16 Songs About Depression And Loneliness (Sadness Is Easier With Music)

We all feel down at times.

And we all sometimes feel alone, no matter how many people are around us.

These songs about depression and loneliness always help me feel a bit bitter, when  am feeling depressed.

Hopefully they can do the same for you.

That said, if you suffer from serious depression, music alone won’t help.

I strongly urge you to seek professional help.

But if you simply have days where you just feel sad and alone and you’ve always been able to come out the other side on your own, music can help you get through those times easier and faster. And the songs below are a great place to start.

 

Songs About Depression And Loneliness

I tried to include songs about sadness and loneliness from as many different genres as possible. Hopefully that means there is at least one song here, but ideally many more, that appeals to you. You could also check out my list of songs about going insane.

 

Lonely by Akon

When we want to express loneliness, especially after a breakup, the first song that comes to mind is Akon’s Lonely. The Senegalese-American singer released this single in 2005 for his album Trouble.

Lonely expresses the longing and nostalgia you feel for an ex-lover. In a way, it is the ideal post-breakup song because it perfectly captures the emptiness you feel when you have no one left to count on.

Akon’s soulful voice and emotional rendering of Lonely deeply resonated with a lot of listeners. It is a highly relatable song for anyone who is feeling despair or loneliness.

Lonely went on to top the charts in many countries and held the number 4 spot in the US for several weeks.

 

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams by Green Day

Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams expresses feelings of isolation and loneliness. Singer Billie Joe Armstrong declares that he will walk alone, weighed down by the weight of his unrealized and broken dreams. Yet he hopes that he will find someone to walk beside him.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams is sure to resonate with anyone who experiences self-doubt. It beautifully captures the feeling of isolation and vulnerability that every human being is bound to have at some point.

 

Show Me The Feeling Of Being Lonely by Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys’ 1999 song Show Me the Feeling of Being Lonely explores the feelings of loneliness, despair, and isolation. The singers desperately ask why they cannot be with their loved ones. They also express anguish and the feeling of being unable to breathe because of their broken hearts.

Show Me the Feeling of Being Lonely went on to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Song by a Duo or Group in 2001. It was also featured in films like 2001’s Saving Silverman.

 

Numb by Linkin Park

Linkin Park released Numb in 2003 as the third single from their album Meteora. Numb talks about societal pressures on an individual and his or her desire for freedom.

The singer expresses feeling overwhelmed due to the weight of other people’s opinions and wishes for a change since he is feeling so tired all the time.

If you’re feeling isolated or in inner turmoil, you’re sure to relate to Numb. It is also one of Linkin Park’s most enduring songs in light of their lead singer’s suicide.

 

All By Myself by Irving Berlin (Performed by Bobby Darin)

Irving Berlin wrote this nostalgic song about loneliness in 1962, a year after his mother passed away. Bobby Darin and many other singers have sung it. Bobby’s version is arguably the best one.

In All By Myself, the singer expresses the feelings of loneliness when one is all alone, sitting and playing solitaire by themselves. The singer wishes he could rest his weary head on someone’s shoulder and says that being alone and sad is no way to be.

All By Myself can also be considered a sort of meditation or an expression of the misery of growing old all alone.

 

Faded by Alan Walker

British-Norwegian singer and songwriter Alan Walker released this popular song in 2015, and it went on to hit the number one spot on the charts in many countries. It also became the 23rd most-watched video on YouTube in January 2022.

The main theme of Faded is loneliness and disconnection. Faded is a metaphor for escaping reality. It also describes the singer’s longing for something more meaningful.

 

Age Of Loneliness by Enigma

Enigma’s songs continue to give us chills even after all these years. Some songs never age and cannot be ranked, and Enigma’s Age of Loneliness is one of them. Michael and Sandra Cretu wrote and performed The Age of Loneliness in 1994 for their album The Cross of Changes.

Age of Loneliness explores the feelings of isolation and loneliness and is also about finding a human connection in this crazy world. It encourages us to go within to seek belonging, contentment, and solace within ourselves.

 

Alone Again by The Weeknd

In Alone Again, The Weeknd describes the loneliness and isolation that came with his fame and popularity. While this may seem like an oxymoron, he says he is always wearing a disguise while suppressing the person he truly is inside.

To avoid loneliness, he spends thousands of dollars soliciting prostitutes so he won’t have to sleep alone ever again. He tells the girls to count the money he has given them, assuring them that it is all there. It is a pathetic attempt to have them keep an eye on his pulse, as he may have taken a lot of drugs and does not want to overdose.

 

Depression by Dax

We really wish there were more artists like Dax to talk about mental health. In Depression, he describes the journey of a depressed person beautifully. He talks about how you can get lost in your own head when you are feeling depressed.

Dax reiterates the fact that everyone goes through unspoken battles and has to remain strong on the outside, but what lies beneath is a whole different story.

Unfortunately, people usually recommend therapy or pills to counter the chemical imbalance that causes depression. But these do not always help.

Depressed people also tend to push their loved ones away, thinking they cannot do anything for them. But the main message from Depression is to hang in there.

 

An Illustration Of Loneliness by Courtney Barnett

Courtney wrote An Illustration of Loneliness while on an overseas trip. She could not sleep, felt lonely and depressed, and was missing her girlfriend (Adelaide singer-songwriter Jen Cloher) terribly. These feelings provided the inspiration for the song’s lyrics.

The catchy and upbeat An Illustration Of Loneliness is a highly underrated song. Do listen to it once, if you haven’t already. It is sure to stick with you!

 

Alone by Burna Boy

Alone by Burna Boy was released in 2022 and was featured in the Black Panther movie Wakanda Forever. Alone describes the singer’s feelings of loneliness, isolation, and fatigue when he is all alone and feeling vulnerable.

However, he has no choice but to reminisce about the better days of the past. The song also captures the grief of the Wakandans after their king passes away.

 

Lonely by Justin Bieber And Benny Blanco

Justin Bieber wrote Lonely to express the emotional difficulties and isolation he experienced as a young celebrity. The emotional ballad conveys Bieber’s tough years growing up in the limelight.

He later stated in an interview that he felt his celebrity status allowed him to convey the fact that even powerful people experience vulnerability at some point, and that makes Lonely so much more powerful.

Justin usually does not swear or use cuss words in his songs, but in Lonely, he used the ‘F-word’. Initially, he had doubts about releasing this song, given his strict Christian upbringing. But the very fact that he is so raw in it adds to the song’s allure.

 

Blessed Are The Lonely by Robert Knight

Robert Knight is an American singer best known for his song Everlasting Love.

In this 1967 song Blessed Are The Lonely, he laments the fact that he is lonely, but he still has faith in his god and knows that he will bless his loneliness.

In short, the song explores the themes of isolation and loneliness but also gives a powerful message about keeping one’s faith in times of despair.

 

Don’t Let Me Be Lonely by James Taylor

James Taylor wrote several songs for his album One Man Dog, and Don’t Let Me Be Lonely is one of them. In it, he begs a girl to spend the night with him in order to alleviate his loneliness.

The song also explores the theme of addiction, and it is said that Taylor was an addict when he wrote One Man Dog. In 2001, Taylor performed another version of Don’t Let Me Be Lonely, which won him the year’s Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy.

 

Why Do I Exist by Zevia

Zevia’s Why do I Exist is one of those beautiful songs that might assure someone suffering from depression that they aren’t alone.

The singer questions whether anyone will cry when she dies. She also wonders what will happen if she chooses to stay, because she knows that life is too hard.

Why Do I Exist also has the singer talking about people who have hurt her by stabbing her in the back. She admits she has no friends and is a loner, so the only thing she can do is try to find closure in her pain and suffering.

 

Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey

Lana del Rey is a genre by herself. There is no one quite like her. Summertime Sadness is a melancholic and atmospheric song about lost love and the highs and lows of a relationship.

Summer is supposed to be a time of joy and a vibrant atmosphere, but for the singer, the season brings sorrow, loneliness, and depression. Summertime Sadness could also be about love that is fading away or may convey unreciprocated love.

The singer asks her lover to kiss her one last time before leaving. She also tells them that “they are the best”, expressing her feelings of despair and loss. In some ways, she may be voicing the sadness caused by the breakdown of her relationship, which is why this song also made this list of songs about losing a lover.

 

Songs About Sadness And Loneliness Final Thoughts

If you’re feeling a bit down, these songs about sadness and loneliness will hopefully make you feel a little better. It always helps me to hear someone else express the same feeling I’m feeling, especially if they do so in the form of beautiful music.

But again, if you suffer from serious depression, these songs may help a little, but they won’t be enough. I strongly urge you to seek professional help. A good place to start is the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

If you are the type of person whom music can help, but you prefer not to listen to sad music when you feel sad, these songs about gratitude may be more your thing.