3 Folk Hits That Are Secretly Heartbreak Anthems

Some of the best heartbreak songs fly under the radar. Here are a few popular folk songs that sing about this emotion more quietly. In a way, I think this makes them even more impactful, but maybe that’s just me.

“Same Old Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg

This song, written by Dan Fogelberg, documents an event from the songwriter’s life. While at home with family for Christmas, Fogelberg ran into his high school ex-girlfriend. He ended up writing this song about it.

This song definitely presents a softer kind of heartbreak, one that makes you wonder what could have been if these two lovers had stayed together.

“Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)” by Jim Croce

This little folk tune by the one and only Jim Croce is so joyful sounding, you would never expect it to be so sentimental. But by the time you get to the end of the chorus, the mask is off, and you realize that there’s a lot more depth to this Croce tune than meets the eye.

But isn’t that the way they say it goes?
Well, let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So, I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine
And to show I’ve overcome the blow
I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real
But that’s not the way it feels.

“Taxi” by Henry Chapin

This 1972 storytelling song presents heartbreak in a fairly casual way. Chapin tells the story of a taxi driver who picks up a woman who used to be his old flame. “Taxi” is surprisingly mellow, and it doesn’t really discuss the emotions of the situation, but there’s an undercurrent of feelings that are hard to ignore.

 “There’s not a single line that tells how the guy or the girl felt,” Chapin said of this song to Bruce Pollock. “It’s a very cinematic technique. But it’s also a very uneconomical technique. That’s why my songs are so long. I literally put you in that cab and let you experience. It’s a more involving form of music than sitting and hearing somebody sing ‘I’m lonely’.”

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