[Bereavement Song] To you, my precious one 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 a loved one. Tracks to listen to while thinking of someone dear
- [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
- [Thank You] A classic song expressing gratitude to one’s parents. A number loved across generations.
- Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
[Bereavement Songs] To you, my precious one I can no longer meet. Tear-jerking songs about death (111–120)
touch-me-not (balsam flower)Nakajima Miyuki
Released in 1978, Miyuki Nakajima’s song “Housenka” is a masterpiece filled with poignancy and deep emotion.
The piece was created as a tribute to a friend, portraying the sorrow and heartache of facing the sudden death of someone dear.
Its warmly enveloping melody and lyrics that sink into the heart are sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak or the loss of a loved one.
I hope that listening to this song will help ease your pain, even just a little.
wedding dressAfter the Rain
Weddingdress is filled with sincere affection for a beloved person you will never meet again.
It was created in 2023 by After the Rain, the musical duo of singers Soraru and Mafumafu.
The song is themed around a wedding, the ceremony where two people vow to live the rest of their lives together, and it paints scenes of picturing a cherished person in a bridal gown.
Their overlapping choral work, carried by a fragile yet beautiful melody, gently envelops the sorrow of farewell.
Please lend an ear to the warm sound that stays close to feelings of loneliness and solitude.
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.
The Postbox in Heavenkimaguren
Formed in 2005 and based in Yokosuka, Kimaguren have expressed hometown pride and deep human connections through their music.
Their fourth single, “Tengoku no Yūbin Posuto” (“Heaven’s Mailbox”), is a particularly moving work.
The song was created around the concept of entrusting thoughts for a lost loved one to a letter and sending it to heaven.
The lyrics capture lingering attachment, memories of the departed, and a wish to look forward, all conveyed through the act of writing a letter.
While it conveys a strong will to overcome sadness and loneliness, it also carries a hope for reunion.
It is a song that resonates deeply and invites empathy from anyone who is thinking of someone precious they have lost.
A world without youto shiki
This is a song about parting with someone dear.
As the phrase “a world without you” suggests, it expresses feelings for someone you will never meet again.
Toshiki’s gentle vocals beautifully convey regret for a lost love and a deep sense of nostalgia, touching the listener’s heart.
Vivid images—like you gazing at the autumn leaves or playing the guitar I taught you—rise before our eyes with striking realism.
Released in August 2022, the song gained traction on social media and resonated with many people.
For those who have lost someone important or are carrying the pain of heartbreak, it will be a song that offers solace.
lamplightYuga
This is a song by singer-songwriter Yuga, written specifically as the theme for the drama “Tsuma, Shogakusei ni Naru” (My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student).
Its uniquely floating, gentle sound and her warm, layered vocals come together to evoke a deep sense of love.
The lyrics seem to portray the emotions felt when parting with someone precious, looking back on the time spent together while savoring the love that was given.
You can also feel a resolve to carry those memories in one’s heart and move forward with strength.
I don’t knowHoshino Gen
A song released before the big breakthrough with “Koi,” which has maintained strong popularity among fans.
There’s even an anecdote that it was inspired by a real-life experience—“Something shocking happened in my private life…” The lyrics are somber, as if mourning someone who has passed away, saying, “Even if you’re gone, my feelings for you will never disappear…” It carries the feel of Hoshino’s way of consoling himself, slowly transmuting sorrow all the way through.
It also gently suggests that when you’re sad, it’s better to fully allow yourself to be sad.