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When you are sad, do you prefer happy or sad songs?
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Just for fun, I did a search on the saddest Beach Boys songs, and this one tops the list. Hauntingly Beautiful.
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When I’m sad I don’t listen to any music. I’m just not in the mood at that point. I get real quiet and I just read. I read a lot anyway (non fiction only) but it’s how I escape that mood.
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Hi Thomas, I can relate to that. Maybe my question should have been do you prefer happy or sad songs, or which moves you more.
Here are a couple from the Duo Session gallery that are very moving, and I would say are on the sadder scale of the spectrum. There are brighter songs that move me, but if I add them up, I would say there are more sadder songs that effect me than the brighter ones, because the movement from sadness to beauty is more moving, as that is what sad songs tend to do. In all of Beethoven’s music, there aren’t many pieces, if any I can think of that is bright and happy throughout. It is often a journey from tragedy to resolve and triumph, or melancholic with bursts of joy. There is usually emotional conflict that ends in peace and beauty in the end.
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I prefer happy or upbeat songs in general but I don’t mind a sad one every now and then. But when I’m in a sad mood no songs.
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Here is what I always considered a happy song. Interestingly the song starts in a darker minor key, Myxolydian mode, switching to a brighter major key in the chorus, mixing the mood between dark and bright. There is a sense of longing (depicted by the darker mode) for finding happiness. It’s the sense of longing turning to joy, that makes the song I think.
Changing Moods & Modes: Minor to Major Modulation (and Picardy Third) in The Turtles’ “Happy Together”
One of the most effective minor to major switcharoos of all time.The song moves between parallel minor key in the verses and a major key in the choruses.
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I meant to mention Caroline No as best sad Beach Boys song.
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Not to forget the contrapoint vocals in the verses.
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Hi Tom, yes Caroline No is one of their sad songs with stirring vocals. The Beach Boys had quite a few sadder songs too. The more I delve into this topic, many songs that I associated to happy bright songs, have sadness in it. I guess that is like real life, you have to know sadness to appreciate the happiness, and good songs reflect reality.
Here is another one considered a sad song.
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