Songs About Grief And How They Can Help You Move Forward

Music can be a powerful tool in navigating the complex experience of grief. The right song can help us remember those we’ve lost, connect with our emotions, and remind us that we’re not alone. That said, everyone handles grief differently. While some people may be able to navigate grief on their own, others may benefit from the help of a professional. 

Songs about grief

Below, discover several songs that explore the concept of grief.

“It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men

This 1991 song by the legendary R&B vocal group Boyz II Men addresses the sense of loss that come with grief and hints at knowing that things will get better. The lyrics, “And I'll take with me the memories, to be my sunshine after the rain. It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday,” acknowledge how difficult it can be to move on with the hope that the sun will shine again.

“Ronan” by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift wrote the song “Ronan” after coming across the blog of Maya Thompson, the mother of a little boy named Ronan, who died after a battle with stage four neuroblastoma right before his fourth birthday in 2011. Thompson blogged extensively about her grief, inspiring Swift to put her words to music to raise awareness about childhood cancer. Swift named Thompson as a co-writer. Thompson continues to talk about grief and, in a 2023 interview with People magazine, said that Swift and the song gave “a voice to the often voiceless, the bereaved parents of the world."

“For Good” from Wicked

Wicked is a legendary Broadway musical about Elphaba and Galinda, two witches whose characters originated in the book The Wizard of Oz. The musical follows the two women's complicated friendship before and after Dorothy arrives in Oz. “For Good” is a song in the musical’s second act that the women sing as they say goodbye. People who are experiencing the grief of losing a loved one may identify with the song, which includes the lyric, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”

“Not as We” by Alanis Morissette

This song by the famous Canadian rocker is about moving on after the end of a relationship, but the lyrics speak to such pain that it can be applied to many types of loss. Morissette talks about the emotional and physical pain of losing someone while also acknowledging the need to move forward. These ideas are summed up in the following lyrics: “Day one, day one, start over again. Step one, step one, I am barely making sense. From now I'm faking it 'til I'm pseudo-making it. From scratch, begin again, but this time I as I, and not as we.”

“Bigger than the Whole Sky” by Taylor Swift

Although never confirmed by the artist, this song is rumored to be about the grief that can occur after a miscarriage. Some of the song’s most powerful lyrics include, “No words appear before me in the aftermath. Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears. Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness. 'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea,” and, “And I've got a lot to pine about, I've got a lot to live without. I'm never gonna meet what could've been, would've been, what should've been you.”

How songs can help you cope with grief

There isn’t much research about the role of music in grieving, but one study looked at the specific elements of music that may help. In this study, interviewers asked 15 people between the ages of 20 and 23 about the death of a family member or close friend and which elements of music might help them with their grief. Some of the findings of that research include the following: 

• There tend to be good days and bad days. Grief can bring about hurt and loss but can also lead to hope and “joyful remembrance.” In the context of music, participants suggested that a song that might help with grief should be sad in the beginning but eventually get to a place of joy, emphasize the emotional pain and hurt of grieving, and end with some sort of resolution.
• Most participants (87%) said that a song to help with grief should have a slow tempo that allows time for reflection and thinking. Slow music may give people a way to connect with their thoughts and emotions in a way that isn’t stressful. 
• Many study participants (73.3%) preferred songs with lyrics, noting that they could be a significant part of a song’s therapeutic value. Meaningful lyrics can give people a way to directly relate to a song by forming associations between the words and their own lives. 

Overall, this research found that listening to music throughout the grieving process can help people release their emotions, remember their lost friends or loved ones, and feel less alone. 

For the most part, study participants found that songs with a slow tempo, a dynamic shift between soft and loud, and lyrics were more beneficial, with the most valuable lyrics containing messages of sincere pain and a sense of community and hope. In this study, music that met these criteria was found to have "the potential to powerfully aid grieving individuals in coping with their loss as they learn how to live with the emotional journey that grieving brings.”

Therapy can help you move through grief

Therapy can be a safe, non-judgmental space where you can express your feelings and learn coping skills tailored to your individual needs. A therapist can help you approach healing at your own pace, giving you permission to focus on yourself.  

If you’re interested in grief counseling but in-person appointments aren’t convenient or accessible, consider online treatment. With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can work with a qualified mental health professional from the comfort of your home at a time that works for your schedule. There are more than 30,000 providers on the platform, and you can change therapists at any time until you find the right fit for you. 

Research has found that online therapy can be beneficial for those experiencing grief. One 2021 review of nine studies found that “Internet- or mobile-based interventions for grief after bereavement were found to be effective against symptoms of grief, PTSS [posttraumatic stress symptoms], and depression, with the largest effect sizes observed for PTSS.”