[Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing a loved one. Tracks to listen to while thinking of someone dear
A collection of songs themed around the loss of loved ones—partners, family, friends, and others dear to you.
There are songs steeped in deep sorrow, songs that express gratitude for the time shared in life, songs that look back on memories, and even songs told from the perspective of those who have passed away.
Though presented from many angles, all of them overflow with love for the departed and for those left behind.
If you are suffering from a sense of loss, or wish to sort through your feelings for someone precious who has gone on ahead, please give these a listen.
We cannot forget the reality of parting, but as you listen, you will likely find yourself able to look back on the days you spent together with a calmer heart.
- [Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
- A song I want people who have lost a beloved partner to listen to
- [Memorial Song] A moving classic and love song dedicated to a beloved person embarking on a journey to heaven
- Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [Music Funeral] BGM to Remember the Deceased | Spotlight on Requiems and Dirges Praying for Peace
- A song about losing a friend: bereavement, betrayal, and separation.
- Songs to Play at My Own Funeral: Timeless Gems to Make Farewells Uniquely My Own
- Songs that Teach the Value of Life | A Collection of Masterpieces Celebrating the Wonder of Living
- [Thank-You Song] A song to convey your feelings of “thank you” to someone special
- A Tearful Farewell Song: A Love Song About Parting with Someone You Love
- [Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
- [Thank You] A classic song expressing gratitude to one’s parents. A number loved across generations.
[Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one (91–100)
lamplightYuga
A supreme track whose translucent vocals and gentle melody nestle close to the heart.
It’s a warm song that gently wraps the bond with someone special and the feelings you have for them, and as the theme song for the TBS Friday drama “My Wife Is a Grade Schooler,” it deeply moved many listeners.
Released by Yuga in January 2022, this piece was created with the thought that “no one is ever truly alone.” This gem of a ballad, which sings of deep love for someone dear and how their presence becomes a light in one’s heart, is perfect for reflecting calmly on someone important to you.
I want to see you.sawada chikako
Chikaco Sawada’s “Aitai” (“I Want to See You”) overflows with the longing to see a loved one who has passed away.
Released in 1990 as her fourth single, the song won the Grand Prix at the 24th All Japan Cable Broadcasting Awards and became Sawada’s biggest hit.
Its gentle sound and lyrics about the sorrow that your precious someone is no longer here resonate deeply.
Listening to it, the words “Why did you have to disappear when we had promises?” pierce your heart and bring you to tears.
Rather than suppressing grief in your heart, recognizing your true feeling of “I want to see you,” even though it’s painful, may be a first step toward seeing reality from a different perspective.
Please give it a listen.
[Songs of Bereavement] Songs for those who have lost someone dear. Songs to listen to while thinking of a loved one (101–110)
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.
Tears Flowing EndlesslyNatsukawa Rimi
In the Okinawan language, “Nada Soso” means “tears falling in drops.” The song’s lyrics were written by Ryoko Moriyama and the music composed by BEGIN, and Rimi Natsukawa, who strongly wished to sing it, ultimately did.
It was released in 2001 as her third single.
Moriyama wrote the lyrics after losing her older brother, and the song gently accompanies the sorrow and complex feelings of losing someone dear.
The emotionally rich Okinawan sound further amplifies the sentiment, making tears flow just by listening.
It may help you feel that your memories aren’t only sad ones.
TSUZUKUikimonogakari
Even if a farewell is painful, isn’t it important not to forget the time you spent with that person and to keep living while holding on to those memories? This song also conveys a message to someone who is no longer here, but beyond sadness, you can feel strength and warmth in its sound.
Sometimes, pausing in sorrow after a parting may be a necessary step.
Yet this song seems to teach us that what truly matters is moving forward while carrying those feelings with us.
The Day of DepartureJULEPS
This song’s lyrics are written from the perspective of someone facing death.
It’s a piece by the piano chorus group JULEPS, released in 2007 as their major debut single.
It gained attention as the theme song for the anime “The Elephant’s Back: The Day of Departure.” The beautiful, warm choral work has a calming effect.
There’s also a novel that the anime is based on, so listening while reading it may help you connect with the story even more deeply.
Close your eyesHirai Ken
This is a song by Ken Hirai, written specifically as the theme for the film “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World.” The story looks back on memories with a deceased lover, and this track, told from the protagonist’s perspective, also feels like a message addressed to that lost love.
While recalling days spent with a partner who will never return evokes painful emotions, the song conveys a powerful resolve to cherish those memories and live on, carrying the loved one’s share as well.