In the wake of New Years Eve, beyond all the good things that you’re planning to do, there is the deep lingering regret of the things not accomplished this year. Maybe that person you thought was the one true love was actually a terrible human being who makes you sick, maybe you failed to create as an artist as much as you should have, or maybe 2014 was just pretty lackluster. While it’s tempting to just shove down all those bad feelings so deep that you’ll never ever find them or ever have to, you know, deal with them, I think we all know that’s not going to work. Luckily the internet and spotify exists to give you the most cathartic jam session in the world from the people who write the saddest songs in the world: broadway music composers. That’s right I said it. It’s not all glitter and bouncy musical numbers.Fall out boy and My Chemical Romance and all those angsty boy bands from your emo phase in middle school ain’t got nothin’ on Jason Robert Brown.
Even though I was pursuing a degree in Theatre the past couple years, I hadn’t really discovered this until the past year or so, when my little sister started sending me links to the saddest musical theatre songs in existence. So you can thank her for this and hopefully the end of your 2014 angst. So here are 10 musical theatre songs leave you an empty husk for the rest of 2015(in a good way):
1.“The I Love You Song”- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Where do you even begin? Oh, you know it’s just a song about a girl who can’t go with her mother and her mother probably isn’t even going with her mother and her father’s neglecting her and all she wants to go to a spelling bee and she’s getting through it be imagining her parent’s CHIMERICAL love. I’m fine.
2.“Pretty Funny”- Dogfight
There’s nothing like a song where a girl finds out a guy asked her out to dance for a “who can bring the ugliest girl” contest. That’s PRETTY FUNNY.
3.“I Dreamed a Dream”- Les Miserables
I just slipped this in because it’s commonly known as, you know, the saddest song in the whole world. While some prefer the broadway recording, I personally prefer Anne Hathaway because you can actually hear her hyperventilating.
4.“No More”- Into the Woods
One of the saddest songs from Into the Woods, that was ridiculously cut out of the movie. A moment of like trying to step away the world- accurate for saying “no more” to 2014.
5.“Superboy and the Invisible Girl”- Next to Normal
A girl who says in the song “I wish I could fly and magically disappear. I wish I could fly and fly away from here”. More escapism, more feels. You might actually end up listening to this whole musical because the whole thing is out to destroy you. For extra Credit “Hey #3/Reprise” will leave you in the fetal position.
6.“I Know the Truth”- Aida
Aida, in my opinion, is a rather underrated musical and this is a moment where Sherie Rene Scott realizes the truth that her fiance doesn’t love her and destroys the audience.
7.“Don’t Do Sadness”-Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening just kills you at every song and this song is no exception. I don’t want to spoil anything but it’s just- it’s perfect.
8.“There’s a Fine Fine Line”- Avenue Q
Avenue Q is all fun and games until Kate Monster attacks with this song. Singing about the friend zone and finding love and losing it and just general broken heartedness. Don’t let the puppets fool you, this musical is out to kill you.
9.“Skid Row”- Little Shop of Horrors
It might not be the most inherently sad song in the world. On its surface, it’s a big amazing group number but it turns into a song about being stuck in a bad part of town, in a bad part of your life desperately trying to escape. So there’s that.
10.“See I’m Smiling”-The Last Five Years
just,you know, Jason Robert Brown
"Oh, Okay" 