DAILY DIRT: When a sad song is needed, may I suggest these?

Daily Dirt for Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Sometimes, you just need a sad song to listen to … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,351 of The Daily Dirt.

1. There are some days when I don’t want to listen to Rod Stewart, the Grass Roots, Rolling Stones or … even Meat Loaf.

Some days a sad song is needed, maybe to match the overcast skies or rain drops outside. Some days a sad song can be comforting in some strange way. When it’s that time, here are three songs that are perfect, at least for me:

“My Immortal,” by Evanescence (2003)

Talk about haunting. Keyboardist and mesmerizing vocalist Amy Lee is superb. While the title suggests immortality, the song uses it metaphorically to represent the enduring nature of memories and the lasting impact of love and loss. Lee and guitarist Ben Moody actually wrote the song when they were only 15. “My Immortal” is often described as a “piano power ballad”.

“Last Kiss,” by Pearl Jam (1999)

Eddie Vedder’s voice has been described as one containing both a vulnerability and a defiance, and he was perfect for the remake of this early-1960s classic. “Last Kiss” was originally written by Wayne Cochran in 1961 and later popularized by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers in 1964. Interestingly, the Vedder-led Pearl Jam version of the song was on the Billboard Hot 100 for 21 weeks in the summer, fall and winter of 1999. It climbed as high as No. 2, but was denied the No. 1 position by Jennifer Lopez’s “If You Had My Love”. That’s bordering on a crime.

“Everybody Hurts,” by REM (1993)

REM founding member and drummer Bill Berry wrote this as an anti-suicide song. He wanted to reach out to people who felt they had no hope. The overriding issue of mental health urged those in depression, despair and struggling to seek assistance. A well-done video provided a perfect compliment to the song.

2. Did you know (Part 434)

• That the last time the Cardinals lost 100 games was 1908.
• That the last time the Cubs lost 100 games was 2012.
• That the only current MLB team to never lose 100 games are the Angels.
• That the last two surviving members of the old St. Browns died this summer: Ed Mickelson was 98 when he died in late June and Billy Hunter was 97 when he passed the first week of July.
• That the captain and the first officer of most airlines eat different food to avoid an unfortunate situation of both getting food poisoning while flying.

3. Appalachian word of the day: European.

“Hey dude, watch out. You’re too close. European on my boot.”

Steve Thought O’ The Day — The most common first name among MLB players is currently “Nick”. That’s followed by Tyler, Mike/Michael, Jose and Jake/Jacob.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Are there any “Steve’s” in MLB these days?