Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

World Service,01 May 2021,23 mins

Sad Songs

Deeply Human

Available for over a year

Listening to sad songs is a weird, counterintuitive thing to do. Why listen to something that moves you to tears? As someone who’s sensitivity to sad songs sometimes means pulling over until the tears clear Dessa mulls major versus minor, explores what melody may have in common with the sound of human crying, and quizzes a fellow songwriter about the power of screaming. Do sad songs secretly make us happier?

Programme Website
More episodes