There is a yin and yang to love; to experience the highs, we have to go through the lows. That’s why for every song about the bliss of being in love, there is a song about the pain of heartbreak.
From Carole King to Lauryn Hill, songwriters can paint a picture of this aching loss that resonates with listeners from all walks of life. Some of the lyrics are laced with bitterness, while others lean into the angst that comes from rejection, and still others reflect the struggle to find a new sense of self after a relationship ends. What they all have in common is a thread of grief — people who are hurting, tapping into their pain to create art.
From new classics that reflect the tone of Generation Z to a Stevie Nicks song written for one of the most dramatic breakup albums in history to Kanye West’s vulnerable admission of loneliness, these songs about heartbreak go to the heart of how we hurt.
And I know it's long gone and that magic's not here no more / And I might be OK but I'm not fine at all.“All Too Well,” Taylor Swift, 2012
So you walk around like you don't know me / You got a new friend, well, I got homies / But in the end it's still so lonely.“Heartless,” Kanye West, 2008
Well, good for you, you look happy and healthy / Not me, if you ever cared to ask / Good for you, you're doing great out there without me, baby / God, I wish that I could do that.“good 4 u,” Olivia Rodrigo, 2021
Loving you is like a battle / And we both end up with scars.“Ex-Factor,” Lauryn Hill, 1998
A wounded heart you gave / My soul you took away / Good intentions you had many / I know you did.“Again,” Janet Jackson, 1993
Once my lover, now my friend / What a cruel thing to pretend.“Shadowboxer,” Fiona Apple, 1996
Some fools think of happiness / Blissfulness, togetherness / Some fools fool themselves, I guess / They're not foolin' me.“Love Hurts,” Nazareth, 1975
You led me away from home / Just to save you from being alone / You stole my soul, and that's a pain I can do without.“Maggie May,” Rod Stewart, 1971
Does she know how you told me / You'd hold me until you died / 'Til you died, but you're still alive.“You Oughta Know," Alanis Morissette, 1995
Now here you go again / You say you want your freedom / Well, who am I to keep you down?“Dreams,” Fleetwood Mac, 1977
How can I put it? You put me on / I even fell for that stupid love song.“Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson, 2004
Don't speak / I know what you're thinkin' / And I don't need your reasons / Don't tell me 'cause it hurts.“Don’t Speak,” No Doubt, 1996
I had hoped you'd see my face / And that you'd be reminded that for me, it isn't over.“Someone Like You,” Adele, 2011
I could put my arms around every boy I see / But they'd only remind me of you.“Nothing Compares 2 U,” Sinéad O'Connor, 1990
I can't make you love me if you don't / You can't make your heart feel something it won't.“I Can’t Make You Love Me,” Bonnie Raitt, 1991
There'll be good times again for me and you / But we just can't stay together, don't you feel it, too?“It’s Too Late,” Carole King, 1971
Featured image credit: UPI/ Alamy Stock Photo
