16 Best Songs About Being Abandoned

Being abandoned is a horrible feeling.

It is especially damaging if it happens when you are young.

But hurts every bit as much as an adult.

That is why there are so many songs about being abandoned.

Pain results in great art.

Of course, not all songs about abandonment are great. But all of the ones listed here are. Keep reading for our favorite abandonment tunes.

 

Songs About Being Abandoned

We tried to include songs about abandonment in as many genres as possible. That way, there should be at least one song below that appeal to everyone.

 

All By Myself by Eric Carmen

American singer and songwriter Eric Carmen wrote All By Myself after his band disbanded and he felt all alone and abandoned. His misery triggered his creativity, and he wrote this beautiful song that resonated with millions of people worldwide.

The melancholy track even reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the early 1970s. Do check out Celine Dion’s version of this great song here.

 

Dancing by Myself by Billy Idol

Many people thought Billy Idol’s Dancing By Myself was a song about ‘dancing’. However, in Billy’s words: “it is also a song about people being in a disenfranchised world where they’re left bereft, dancing with their own reflections.”

Billy Idol was inspired to write the song after watching Japanese youngsters dancing by themselves in a nightclub. The 1981 track remains one of Idol’s most popular songs.

 

Right Where You Left Me by Taylor Swift

Few songs capture the devastating sorrow and loneliness following a lover’s departure as eloquently as Taylor Swift’s Right Where You Left Me.

The track’s chorus ‘You left me, you left me no, oh, you left me no, You left me no choice but to stay here forever’ is repeated several times in the track which conveys the singer’s feelings of despair after her lover abandons her. Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner co-wrote this great song in 2020.

 

How Could You Leave Us by NF

How Could You Leave Us by American rapper NF, from his 2016 album Therapy Session talks about his childhood trauma of abandonment. Raised amidst his mother’s drug addiction, NF and his sister faced neglect from their verbally abusive father after their mother’s departure.

The song describes NF’s pain and feelings of abandonment and betrayal. By asking the question: “How could you leave us?”, NF confronts the childhood wounds left by his mother’s abandonment and seeks solace in music. The entire album offers NF’s fans a glimpse into his journey to success despite all odds.

 

Abandoned Love by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan’s Abandoned Love is a track that beautifully describes a failed relationship. The lyrics accurately describe what everyone goes through after a breakup.

The singer knows that his relationship is over but he is confused. He wants to leave but does not want to be the first one to do so. Towards the song’s end, the singer says that he would want to experience the love they once shared before abandoning it for good.

 

A Child’s Song To An Absent Father (I Want You Back Where You Belong) by Brian Nhira

Brian Nhira released Back Where You Belong in August 2015. In the track, he asks where his dad is and laments that it has been years since he last saw him. He believes that for a child, there is no greater love than a father’s love.

He states that he feels unexplainable hurt due to his dad’s abandonment which has left a void in him that can never be filled. He prays over and over that his dad comes back to where he belongs.

 

Why Did You Leave Me/Soledad by Westlife

Westlife’s Why Did You Leave Me (Soledad) is a song about abandonment by a lover who has probably died. Her abrupt departure from this world has left the singer bereft and all he can do is cry.

His lover’s memory remains in his heart but he keeps calling out her name in the hope that she will come back. The song’s chorus ‘soledad’, which means loneliness or isolation in Spanish, is repeated over and over to show his despair.

 

I’m Sorry Don’t Leave Me I Want You Here With Me by SLANDER ft. Dylan Matthew

The lyrics of I’m Sorry, Don’t Leave Me by Dylan Matthew and SLANDER describe the feeling of abandonment when your lover stops loving you. The singer begs and begs for his lover to stay and assure him that their love still exists.

 

Let Me Down Slowly by Alec Benjamin

Alec Benjamin’s 2015 hit Let Me Down Slowly was based on his own experience with first love. He described being at his beloved’s mercy and knew she’d eventually abandon or leave him. He only asks her to “let him down slowly”, since he cannot bear her departure.

The lyrics also convey that the girl is probably still staying with him out of pity, although she has fallen out of love. He knows that he will waste away once she leaves, so he wants her to leave gradually.

 

Where You Left Me by Sean Williams

In Where You Left Me, Sean Williams complains that his girlfriend abandons him when he needs her the most. But each time she texts or calls, he is right by her side, when she needs him.

He says that he knows his worth and yet he lets her walk all over him. The final straw is that she has broken his heart completely so he says that she won’t find him where she abandoned him. The 2021 track is Sean William’s most popular one to date.

 

Since You Left by Sik World

The lyrics of Since You Left by Sik World talk about the protagonist feeling abandoned since everyone has left him. He feels like he is drowning and the loneliness is having an impact on his mental health.

The song talks about the protagonist’s trauma and how his heart is completely broken since his loved ones abandoned him. He tries to suppress that pain but feels completely lost. His heart and mind are full of resentment and he cannot love anyone.

He sleeps around with girls and even tells them that he loves them. but it does not help at all. in reality, he is completely numb and does not feel a thing for anyone due to abandonment issues.

 

Since You Left Home by Brothers Moving

Brothers Moving released Since You Left Home in July 2012. The lyrics describe the singer questioning someone who left him as to why they did so. However, they have returned now – something the singer had been waiting for ever since they abandoned him.

At the same time, the singer knows that the only reason this person has come back is because they have nowhere left to go. He then talks about the pain of loneliness he felt when the person left him.

 

Ever Since You Left by Priscilla Block

Priscilla Block has a slightly different take on abandonment; she used it to become the best version of herself. Initially, when her lover abandoned her, she was devastated. She kept thinking about what she’d done wrong to deserve this hell.

She even hits the bar to drink off her sorrow but is surprised that she does not fall apart or get drunk. Instead, she dances the night away and starts feeling better.

The next thing she does is get a dog and a brand-new truck. She is genuinely happy and believes that her lover’s abandonment has made everything right again in her life. Soon her lover finds out she is doing well and wants her back. This time, she tells him to “kiss her a$$”!

 

Mom, I Just Wanted You To Love Me by Derek Clark

Derek Clark is a motivational speaker and the author of the critically acclaimed book series I Will Never Give Up.

Mom, I Just Wanted You To Love Me was a diary entry by Clark when he was sent to foster care after his mom rejected and abandoned him. Not only does Clark talk to his mom through this song, but he also describes his arduous journey to rebuild trust and find acceptance once more.

Clark wrote this song several years ago, after he finally got to meet his biological mother. He tells her the agony of his trials, so she knows what he went through after she left. His story is a true inspiration for other kids who have been abandoned by their parents.

 

Abandon by Rod Wave

AceLex On Da Track and Rod Wave co-wrote this song which was released in 2019. The chorus of the track is “he is abandoned, his whole life”. That is why “he” (the protagonist) finds it hard to love anyone.

The protagonist/singer apologizes for his behavior but he simply cannot help it. When he was young, his mom left his dad for another man and his dad went to prison. His uncle took him in, but later, he was imprisoned as well. Thus, one by one, everyone abandons the young boy who then finds it hard to live a normal life.

 

Abandoned by Benjamin William Hastings

Abandoned is a brand-new song that was only just released in January of this year (2024). It was written by Benjamin William Hastings, in cooperation with Lake, Cody Carnes, and Chris Davenport. It is Hastings’ highest debut single to date.

It is a deeply religious song that is about the Christian god’s abandoning, in the form of surrender. The god surrenders to the cross in what is an abandonment of earthly life, or of the desire to fight back (which a god could obviously do).

 

Songs About Abandonment: Final Thoughts

As mentioned, we did our best to bring you songs about being abandoned in as many different genres as possible. However, some genres just don’t seem to have any such songs. Maybe you can prove me wrong.

If you know of any more songs that should be on this list, especially in genres that are missing from the list (or are underrepresented), please feel free to leave a comment below and let me know. I will be happy to add any good suggestions in a future update.