Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Six Songs about Saying Sorry


The week between the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a time of self-reflection. That time is usually marked by apologizing and forgiving one’s fellow wo/man for anything they may have done to cause them harm.

Music has often been an outlet with which people could express their feelings, including those of remorse and forgiveness. That is evidenced by the hundreds of songs written about regretting one’s decisions and feeling sorry about how they have affected others. Whether those “others” includes scorned lovers or mistreated friends, there is no doubt that there are many songs that sincerely (and not so sincerely) try to right the wrongs of the past.

Back in 2016, we published an article detailing some of our favorite songs about forgiveness and there are still plenty more that are just as sincere. In honor of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island's music outlet, has come back with another list of apology songs. Here are six more to help you say sorry to those you may have wronged.


1.       Hawthorne Heights, “Saying Sorry”: “Saying Sorry” depicts the song’s narrator and his significant other in the midst of a break-up. As the girl cries, the narrator feels so bad about how things ended and how he made her cry that he feels that he needs to apologize profusely. Hawthorne Heights, like many “screamo” bands from the mid-2000s, have this penchant for overly dramatic, impassioned pleas and this is one of the best.  (video)

2.       Hoobastank, “The Reason”: Bringing Hoobastank out of the realm of just boiling under hardcore, “The Reason” became a huge hit for the band in the early 2000s. Perhaps that’s in part due to the sincerity of the lyrics, which speak from the point of view of a man who knows they’ve messed up and is looking to change his ways, saying that his girl has given him a reason to do so. It could also partially be the song’s passionate melody, which swells with love, passion and the will to change. (video)

3.       Nirvana, “All Apologies”: The lyrics to “All Apologies” can be taken to mean a couple of different things. It can be a sarcastic blow to anyone who doesn’t like what he stands for. It can also be a self-defeating, all-encompassing apology for something he has done. For this one, he piles all the blame for what happened on his own shoulders, dealing with the shame and feeling the regret. (video)

4.       Blink-182, “I Miss You”: “I Miss You” deals with the fallout from a bad breakup, where the narrator is so obsessed with his girl that he misses and longs for her to come back. He begs for her forgiveness as he cannot bear to be away from her any longer. One of Blink-182’s more sincere songs, an early taste of the more mature sound that band would pick up later. (video)

5.       Outkast, “Ms. Jackson”: Some of the best and most sincere songs come from personal experiences. Such is the case with “Ms. Jackson,” Outkast’s break-out single, which was written as an apology to Erykah Badu, who Andre 3000 had a child with out of wedlock, and her mother. The song goes through the narrator confessing his deeds and how he wants to be in his kid’s life with the repetition of the hook reinforcing its sincerity. (video)

6.       Backstreet Boys, “Shape of My Heart”: Among all the swoon-worthy love songs, the Backstreet Boys also had one of the best apology songs of the early 2000s. “Shape of My Heart” finds the song’s narrator looking back on his life and realizing that he wasn’t being the kind of person he wanted to be. Because of this, he’s apologizing by telling her how he really feels in hopes that she will forgive him. The track goes well with the previous track off album ‘Black and Blue,’ “The Call,” which definitely warrants an apology. (video)


Music has often been used as a tool to convey one’s feelings of regret and apology, usually in hopes of forgiveness. The songs above sincerely attempt to right wrongs, in these cases from the perspective of a rueful lover. Check out these songs and let us know what songs you turn towards for saying “sorry” in the comments below.

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Find more music from these rueful artists and more at Vinyl Bay 777. As Long Island’s favorite new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

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