12 Songs About Loss – Losing Friends, Loved Ones & Yourself

Sometimes in life we experience loss. These losses can consist of loss of self, loss of friendships or loved ones, and loss of relationships.  In this list of songs about loss, we have gathered what we believe to be some of the most poignant and memorable songs that delve into feelings of pain and grief.

Best Songs About Loss

Let’s first begin with a variety of songs about losing yourself—and trying to find your way back.

“Heal” by Tom Odell

Tom Odell sings of losing himself to drinking. He wants the alcohol to make his haunting past disappear. Even with these desires his past and mistakes continue to haunt him.

When you feel a shadow of your former self and have turned to ways to numb your pain and your past mistakes, give this song a listen. It will remind you that you are not alone in lost dreams, unforgivable mistakes, and past hopes.

“Losing Myself” by Sik World

“Losing Myself” is about the inner conflict you feel with yourself when you have been hurt deeply by someone you loved. Sik World sings of losing control of himself after the relationship ended. He doesn’t understand why he isn’t enough or what he did wrong to deserve this pain.

Sometimes when relationships end, you lose yourself. You wonder what you could have done differently, what you did wrong, and what went wrong. When it all comes crashing down, your sense of self is lost as well. The moment you feel a shell of yourself due to the confusion and misunderstandings after a relationship makes this song the perfect listen.

“Ghost of You” by 5 Seconds of Summer

Have you ever found yourself sitting in the faded dream of what could have been? “Ghost of You” is about a long-term relationship that ended. 5 Seconds of Summer tells a story about the ghost and emotions that follow them around their old selves and their old relationship.

There are times when you were with someone so long, that when your relationship ends, part of you dies with it. This song follows the nostalgia and disappearance of a part of yourself that goes with the end of an era of love. When you feel yourself coming apart due to the end of your relationship, listen to “Ghost of You”.

“Paralyzed” by NF

“Paralyzed” by NF is my go-to song when I feel like I’m slipping away. He sings of feeling paralyzed–that moment when everything you love, everything you enjoy, everything you succeed at fades away and you become a shell of yourself. He describes the low points of seemingly becoming someone else.

Those moments of depression where nothing can pull you out, those moments of feeling completely alone are encapsulated in this song. When nothing you do can get you out of that slump and you wonder if you can ever climb out of the desensitization listen to “Paralyzed”. It will bring you to tears.

“Reason to Stay” by Sody

Do you ever find yourself hating every reaction you have and every failure you see in yourself? Sody creates a picture of the self-loathing that comes with not measuring up to the standards that you create for yourself. She sings of being broken and not having a reason to stay.

When you feel lost because you are not measuring up to who you think you should be or how you think you should react, listen to “Reason to Stay.” It will help you not feel alone in those moments you find yourself lying on the floor, blaming yourself for every little thing you find wrong with yourself.

• You Might Want to Read: Songs About Losing Your Mom
• You Might Want to Read: Songs About Losing Your Dad

Songs About Loss of a Loved One

Let’s begin this section with a song by Lewis Capaldi.

“Before You Go” by Lewis Capaldi

Lewis Capaldi sings of a very heartbreaking subject. He has explained although many can relate this song to a breakup, it is actually about suicide. “Before You Go” looks back on the past. It discovers the unseen pain and asks the infamous “what if”. Could I have done something more? What if I had seen the pain? What if I had answered that call?

If you are dealing with the excruciating pain of losing someone to suicide this song will help you know that others have dealt with those same questions, the same guilt, and the hurt afterward. If you are contemplating suicide, it will also help you look at it from your loved one’s perspective. There is always someone that cares so much for you and that will miss you when you’re gone.

“See You Again” by Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa

“See You Again” is the famous anthem created as a tribute to the actor Paul Walker from the Fast and Furious movies. The song reminds the listener that even when someone is gone, they are never truly lost. You will always have memories and reminders of them pop up throughout your life. The love, laughter, and friendship you shared will never be lost.

This is a song for the long days of grief that follow losing someone you love. Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa sing about being able to see them again. The bond created in life will never go away. For those times you need a reminder of the love, memories, and happiness you shared with the person you lost, give “See You Again” a listen.

“Gone Too Soon” by Daughtry

“Gone Too Soon” is a heartbreaking song about losing a child. Daughtry sings of constantly thinking of a child that was gone too soon. He tells a story of imagining what their life would have been. He wonders who they would have become. 

If you have experienced the loss of a child, this song can be heart wrenching. It asks all of those questions you wonder because of a life lost too soon. This song serves as a reminder of the beautiful soul that was lost but is never forgotten.

“Please Don’t Go” by Stephanie Rainey

“Please Don’t Go” recounts a story of being with someone until their last breath. It has the bedside hand holding and tears as they get ready to leave this life. Stephanie sings of the hole that is created from the death of a loved one, the tears, the screams, and the pleas to stay.

Often when you lose someone you love, you have no control over the situation. It leaves you destroyed inside and attempting to hold on by a thread. For those times when you are begging for them to “please don’t go” listen to this song about loss.

• You Might Also Like: Songs About Losing a Friend

Songs About Losing a Relationship

Let’s begin this section with a song by Lauv.

“Superhero” by Lauv

Relationships end and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it. Lauv sings of meeting a “superhero”, someone who no one else can or will compare to. He lost her. He tells of missing her and wanting her back. Lauv realizes that although he feels these emotions, there is nothing he can do about it now.

The moment the best relationship you’ve ever had ends can be devastating. It tears you apart inside and leaves you lost. When you are still feeling those pains of loss, but starting to accept that it will never be what it once was again is when you should listen to “Superhero”.

“Dancing with Your Ghost” by Sasha Alex Sloan

Sasha sings of staying up all night living in a false reality. She describes the denial that is felt after the loss of a relationship. “Dancing with Your Ghost” is about still holding on, still believing you belong together, and faking being ok after a breakup.

Loss of relationships can create so many emotions and feelings of loss and denial. When you are imagining what was and recreating what isn’t anymore listen to “Dancing with Your Ghost”. If you are wondering if you’ll ever be able to trust and love again after your loss, this song is for you.

“You Were Good to Me” by Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler

Some relationships end because of something you’ve done wrong. The person you were with was so good to you, but you screwed everything up. Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler sing about the sorrow and regrets felt after losing someone who cared so much. 

If you were the one to cheat, lie, or do something unforgivable to the one who loved you unconditionally the regrets will hit eventually. You will realize everything you lost. When you finally accept your mistakes and remember what you had before you lost them, give “You Were Good to Me” a listen.

Conclusion 

No matter the loss you’ve experienced—yourself, a friend, a loved one, or a relationship—there is a song that will relate to you and your situation. These songs help remind you that you are not alone in the grief and pain you are experiencing. Sometimes knowing that someone else has gotten through the loss you are experiencing and felt the emotions can help soften the pain, even just a little. Listen to these songs about loss when you need something to ease the pain.

If you enjoyed the article, be sure to subscribe to my Devoted to Vinyl YouTube channel and Facebook page.