, I think you’ll find it’s a wonderful song that resonates with your cherished memories and feelings.
Hide-and-seekRADWIMPS
A poignant song that portrays parting with a loved one.
It sings of a heart that continues searching for the one it loves, even after ten long years.
Released in March 2021 as the theme song for the drama “Tomorrow Smiles by Your Side,” it coincided with the tenth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
This track gently embraces lost bonds, time gone by, and wishes for the future.
It is a song that stands beside those who have lost someone dear or who are confronting memories of the disaster.
You will surely find comfort in RADWIMPS’ warm sound.
Hey…Makihara Noriyuki
I think it’s pretty rare for the word “die” to appear so straightforwardly in a song.
Many people probably assume that songs dealing with life and death are, as expected, dark and heavy.
But Makihara Noriyuki—better known as Makki—created an outlier with his song “Hey…”.
He sets a theme that tends to feel somber to a bright, up-tempo melody that nudges you toward a more positive outlook.
Even the title “Hey…” carries a bittersweet lightness, as if casually calling out to someone who has passed away.
It’s a song that makes the image of someone trying to hold back their tears—“I won’t cry”—feel all the more lonely.
Missin’ you ～It will break my heart～Hirai Ken
Ken Hirai, one of Japan’s leading singer-songwriters, released the single “Missin’ you ~It will break my heart~” on January 30, 2002, which drew attention as a collaboration with internationally renowned producer Babyface.
The song conveys lost love and deep sorrow through Hirai’s unique sensibility.
In particular, the pain of parting and the strength to keep holding on to love resonate deeply with listeners.
Hirai’s warm vocals and piercing melody may offer comfort to those mourning a lost love.
As the song also touches on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, it carries an even deeper message.
It is a track I strongly recommend to anyone overwhelmed by grief or unable to forget a love they have lost.
If tomorrow comesJUJU with JAY’ED
The collaborative single Ashita ga Kuru Nara by JUJU and JAY’ED features poignant yet powerful vocals from the two artists, expressing profound love and the sorrow of parting within a limited time.
It also gained attention as the theme song for the film April Bride.
The piece delicately portrays the fleeting happiness shared with a loved one and the melancholy of the parting that eventually comes, leaving a deep impression on listeners’ hearts.
In the moments when we mourn lost love and renew our feelings for someone we hold in our memories, this song will surely give us the courage to look forward.
Ah, the days of youthyuzu
I want you to listen to Yuzu’s “Ah, Seishun no Hibi” while thinking of the friends you shared your youth with, even if you can no longer meet them now.
Released in 2000, it became their first single to top the Oricon charts.
Said to have been created in response to the death of a close friend, the song is written as a message to a friend in heaven.
The nostalgic melody and the straightforward, powerful vocals filled with the sorrow of parting really hit you in the heart.
Put it on when you want to sink into memories and have a good cry.
SakuramigaokaLocal Bus
A heartrending love song that portrays parting from someone dear.
It interweaves the scene of seeing off a train with the loneliness within the landscape and the joy of meeting, powerfully expressing the feelings of longing for a loved one.
Released on March 17, 2004, it was also used as the theme song for the PlayStation 2 game “PoPoLoCrois: Adventure of the Rule of the Moon.” In addition, it is known as the second ending theme for the TV Tokyo anime “PoPoLoCrois.” This is a song we hope those who have experienced the loss of someone important, or those who wish to reminisce about a past romance, will listen to.