A song about losing a friend: bereavement, betrayal, and separation.
We can lose friends in many ways—sudden bereavement, betrayal, or realizing you can no longer reach them.
This article introduces songs themed around losing a friend.
I’ve gathered a range of tracks: from moving ballads to songs with bright melodies that bring tears once you read the lyrics.
Losing a dear friend is painful, no matter how it happens.
I hope you’ll find a song among these that brings some comfort to your heart.
Please try listening to the ones that match how you’re feeling.
- [Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.
- Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
- Songs to listen to when you've been betrayed. Classic hits about betrayal.
- [Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
- [Memorial Song] A moving classic and love song dedicated to a beloved person embarking on a journey to heaven
- [A moving friendship song] For dear friends and best friends. Songs of friendship that make you feel the bond.
- [Songs to Listen to When You Want to Die] I want to disappear... A song to support you who feel that way
- Masterpieces about best friends. Recommended popular songs.
- A song I want people who have lost a beloved partner to listen to
- A farewell song for a dear friend—an uplifting graduation song that conveys heartfelt gratitude.
- [For Women] A Song to Gift Your Dear Friend | A Curated Selection of Heart‑Touching Friendship Songs!
- [Tears of Joy] Beautiful Friendship Songs with Lyrics You’ll Want to Gift to a Dear Friend
- Friendship Songs: Rediscover Your Bonds! A Carefully Curated Selection of Moving Masterpieces That Will Bring You to Tears
Songs about losing friends: death, betrayal, separation (1–10)
tearsSEKAI NO OWARI
SEKAI NO OWARI is a four-member, mixed-gender band that captivates fans with a wide-ranging worldview, from lyrics that depict realistic inner emotions to fantastical expressions.
The song “tears,” included on their major 5th album “scent of memory,” serves as the theme for their first large-scale exhibition, THE SECRET HOUSE.
Its lyrics, which look back on memories with a friend who has departed to heaven, can feel less like a farewell and more like a prayer that believes in the time you’ll meet again.
It’s a sentimental pop tune whose brisk beat and faintly wistful melody tug at the heart.
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.
Hiroamazarashi
This is a song included on the album “Hata,” released by amazarashi in October 2014.
It was created by Hiromu Akita in memory of a friend who passed away, imbued with the sorrow and poignancy of losing a companion.
The song is characterized by lyrics and a melody that strike deeply at the listener’s heart.
It carefully depicts the emotional nuances of those who have experienced a sudden farewell, expressing both the grief of losing someone dear and the determination to cherish memories with that person.
As a piece that stands beside those who have lost a friend or are trying to overcome parting with someone important, it will surely serve as a source of comfort for many.
Songs about losing a friend. Bereavement, betrayal, separation (11–20)
Thank youMACO
This song by MACO is a work filled with deep emotion that conveys heartfelt gratitude and love.
Released in July 2014, it gently embraces feelings for a friend who has been lost.
The harmony of piano tones and warm vocals sinks deeply into the listener’s heart.
The lyrics express lingering attachment and gratitude toward a cherished person who can no longer be met, making it a song that stands beside those who have experienced parting and loss.
This ballad, which reawakens the gratitude sleeping in the heart, is a must-listen for anyone who has experienced the loss of someone dear.
I’m afraid to believe.Mizuno Atsu
Atsu Mizuno, a Vocaloid producer who drew attention after their original song “Ikiru” entered the Hall of Fame on Niconico and became a huge hit with 10 million views on YouTube.
Their track “Shinjiru Koto ga Kowai,” which entered the CeVIO Hall of Fame on April 7, 2022, is striking for its ensemble featuring a delicate yet commanding piano.
The lyrics evoke the fear of being betrayed by others and the disappointment in oneself that follows—feelings many who’ve had similar experiences will likely relate to.
It’s a sentimental Vocaloid number that conveys the universal darkness of society within a short runtime.
Wind NagiSuga Shikao
Singer-songwriter Shikao Suga captivates fans with a musical style that blends soul and funk into J-pop and with lyrics that deftly portray human psychology.
Kaze-nagi, the track that closes his sixth album TIME, was used as an insert song in the TV anime Honey and Clover II.
Its story—about the sorrow of having to keep walking forward while thinking of someone precious you’ve lost—is a path that everyone encounters at least once in life.
This heart-wrenching ballad, driven by arpeggios on acoustic guitar, intensifies the sense of yearning.
Instead of goodbyeTUBE × GACKT
An emotionally moving ballad themed around an eternal farewell.
It’s known for its music video starring Yutaka Matsushige and Kenichi Endo in dual lead roles, a tear-jerking work that tells its story almost entirely through music and acting, with scarcely any dialogue.
Digital distribution began in February 2024, followed by a CD release at the end of the same month.
Focusing on universal human emotions—especially the process of parting forever, which everyone experiences—it evokes deep emotion and empathy in listeners.
This work is recommended for those who have said goodbye to someone dear, or who stand at a crossroads in life.
Alongside a melody that resonates with the heart, it conveys a poignant yet powerful longing for someone lost, offering both the wish for reunion and the courage to face farewell with hope.