the Most Tearjerking Songs from Broadway Musicals ...

By Neecey

 the Most Tearjerking Songs from Broadway Musicals ...

A musical should leave an impression. You should be invested in the characters and their fate and the songs should either getting your toes tapping or your eyes welling. Musicals do sadness so very well. You can feel it all – regret, fear, anger, unrequited feelings – everything that colors love. I love a good tearjerking song so here’s my pick of the most beautifully sad tunes from the musicals.

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1

Somewhere

Musical - West Side Story

The brilliance of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim shines through in this modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

2

Last Night of the World

Musical - Miss Saigon

A fitting song for a love story that doesn’t have a happy ending.

3

Tell Me It’s Not True

Musical - Blood Brothers

This is one of those songs that will break your heart into a million pieces even if you don’t know the story.

UPD:

The emotional crescendo of Blood Brothers peaks with "Tell Me It’s Not True," a soul-stirring lament that channels the agony of a broken family. This poignant ballad captures the essence of the musical's heartrending narrative—twins separated at birth, destined for disparate paths that tragically converge. As the song unfolds, the raw emotions of love, loss, and lament wash over the audience, leaving few eyes dry. Sung with a fervent plea for the nightmare to be a mere illusion, the sheer power of this piece solidifies its place in theatergoers' hearts as an unforgettable anthem of sorrow and hope.

4

Send in the Clowns

Musical - A Little Night Music

One of my favorite songs ever and this performance by Barbra Streisand is stunning.

5

As Long as He Needs Me

Musical - Oliver!

Nancy sings a declaration of unconditional love for a man who beats her and it is not easy listening.

Famous Quotes

To give oneself earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom.

Confucius
6

On My Own

Musical – Les Misérables

An urchin walks Paris at night pretending her crush walks beside her - an ultimate anthem of unrequited love.

7

Something Wonderful

Musical – The King and I

Lady Thiang tragically tries to find the good in her husband who is a bit of an asshat despite being the King of Siam.

8

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina

Musical – Evita

I think this version by Julie Covington is the very best of them all.

9

What I Did for Love

Musical – A Chorus Line

Not a song about romantic love but a tale of when dancers realize their careers can end in an instant with the simplest injury. They sing how much they love their craft and will be free of regret doing what they do out of love.

10

Losing My Mind

Musical – Follies

A woman reminisces on her infatuation—now obsession—for her former lover who chose to marry her roommate instead of her.

11

Your Daddy’s Son

Musical – Ragtime

Not a dry eye in the house. A woman apologizes to her infant child for burying him in the ground because he reminded her of his father.

12

I Don’t Know How to Love Him

Musical – Jesus Christ Superstar

The torch ballad of Mary Magdalene. In the musical she is presented as bearing an unrequited love for the title character.

13

Memory

Musical – Cats

So much pain and it really makes you forget this is a musical about cats.

14

I’m Here

Musical – The Color Purple

A torch song for a woman who, despite all the hardships she has faced over the course of the musical, feels a deep love for herself at last.

15

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Musical – Carousel

If you’re an English soccer fan, this song has lost its tearjerkiness because it was adopted by Liverpool Football Club as its anthem and it doesn’t have the poignancy as in the musical.

16

There Will Be a Miracle

Musical – See What I Wanna See

Not a blockbuster musical but this number has stayed with me ever since I saw it performed in London.

17

As if We Never Said Goodbye

Musical – Sunset Boulevard

So happy, and yet so sad at the same time…and a beautiful melody.

So, please tell me – your favorites?

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

Blood Brothers is an amazing show and Tell me it's not true is heartbreaking. Memories gets me every time too. 

I love musicals but there a lots on this list I haven't seen. 

Um...Hello, What about For Good from Wicked? That song makes me sob every time I hear it.

One my favorites it's from IF/THEN. It's called Always Starting Over. Very moving!

Christina, for me a close second is "don't dream it, be it", also from Rocky Horror

Cathleen, I couldn't agree with you more, that song is so emotional!

Great selection

@Eponine agreed! Was looking for that throughout the list

Not very familiar with some of these but good choices from the musicals I do know. 

As long as you're mine and I'm not that girl from Wicked.

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