Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
In life, we encounter many farewells at various milestones—graduation, transfers, retirement, pursuing our dreams, and even heartbreak.
Even when we know that parting is a step toward a new path, leaving our current environment can still bring feelings of loneliness and pain.
Conversely, sending someone off on their new journey can be just as difficult.
In this article, we introduce songs that center on different farewell scenarios in life—friendships, romance, graduation, and more.
We’ve carefully selected masterpieces that give you the courage to overcome the anxiety of a new path and the pain of parting, transforming them into new strength.
We’ll present wonderful tracks that will make you feel that farewells, too, have meaning.
- [Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.
- [Song for a Departure] A send-off song for you. A classic masterpiece among departure songs.
- Farewell Songs: Tracks that sing various kinds of “goodbyes”
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Farewell Songs: Karaoke tunes to sing at a farewell party. Goodbye songs.
- [Gratitude, Encouragement, Memories] Tear-Jerking Graduation Songs You Can’t Listen to Without Crying [2026]
- [Songs About Loving Yet Parting] Love songs for those who want to overcome heartbreak
- A Tearful Farewell Song: A Love Song About Parting with Someone You Love
- Songs to Play at My Own Funeral: Timeless Gems to Make Farewells Uniquely My Own
- [A moving friendship song] For dear friends and best friends. Songs of friendship that make you feel the bond.
- A song about losing a friend: bereavement, betrayal, and separation.
- Only masterpieces that color the season of meetings and farewells! Spring songs recommended for Gen Z.
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
Farewell Songs: Goodbye Tunes. Tearful Parting Songs (11–20)
Goodbye-byeTomioka Ai
Singer-songwriter Ai Tomioka is active across various fields, from posting songs on social media to performing street shows.
Her track “Good-bye-bye,” released on September 20, 2023, is a striking number featuring a slightly smoky vocal tone and edgy voice breaks that heighten the sense of longing.
The lyrics convey a mismatch between her feelings and the other person’s, yet they overflow with the aching pull that persists anyway.
It’s a lyrical pop tune with a relaxed beat and an emotionally resonant melody that feels wonderfully soothing.
YELLikimonogakari
Beloved as a graduation song, this track makes you rethink the meaning of the word “sayonara.” While it’s popular at graduations, the secret to its appeal is surely the message in its lyrics.
We tend to associate “sayonara” at parting with loneliness and negativity, but in this song, it’s described as a cheer that encourages you to take a new step.
Listening to it helps you see farewells in a positive light: even when people part ways, it’s the start of each person setting off toward new goals in a new place.
Goodbye, my beloved.Hana＊Hana
It’s a supreme song that portrays the parting between people with exquisite beauty.
Known as one of Hana*Hana’s signature tracks, it might be read as a love song if you look only at the lyrics, but in fact Izumi Kojima wrote it for her late grandfather.
I think many people have found this song to be a source of comfort when a beloved family member or someone dear has passed away.
It’s a graceful, cleansing masterpiece that takes on the most painful kind of farewell—bereavement.
Goodbye ElegySuda Masaki
Masaki Suda’s “Sayonara Elegy” is a song that conveys the ache of heartbreak and parting, yet evokes a sense of nostalgia.
Written and composed by singer-songwriter Huwie Ishizaki, it’s also known as the theme song for the drama “Kiss That Kills.” Its simple, resonant melody doesn’t require a wide vocal range, making it easy and familiar for anyone to sing along.
The emotional guitar sound is another highlight.
The lyrics, to me, carry the strength to overcome a painful farewell and turn toward a new beginning.
I say byeimase
A song that portrays the complex emotions of faint hope and lingering attachment set against the lonely nights of Tokyo.
It expresses the paradox of a love that becomes unforgettable through touch, conveying the bittersweet feelings of two people who have no choice but to part.
It was also featured in GLOBAL WORK’s new TV commercial, airing from September 2023 as the third installment of “Clothes You Can’t Go Wrong With,” starring Tsubasa Honda.
The music video is directed by UDO, who also directed the MVs for “18” and “Nagisa,” delivering a surreal and humorous piece.
It’s a track that offers comfort to those who need the courage to step into a new environment or who have experienced parting with someone dear.
Song of the Eternal NightKamisama wa saikoro o furanai
This song by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai, which portrays the pain and sense of loss after heartbreak, has captured the hearts of many young people.
Released in May 2019 on the album “An Opinion on Lambda,” it gained widespread attention on social media in 2020.
Shusaku Yanagida’s delicate vocals and poetic lyrics beautifully express lingering attachment and melancholy toward a former lover.
The autumn farewell, layered over the fading scent of fragrant olives, resonates deeply with listeners.
This work has become a source of comfort for those who have experienced heartbreak or parting, giving them the courage to take a new step forward.
When you want to overcome a farewell with someone important, be sure to give it a listen.
Farewell Songs: Goodbye Tunes. Tearful Parting Songs (21–30)
The final goodbye.riria.
A poignant song by Riria that portrays the pain of heartbreak and the hope of a new beginning.
Centered on communication through social media and messaging apps, it deftly depicts the romantic lives of today’s youth.
The piano- and strings-focused arrangement gently envelops the protagonist’s wavering emotions.
Released in December 2023, this warm ballad accompanies those striving to move forward after heartbreak.
It’s a song that quietly stays by the side of anyone who has experienced a breakup or is about to take a new step.