A Tearful Farewell Song: A Love Song About Parting with Someone You Love
Even when you understand it in your head, an unexpected breakup with a partner is hard because your feelings can’t keep up.
Everyone has different reasons for breaking up, but I imagine most people feel the same way—“it hurts,” “I just want to cry.”
In this article, we’re picking out tear-jerking breakup songs from popular love songs.
Focusing on tracks that sing about lingering feelings of love, we’ll introduce breakup songs that stay close to your heart.
When you feel like crying, give them a listen.
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- Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
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- [Female Heartbreak Song] A soul-stirring song dedicated to you, who loved with all your heart.
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- [Tear-Jerking Breakup Songs] A curated selection of love songs that gently comfort a wounded heart!
- [Upbeat Breakup Song] Love songs and anthems that give you the courage to take a new step forward
- “I Want to See You”: A love song that makes you cry when you listen to it while you can’t meet
- Masterpieces of bittersweet breakup songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- [Once More…] A lingering-attachment song: a song about a love you can’t forget
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- [Heart-wrenching] Vocaloid breakup songs. Classic love tracks that make your chest ache
[Tear-Jerking Farewell Songs] Love songs about parting with someone you love (71–80)
See you againSEAMO
SEAMO’s “Mata Aimashou” has a refreshing melody, but it sings of a very heartbreaking farewell.
Released in 2006 as SEAMO’s fourth single, it became a long-running hit.
The song is based on a breakup SEAMO actually experienced, and you can really feel the raw emotions—whether you’re a man or a woman, it strikes a chord.
It’s not exactly positive, but the resolve to part with a smile makes it all the more tearful.
IfTouyama Mirei feat. Maruri to Ryuuga
This song portrays a breakup between a man and a woman with realistic detail.
It depicts the emotions between a couple in a familiar scene where the woman, who felt like she had her boyfriend all to herself, ends up being dumped.
It conveys the precious things you only realize after losing them, as well as the pain and sadness of remaining friends even after a romantic relationship ends, artfully expressing the complexities of relationships.
It’s a song that stands beside those who are about to part ways.
LetterSHE’S
The song “Letter” by the four-piece piano rock band SHE’S was featured in a commercial for Nintendo’s game Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so many people might think, “Oh, I’ve heard this before!” when the chorus comes on.
While it certainly gained attention as a CM song, its gentle piano melody and clear vocals make it a tune that sticks in your head after just one listen.
It’s not just a typical breakup or heartbreak song—it’s a deeply moving piece about thinking of someone important.
The vocals carry a surge of bittersweet emotion.
Be happy, okay?matsumura kanau
Singersongwriter Kanau Matsumura, whose empathetic lyrics and sound have won popularity especially among young people, sings a bittersweet yet forwardlooking breakup song.
It tells the story of a man who decides to part ways because he believes his partner will surely be happier without him.
Listening to this track may have led some to reflect on past memories, wondering, “Did that breakup back then make us both happier?” or “I wonder if my exgirlfriend or exboyfriend is happy now.” For those who have experienced a painful separation like the one in this song, it may feel like a piece that validates the decision they made at the time.
melodramanatori & imase
A collaborative song by Natori and imase that captures the bittersweet feelings of parting.
It looks back on a past romance and portrays the courage to face the pain of heartbreak.
Using the empty passenger seat as a motif, the lyrics strikingly contrast joyful memories from the past with the loneliness of the present, leaving a deep emotional impression.
Released digitally in August 2024, the track was also chosen as the theme song for Nissan Motor’s 90th anniversary commemorative film.
It’s a recommended listen for anyone who has gone through a breakup or wants to linger in memories of the past.
Give it a try when you want to sort out your feelings.
Hide-and-seekYuuri
Singer Yuuri, who built his career mainly through street performances and then blew up on social media, became widely popular.
His song “Kakurenbo” sparked a wave of covers on SNS—so much so that even MY FIRST STORY was moved to cover it.
It’s a breakup song packed with heartrending emotions from a male perspective; if you’ve been through something similar, it’s impossible to listen without tears.
The person you’re thinking of is no longer there, yet traces of their presence remain everywhere—you can feel them all around you.
It’s almost too painful, isn’t it…?
One more time,One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi
Released as a single in 1997, it became the theme song for the film “Moon and Cabbage,” in which Yamazaki himself stars.
Although it peaked at No.
18 on the Oricon chart, it became a long-running hit, gaining popularity through radio airplay and becoming a karaoke staple.
It has been beloved for many years as one of Masayoshi Yamazaki’s signature songs.
The lyrics express the poignant feeling of being unable to forget a former lover.