Heartbreak Mix

I decided to compile a list I listened to when my heart was broken; it was really therapeutic to have a sort of soundtrack that I could listen to and relate to and heal by. Music soothes the savage beast after all, and what with my mind on poetry and beautiful words, I thought, why not? 8)
Disclaimer: None of these songs belong to me and I'm not getting any money for listening to them, promoting them, reviewing them etc.

1. My Happy Ending, Avril Lavigne
This harsh rock song perfectly captures that blend of anger, disbelief and the tiniest bit of bitterness that anyone's who's ever had their heart broken can instantly idenfity and identify with. Plus, there's a sort of savage cruelty to Lavigne's voice that really ensured it as a permanent fixture on my heartbreak playlist. Great for playing at insane decibel levels while throwing darts at a photo of your heartbreaker. Or worse.

Lyrics to pay attention to:
You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought that we could be
You were everything, everything
That I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it...
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending

2. Cry Me a River, Justin Timberlake
Albeit sung from the point of view of a male, it's a simple case of switching "guy/girl" into the appropriate places to change the gender of the song's protagonist. I do this when I sing this in the shower...but that's probably more information than you needed. What you do need to know is that this is a great song for anyone's who's ever had the wool pulled over their eyes - the tone is all at once smug, superior and spookily mellow. Perfect for helping you think about your heartbreak with a cool head.

Lyrics to pay attention to:
You told me you loved me
But why did you leave me all alone?
You said that you need me
When you call me on the phone
Girl, I refuse
You must have me confused with some other guy
Bridges were burned
And now it's your turn to cry

3. Emotion, Bee Gees/ Destiny's Child
This is a case where a heartbreak song comes in two equally wonderful versions - both are great, but the Destiny's Child cover is much softer and feminine (duh!) It's just some great poetry and a reassuring anthem to your own resilience.  Excellent to play when you start to realize that heartbreak is "just emotion".

Lyrics to pay attention to:
It's over and done
but the heartache lives on inside...
You'll never see me fall apart
In the words of a broken heart
It's just emotion

4. I Quit, Hephburn
Pretty self-explanatory. Great energy, rhythm and tempo. It shows that not all heartbreak songs have to be slow and melancholy. They can be fast and catchy. Fun song to dance to as well.

Lyrics to pay attention to:
There was a time when I would
Go walking backwards round the world if you said you're mine
and I'd run blindfold down the King's road Monday morning
If you just for once on arrived on time

5. Long Ago and So Far Away, The Carpenters
A classic - need I say more? Beautiful, haunting, plaintive - pay special attention to the chorus. People might think it's sappy, but if you listen carefully, you can definitely catch that accusatory note in the lyrics.

Lyrics to pay attention to, in particular the first line:
Don't you remember you told me you loved me, baby?
Said you'd be coming back this way again, baby
Baby, baby, baby, oh baby
I love you
I really do

6. Keep On Loving You, The Donnas (orig. REO Speedwagon)
This may seem to be a wrong entry. What is a love song doing on a heartbreak mix? Well, the thing is, this love song isn't really a love song - not in the sense that I interpret it anyway. It's more of a heartbroken confession. Look at the lyrics below and I think you'll start to understand what I'm getting at. The speaker is saying that yes, you cheated on me, you hurt me, but you know what? Forget about it. We have a history and no one can take that away from us, and when I told you I loved you, I meant it. However, that doesn't mean I have to stay with you - I can continue to love you here, from a distance.
 
Lyrics to pay attention to:
And though I know all about those girls
Still I don't remember
Coz it was us baby
Way before them
And we're still together
And I meant every word I said
When I said that I loved you
I meant that I'd love you forever

7. Sometimes Love (Just Ain't Enough), Patty Smythe and Don Henley
Sometimes loving someone really isn't enough, even when it's unconditional, change-my-whole-life--for -you, sacrifice-my-pride kinda love. This is a good song to remind you that love isn't magical, rainbows and stars falling out of the skies. This song's about reality, and sometimes, you need a dose of reality when you're tripping on heartbreak.

Lyrics to pay attention to:
There's a danger in loving somebody too much
And it's said when you know
It's your heart you can't trust
There's a reason why people don't stay where they are
Baby, sometimes love just ain't enough

8. All I Have, Jennifer Lopez feat. LL Cool J
A duet with great rhythm, I like it because it presents both sides of the heartbreak. J-Lo does the hurt partner and LL does the hurting partner. I'm all for J-Lo though - she's the one you'll see yourself as, if your heart has been broken.

Lyrics to pay attention to:
It's such a shame but I'm leavin'
Can't take the way you're mistreating me
And it's crazy, but oh baby
It don't matter, whatever don't phase me
The nights I waited up for you
Promises you made about coming through
So much time you wasted
That's why I had to replace you

9. What Can I Do, The Corrs
I like this song because it's not bitter (I'm weird that way - I actually like some songs because of their bitterness). It's got such a clean, wholesome feel to it, it almost doesn't seem to be a song about heartbreak. But don't be fooled - it is. 

Lyrics to pay attention to:
What can I do to make you love me?
What can I do to make you care?
What can I do to make you feel this?
What can I do to get you there?

10. So in Love, Cole Porter (songwriter)
Again, you might ask if this is a love song? And again, I have to tell you yes, but not that kind of love song. It's about accepting that the object of your affection doesn't deserve your love, but you know what? It doesn't really matter. I'll you anyway, and it's not because I'm addicted to pain or anything. It's just that it makes me happy. 

Lyrics to pay attention to:
So taunt me, and hurt me
Deceive me, desert me
I'm yours till I die

11. It Doesn't Matter, Alison Krauss
A beautiful song, both lyric-wise and music-wise. Powerful, without being aggressive. Excellent for easy listening on rainy days.

Lyrics to pay attention to:
It doesn't matter what I want
It doesn't matter what I need
It doesn't matter if I cry
Don't matter if I bleed

12. Get Out (Leave), JoJo
This is one of my absolute favorites because it's so...riotgrrl! She's got a great, strong voice - and you can really feel the "talk to the hand" vibe in this song. I really like how it starts off really calm, like "Come here and talk to me" and then the chorus kicks in with "Get out!" Yeah! That's the way I should start handling my problems - rationally first, before breaking off into mild hysteria. You get your point across better. :D

Lyrics to pay attention to:
Get out (leave), right now
It's the end of you and me...
You said that you would treat me right
But you was just a waste of time...
Tell me why you're looking so confused
When I'm the one who didn't know the truth
How could you ever be so cold?
You go behind my back and call my friend
Boy, you must have gone and bumped your head
Because you left her number on your phone

Bonus: If you can find this song, and a) understand Thai or b) can get someone to translate it, you won't be disappointed.
Pid Ti Wai Jai, Silly Fools
The title, as translated by me, means "Wrong For Trusting You". It would be wrong of me to try to describe the plaintive sound of this song, so I won't even try. The funny thing is, it's not a bitter song - just undeniably sad. It's just absolutely perfect for playing over and over again when someone has stomped all over your heart.

Lyrics to pay attention to (with original Thai):

I want my last breath to end right now
(Yak hai lom hai jai sudtai, di mod py nai thon nee)
I've been hurt more than I can bear
(Jeb jon gern rub wai)
Heart
(Hua jai)
Please get some rest already
(Jong lub lai, py sear tee)
It was wrong of me to keep loving you
(Pid tee chun aeng tee fao ruk)
Made you overlook me
(Tee tum hai ter nun mong kham py)
It was wrong of me to be so easy
(Pid tee chun aeng tee ngai nuk)
A sure thing only has this much value
(Kong thie ge mee kwam mai kair nun)

Love and light, everyone. :wink:

Final thought: Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you. (Right Here Waiting, Richard Marx)