[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 meet. Tear-jerking songs about death (171–180)
swanyuzu
This is a Yuzu song that gracefully and poignantly portrays a final farewell with a loved one.
Accompanied by warm, acoustic tones, it carefully weaves the profound sorrow of those left behind and their process of acceptance.
Included on the album “1 ~ONE~,” released in September 2004, the piece has been highly praised as a work that reflects Yuzu’s musical maturity.
It is a song that gently stays close to the hearts of those who have suddenly lost someone dear or are carrying a deep sense of loss.
Gold ~Until We Meet Again~Utada Hikaru
Hikaru Utada’s “Gold ~Until We Meet Again~” is a song that portrays facing the absence of the person who mattered most.
The music video—in which she wanders through the city and is lifted into the night sky by a crane—was filmed in Shinjuku.
It sings of memories that never fade no matter how much time passes, comparing their brilliance to gemstones.
Her light, nimble vocals over a sound that’s both delicate and bold conjure the image of taking the first steps toward the future.
It’s not only a song of parting over someone you can no longer meet, but also a memorial piece that dreams of the day you’ll meet again.
Why not listen to it while thinking of the one you love?
Love songSambomasutā
The song that captures the honest feeling of “I want to see that person one more time…” is Sambomaster’s Love Song, released in 2009.
In a world where a loved one is gone, the lyrics sing out like a heartfelt wish.
The band’s passionate three-piece performance and Takashi Yamaguchi’s vocals convey that straightforward emotion.
It’s a song that portrays the heart that longs to hear a voice or can’t help wanting to meet again.
Give this ballad a listen—it offers comfort in inescapable anxiety and loneliness.
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.
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.
[Bereavement Songs] To you, my precious one whom I can no longer meet. Tear-jerking songs about death (181–190)
Hiraethmoumoon
A track from the album “FELT SENSE,” released in July 2023 by moumoon, the musical duo of vocalist YUKA and guitarist MASAKI.
It’s a poignant love song about feelings for a beloved person who has departed for the sky.
Emotions like “I just want you by my side” and “I want to hear your voice,” which never arose when it was taken for granted that they were near.
The wish—“I will surely come to see you someday, so please wait until then”—conveys unwavering love for someone dear and a determination to live strongly.
A world without goodbyesŌhashi Torio
A medium-tempo ballad woven from a gently soul-soothing voice and richly expressive strings.
The melody spun by Ohashi Trio seems to tell us that, while parting from someone dear is unavoidable, there is a world without “goodbyes” that spreads within our hearts, where memories continue to shine forever.
Listening to this song, some of you may have quietly pictured someone you can no longer meet.
Released in September 2022, this work colored the story as the theme song for the drama “Sayonara no Mukougawa.” Rather than overcoming the sorrow of farewell, it tenderly stays close to those who wish to embrace their goodbyes as warm memories and keep living with them.