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Best Songs for Crying in Public
“A soundtrack for breaking down, beautifully, where everyone can see.”
It’s not always in the privacy of your bedroom.
Sometimes the tears come in a stairwell. On a train. In the frozen aisle at 7-Eleven.
Crying in public is a strange kind of freedom—part heartbreak, part performance.
These are the songs for that moment when you stop pretending you’re fine.
The sobs are cinematic. The strangers are extras. And the music? The score to your breakdown.
| EMOTIONAL VIBE | Description |
|---|---|
| Subway Sobs | For silent tears behind sunglasses or under flickering fluorescent lights. These tracks wrap you in quiet grief and let you fall apart in motion. |
| Cinematic Collapse | When the breakdown feels like the climax of a film. Epic vocals. Sweeping strings. Sadness, but beautiful. |
| Whispered Despair | Songs that barely breathe. Minimal, raw, and fragile. Perfect for the small, private devastation that still happens in a public square. |
| Unapologetic Weep-Alongs | You’re not hiding it. These are songs to cry-sing loudly. In key or not, you’re letting it out—and that’s the point. |
Top 10 Songs for Crying in Public
1. Liability – Lorde
Category: Whispered Despair
A ballad for the misunderstood and emotionally overexposed.
Lyric to sob to: “They say, ‘You’re a little much for me.’”
2. Motion Sickness – Phoebe Bridgers
Category: Unapologetic Weep-Alongs
Perfect for when you’re crying and mad about it.
3. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
Category: Subway Sobs
That guitar intro hits like a memory you didn’t know you still had.
4. From the Dining Table – Harry Styles
Category: Whispered Despair
Sparse, echoing sadness. For quiet crying in busy places.
5. The Night We Met – Lord Huron
Category: Cinematic Collapse
Instant emotional time-travel. Searing and nostalgic.
6. All I Want – Kodaline
Category: Cinematic Collapse
The kind of song that makes crying in traffic feel spiritual.
7. Coney Island – Taylor Swift (feat. The National)
Category: Whispered Despair
Grief in duet form. Muted and massive.
8. Mystery of Love – Sufjan Stevens
Category: Subway Sobs
Soft, sacred, and devastating. Bring tissues.
9. I Know the End – Phoebe Bridgers
Category: Unapologetic Weep-Alongs
Starts small. Ends with an emotional apocalypse.
10. Breathe Me – Sia
Category: Cinematic Collapse
The original public cry-track. Still unmatched.
Final Take
Crying in public used to feel like failure. Now? It feels like honesty.
These songs don’t just score your sadness—they give it shape, color, volume.
You’re not falling apart. You’re falling through something.
Let the music hold you until you’re ready to hold yourself again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as a “song for crying in public”?
A song for crying in public is an emotional, slow, often ballad‑style track that helps you process grief or sadness whether you’re alone or around others.
A song for crying in public is an emotional, slow, often ballad‑style track that helps you process grief or sadness whether you’re alone or around others.
Why do people cry to music in public?
People cry to music in public because an especially poignant song can evoke tears and emotional release, offering catharsis even amid an audience atmosphere.
People cry to music in public because an especially poignant song can evoke tears and emotional release, offering catharsis even amid an audience atmosphere.
What type of songs are commonly included in lists of crying songs?
Such playlists often include heartfelt ballads about love, loss or introspection—such as Adele’s “Someone Like You,” Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven,” or R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.”
Such playlists often include heartfelt ballads about love, loss or introspection—such as Adele’s “Someone Like You,” Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven,” or R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.”
How do you choose the best song to cry to publicly?
The best choice depends on your emotional state—look for a track whose lyrics, melody and mood resonate with your feelings for an authentic emotional connection.
The best choice depends on your emotional state—look for a track whose lyrics, melody and mood resonate with your feelings for an authentic emotional connection.
Are there modern emotional songs that fit crying‑in‑public playlists?
Yes—modern tracks like Adele’s “Someone Like You” (2011) remain iconic tear‑jerkers, often featured on breakup and crying playlists across platforms.
Yes—modern tracks like Adele’s “Someone Like You” (2011) remain iconic tear‑jerkers, often featured on breakup and crying playlists across platforms.
Where can I find curated playlists of crying songs?
Curated playlists are available on services like Spotify or YouTube, and articles such as New Music World offer Top 10 crying‑song lists with links and emotional context.
Curated playlists are available on services like Spotify or YouTube, and articles such as New Music World offer Top 10 crying‑song lists with links and emotional context.
