Weepy Music

AKMA has posted in response to this week's (Onion) AV Club list of "Songs that Make Us Cry." The list includes some predictable indie weepies - I guess I shouldn't say *predictable* because my flirtation with the current strains of indie, "honest," anti-emo (or however you want to describe it) music was very brief. At any rate, I thought I would throw my two cents in about songs that make me cry and/or make me overly sentimental (a broad category), and songs that I try not to listen to on purpose.

Mark Knopfler and James Taylor, "Sailing to Philadelphia." This song is about Mason and Dixon. Andy loves Mason & Dixon by Pynchon. I love my husband. A strange association, but truly when the first chord of this song rings through, I'm totally rapt and soon crying. It's just a beautiful song.

I cannot make it through "Be Thou My Vision" without crying, either. My brother sung it at our wedding a capella, and I distinctly remember my sister standing on her tiptoes when Patric(k) went for the key change. Funny, she was already looking out for his career then. : )

Speaking of wedding songs, ours was/is Lyle Lovett's "If I Had a Boat." It was the recessional at our wedding, and just as our officiant finished giving our guests dinner directions, Lyle sang "Kiss my ass I bought a boat." Nice.

Paul Simon's "Graceland," which is very much a part of the week preceding my wedding. I spent a lot of time alone in my car pondering the next great stage of my life.

To guarantee automatic waterworks, play Paul Simon's "Father and Daughter." Even the mere thought of the song - and I'm not at all kidding - makes me want to cry.

Also anything by Tom Waits that is slow, involves an out of tune piano, and his quiet growling. I like my Tom Waits with noisy growling and loud jangly noises. Slow Tom Waits generates a similar response to what happens when I watch Buster Keaton movies.

I should also add that the theme song from The Backyardigans also causes me to dissolve into tears. It's completely beyond the bounds of reason, but the first two notes send me into convulsive sobs.

I'm sure we all have songs in these categories. These are mine, what are yours?

There are plenty of other things making me weep this week - in particular, the long list of logic problems that I have to teach tomorrow. The perils of willingly teaching logic at 8:30am on a Monday, I guess (next Fall I'll be teaching same class at 7:00am ... reminds me of high school math). I have one week of class left, and then it's on to finals. What a relief.