[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 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 whom I can no longer meet… Tear-jerking songs about death (31–40)
the same storyHanbaato Hanbaato
When asked, “What’s your favorite Humbert Humbert song?” I think many people would name this one: the hugely popular “Onaji Hanashi” (“The Same Story”).
At first it seems like a brisk, charming back-and-forth that makes you smile, but as the exchange unfolds, its meaning hits you and it becomes a guaranteed tearjerker.
It’s obvious, yet undeniable: you can’t make new memories with someone who’s gone—there’s no “from here on out.” This song makes you truly want to tell the people you love that you love them, so you won’t have any regrets.
contrailArai Yumi
Arai Yumi’s classic song “Hikoukigumo,” which was also used as the theme song for the Studio Ghibli film The Wind Rises.
It depicts a girl ascending into the sky and scenes from her life.
Perhaps it doesn’t feel like a sorrowful ballad because the lyrics can be interpreted as portraying the girl as happy.
By the end of the song, you can picture her freely flying through the sky.
It’s a timeless piece that brings a sense of calm when you listen to it.
In difficult times, it might gently lighten your heart.
Please give it a listen.
In the Circling Love: A Hymn to Mother Toward HeavenNEW!Metis
This song portrays the journey of overcoming the sorrow of parting, grounded in deep love for a late mother.
Released by Metis in May 2012, it was created in conjunction with the publication of her mother’s illness memoir that same year.
Looking back on warm memories with her mother, who departed for the sky in December 2008, and on the days of devoted caregiving, she sings with unguarded emotion about gratitude and a determination to move forward.
Gently heartwarming, this moving ballad offers comfort to those who carry grief yet wish to think of a loved one in heaven.
Consider listening to it as you quietly remember the departed.
Goodbye, my beloved.Hana＊Hana
Hana*Hana’s signature song “Sayonara Daisuki na Hito” was written by member Izumi Kojima in memory of her late grandfather.
It was chosen as the theme song for the drama “Oyaji,” starring Masakazu Tamura.
Even if someone you love has passed away, the fact that you love them doesn’t change.
Precisely because you love them, the loneliness and sorrow well up and make your heart ache.
You still love the person who has died, but you hate yourself for brooding endlessly.
This contrast in the lyrics is very beautiful and makes the poignancy even more profound.
Listen to it while carrying the feeling that the person you love is, and always will be, dear to you.
The Day of Departure – Complete EditionJULEPS
Including the animation, “The Day of Departure” is impossible not to be moved by.
It’s packed with the struggles of the person themselves from the time they were given a terminal diagnosis until their passing.
Because it’s a simple piano-only ballad, the lyrics stand out even more—and it’s sure to bring you to tears.
When you’re hurting from losing someone dear, this song will surely stay by your side.
It’s a top recommendation that has many listeners saying they can’t stop crying.
[Bereavement Songs] To You Whom I Can No Longer Meet... Tear-Jerking Songs About Death (41–50)
shooting starNEW!Shiono-ya Sayaka
A gently sung ballad about the inability to fully accept parting with a loved one and the memories that continue to shine in one’s heart.
It is a ballad with lyrics written by Sayaka Shionoya herself.
This track opens the mini-album “S with,” released in October 2015, and it was also chosen as the theme song for the film “While the Shooting Star Stays,” which premiered in November of the same year.
Its beautiful melody tenderly accompanies a story about trying to move forward while bearing the loss of someone precious.
Imbued with thoughts for lost time and the message that memories can become a source of strength to live, it resonates deeply with those in sorrow, offering the courage to face forward with warm memories.
He was alive, wasn’t he?aimyon
It’s “Ikite Itanda Yona,” which begins in a strikingly lifelike, conversational tone characteristic of Aimyon.
The lyrics start off a bit shocking, but that rawness comes from the reality packed into words and melodies drawn from what Aimyon actually saw and experienced.
It’s a straightforward, realistic song that seems to swallow and absorb the fact of “being alive,” savoring it as it goes.