[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 Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death (141–150)
A world without you is heartbreaking.CHIHIRO
Even as time passes, this song portrays the surge of sorrow that wells up when you recall memories of someone dear.
Because it’s based on CHIHIRO’s real experience of losing someone important, the expression of grief feels strikingly authentic.
With a piano-centered, heartrending sound, it vividly conveys the ache of feelings that can no longer reach their destination and the way sadness grows within the heart.
Another key point is that the remembered scenes are from ordinary, everyday life, which strongly underscores the pain of being unable to do even the simplest things anymore.
ECHOFujifaburikku
ECHO by Fujifabric portrays the sorrow of losing someone precious and the depth of enduring love.
Its words speak as if reading a letter to someone who has passed away.
Feelings for a person with whom you once spent time and shared memories are conveyed through warm tones.
Sung as a tribute to a beloved who has departed this world, Soichiro Yamauchi’s clear, expansive voice brings a sense of calm.
Why not send the love and gratitude you couldn’t express directly, carried upon the music?
Sleeping BeautySEKAI NO OWARI
A gem-like ballad that gently wraps the grief and sense of loss from losing someone precious in a fairy-tale worldview.
On a morning after waking, the inability to accept the reality that a loved one is no longer there is woven into a fantastical story.
With SEKAI NO OWARI’s signature dreamy melody and tender vocals that stay close to profound sorrow, the song delivers true comfort to listeners’ hearts.
Released in July 2012, it was also used in a commercial for NTT Plala.
When you can’t face the memory of a painful farewell or want to sort out your feelings for someone dear, this song will gently embrace your heart.
Song of CandyBUMP OF CHICKEN
A gem-like ballad by BUMP OF CHICKEN that sings of deep bonds and trust.
Featured on the album “orbital period,” this song explores the essence of “believing.” It portrays a relationship so profound that one completely trusts the other—so much so that even betrayal might go unnoticed.
Fujiwara Motoo’s delicate lyricism unfolds through cosmic-scale storytelling of the two’s encounter and the “candy” as a symbol imbued with a soul.
It’s a recommended track for those who have experienced parting from someone dear, or for anyone who wants to trust someone deeply.
Its heartfelt lyrics and beautiful melody will gently embrace the listener’s heart.
AzaleaYonezu Kenshi
A song by Kenshi Yonezu written as the theme for the Netflix drama “Sayonara no Tsuzuki.” Reflecting the story of meeting a stranger who has inherited the heart of a lost lover, it portrays the sorrow of losing someone beloved and the hope that life carries on nonetheless.
Blending delicate piano melodies with electronic elements in a modern ballad style, it was released in November 2024.
In step with the drama’s narrative, it centers on themes of inherited memories and unwavering love, resonating with the sentiment embodied in the white azalea’s language of flowers: “fulfilled love.” It is a gentle companion for those who have lost someone dear or wish to heal the pain of heartbreak.
eightIU
Singer-songwriter IU, who is so popular in South Korea that she’s called the “Nation’s Little Sister” and is also active as an actor, released the digital single “Eight” on May 6, 2020.
The song drew attention for her collaboration with BTS member SUGA.
The lyrics, which feel like she’s addressing a friend who took their own life, convey a sense of loneliness and despair at being left behind.
It’s a sentimental number whose pop sensibility is laced with melancholy, with melodies and arrangements that tug at the heart.
Parting Flowersurii
Srii, a singer-songwriter also known as a Vocaloid producer, wrote “Wakarebana” after experiencing the loss of someone dear to him.
This song expresses gratitude and longing for someone you can no longer see.
Despite its sorrowful theme, the melody is upbeat—listen for that contrast as well.
By the way, “wakarebana” refers to the flowers placed in a coffin at a funeral.
Keeping that in mind will help the song’s message resonate even more.
