[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 whom I can no longer see. Tear-jerking songs about death (161–170)
squallMONGOL800
It’s a grand, dramatic slow ballad.
Unstoppable tears are likened to incessant rain, depicting deep sorrow and a sense of loss.
The lyrics are marked by profound feelings for a loved one and the sadness that comes with that love.
Included on the album “Daniel,” released in August 2006, it was MONGOL800’s first new work in about two and a half years.
Recommended as a song that gently accompanies those who are experiencing deep grief after losing someone precious.
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?
[Bereavement Songs] To you, my precious one whom I can no longer meet. Tear-jerking songs about death (171–180)
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.
dearestFukuyama Masaharu
This is a ballad about parting with someone precious.
Released under KOH+, the duo of Masaharu Fukuyama and Kou Shibasaki, it was later self-covered by Fukuyama.
The song portrays a pure and heartrending love in which one sacrifices oneself to protect a beloved.
Released in October 2008, it gained attention as the theme song for the film “The Devotion of Suspect X.” It was also used in a commercial for Toshiba’s REGZA LCD TVs.
This is a recommended track for those grieving the loss of someone dear or those who wish to give everything for the one they love.
me me sheRADWIMPS
RADWIMPS, a rock band known for releasing numerous emotionally stirring works, drew attention with the song “me me she,” included on the album RADWIMPS 4: Okazu no Gohan, released on December 6, 2006.
Centered on the theme of a breakup, the piece portrays mourning for a lost love and the singer’s emotional growth through the fusion of Yojiro Noda’s delicate lyrics and the band’s superb performance.
Through the universal experience of parting, this is a song that will offer empathy and courage to those who, while feeling a sense of melancholy, strive to look forward, and to those who seek to learn and grow from past separations.
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.