A tear-jerking love song. A love song that stays close to a hurting heart.
Love isn’t always fun, is it?
You might mustered up the courage to confess your feelings only to be rejected, be led on and strung along, or realize from the start it was a love that could never come true… Chances are, you too have experienced a painful love.
In this article, we introduce tear-jerking love songs that sing about that kind of heartbreak.
If you’re hurting right now, why not try finding a song that stays close to your feelings?
Listening to songs about the same situation might help you find clues for facing that love.
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- A song of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song.
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- Heal your heart with love ballads: A collection of pure love and heartbreak songs.
- Breakup songs that are easy to sing at karaoke. Recommended classics and popular hits.
- [For when you want to cry] A ballad love song. A heartbreaking love song.
Tear-jerking love songs. Love songs that stay close to a hurting heart (161–170)
emptyyuzu
“Karappo,” a song released by Yuzu in 1998.
When you go through a breakup, your mind can go blank, or if you start thinking, you spiral into the same thoughts over and over, and waves of regret like “If only I’d done this back then” come crashing in.
This song captures that helpless inner turmoil—a heartbreak number many can relate to.
Breakups come with plenty of regrets, but rather than simply forgetting, we want to sort through those feelings and learn to coexist with them, cherishing them as part of us.
Changing seasonsren
Ren is a singer-songwriter who rose to fame on social media, earning overwhelming support from her generation for lyrics that feel real and relatable.
Her song “The Changing Seasons” is a love song so resonant that anyone who’s been heartbroken will be moved to tears.
Not limited to heartbreak, it captures that universal feeling we all know when we’re down—thinking “the world might as well end”—and expresses it in words that are simple yet beautiful.
The pain of feeling left behind comes through vividly: the seasons change, everything around you keeps moving on, and yet you alone remain standing still.
Tear-Jerking Love Songs: Love songs that stay close to a hurting heart (171–180)
youKōda Kumi
The winter cold and the frozen heart whose time stopped after breaking up with him are linked, aren’t they? From the lyrics, you can feel the regret of wishing they had talked more and met each other halfway.
There’s lingering attachment, and it’s precisely because it hurts that it feels so heartrending.
It’s a song I can really relate to.
You have no eye for it.Ansako
A song that vividly brings to mind a woman walking with tears in her eyes, clutching a convenience-store-bought drink in one hand.
The pain of heartbreak, self-loathing, and tangled emotions are woven with delicate words.
The wavering feelings caught between “I still love you” and the reality of “it’s over” resonate deeply with listeners.
Included on Ansako’s second album, “No Make, Story,” this track became a long-running seller for over half a year after its release and struck a chord with many.
It’s a warm song that offers comfort to those suffering the sting of a breakup or blaming themselves.
I miss you so much and want to see you.Nishino Kana
It’s a song released in 2010, and its chorus lyrics were quite the talk back then.
They’re said to contrast with Kana Nishino’s own views on love, yet the actual melody is sung in a voice that sounds on the verge of tears.
Many people probably relate to the lyrics, which convey painful anguish.
If you’ve just gone through a major heartbreak, try projecting your feelings onto this song.
If a good cry helps you feel even a little refreshed, you’ll be able to take the next step forward.
Then, why?Abe Mao
This is a song that Abe Mao wrote about something her friend experienced.
Even if you give your everything, the person you love won’t turn to look at you.
The lyrics are heartbreaking, as if you’ve been rejected before you even confess, and it’s recommended for when you want to have a good cry.
The lyrics are from a boy’s perspective, but they can also fit from a girl’s perspective.
change of heartindigo la End
This song features a poignant melody that traces the heartache of facing the end of love.
Its lyrics, which look unflinchingly at the truths of meeting and parting, are sure to resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced heartbreak.
Released by indigo la End in April 2024, the track is included on the album “Nureyuku Shishōsetsu” (“Soaked Private Novel”).
It carries a lonely atmosphere, as if confronting oneself in the stillness of night, with feelings of regret over lost love woven throughout.
A song that gently accompanies everyone who knows the emptiness of love’s loss—like washing pain away with tears.
A gem that seeps into the heart, perfect for listening to alone on a difficult night.