[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 for those who have lost someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one (111–120)
Sakura Rain, SomedayMatsu Takako
Matsu Takako’s “Sakura no Ame, Itsuka” is a poignant song about someone who departed before we could even say goodbye.
Released as a single in 2000, it was used as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama Omiai Kekkon.
It’s a ballad with a memorable piano motif, and in the music video Matsu appears in attire reminiscent of mourning clothes.
Parting from someone dear always comes suddenly.
It’s hard to sort out your feelings, but please take your time and let your heart heal as you listen to “Sakura no Ame, Itsuka.”
A song dedicated to my belovedKuwata Keisuke
Keisuke Kuwata, who perfectly suits the summer and the sea.
This song is about feelings for a beloved person who has passed away and is no longer here, yet it still carries a refreshing quality—very much a Kuwata-like number.
The song “Aishii Hito e Sasagu Uta” (A Song Dedicated to My Beloved) is included on Kuwata’s third best-of album, “I LOVE YOU -now & forever-,” released in 2012.
It makes you inevitably think of someone dear, and the tears just start to fall…
NatsuneGLAY
GLAY, a band often associated with winter, sings a farewell song themed around summer, about parting from someone dear.
The person who had to say a sad goodbye to GLAY in this song was a fan of the band.
Their wish to “see GLAY’s 20th anniversary” sadly never came true, as they departed for heaven.
The beautiful summer sky and the various sounds that evoke the season stir up memories of the person who is no longer here, making the pain of separation resurface.
Those lonely, heartrending feelings are woven into the lyrics and a melody that conveys both grandeur and fragility.
Love songSambomasutā
As the title suggests, it’s a love song for someone who’s gone.
It’s a track by Sambomaster, a three-piece rock band known for their passionate, emotionally charged sound, released in 2009 as their 13th single.
Farewells are a part of life.
As we grow older, the number of people we long to see but can no longer meet increases.
These lyrics capture the feelings toward those irreplaceable figures.
With a voice that sounds wrung from the soul and a band sound that rings with aching tenderness, simply listening loosens the tear ducts—a beautiful, heartrending rock ballad.
Parting Flowersurii
Srii, a singer-songwriter also known as a Vocaloid producer, wrote “Wakarebana” after experiencing the loss of someone dear to him.
This song expresses gratitude and longing for someone you can no longer see.
Despite its sorrowful theme, the melody is upbeat—listen for that contrast as well.
By the way, “wakarebana” refers to the flowers placed in a coffin at a funeral.
Keeping that in mind will help the song’s message resonate even more.
Killed by the SunBUCK-TICK
When you’re feeling down or sad, some people may want to listen to songs with even more heartrending themes.
In that case, I’d like to introduce “Taiyou ni Korosareta.” This is a track released in 1991 by the visual kei rock band BUCK-TICK.
It begins with an intro that samples the sound of bells, resulting in an unsettling melody.
The lyrics sing of despair and sorrow in life.
However, in the latter half, the tempo gradually picks up and the vocals grow more powerful.
Consider what meaning might be embedded in that shift.
Condolences, and life goes onUtagana Roku ft. Uramei
Even when someone dear to us dies, time doesn’t stop for those who are still living.
“Mourning, and Yet Everyday Life Goes On,” produced by Vocaloid-P Uhahana Roku and released in 2022, feels like a song that tells of the cruelty of daily life continuing even after a precious person is gone.
The lyrics depict the process from the wake and the funeral through to the gradual return to everyday life.
No one can simply switch their feelings on and off after losing someone important.
And yet, we still have to keep living…
This song makes you feel that, even while hiding your tears, you’ll live properly through the time your loved one wished they could have had.