The most mournful melody?

[thewildest]

Frédéric Chopin's Prelude, Op. 28, No. 4 in E Minor delivers the right amount of mourn, tragedy, dark and light on one melody. Just unrepeatable amazingness.

Not a cheap “she left and went with the neighbour” mourn, but we ate the last leaf of the last tree in the world kind of mourn.

Great thread, hope to hear everyone else’s ideas.

 

[jamro217]

Without a doubt "The Volga Boatmen". Makes the typical dirge seem like a party tune by comparison.

 

[Davbassdude]

My vote is for Patti Smith's "We Three". The female singer in the band I was in during the early 80's, still does it and the modulation from Am to Bm still gives me goosebumps!

 

[DJ Bebop]

. Zappa from Joe's Garage, a most mournful solo starts at 1:20. A thing of beauty.

Beat me to it

 

[Tnavis]

There's so much going on in this song, every time I listen to it I find something new.

 

[InhumanResource]

Scariest lyrics I’ve ever heard.

I was going to submit her "Gloomy Sunday" but this is a great entry too.

 

[PrinceByTor]

 

[BOOG]

 

[JW56789]

I'm not going to even try and post a link to a YouTube video (whoever polices Eagles and their members' unofficially-posted videos on YouTube should be assigned to finding online Nazis, White Supremacists, etc., as they catch EVERYTHING), but two that spring to mind are Don Henley's "In a New York Minute" and Gregg Allman's "Queen of Hearts": These both mightily tug at my heart strings, and I can only listen to them once in a very great while.

 

[bassobrutto]

A different, earlier "Starless" (wonderful Bobby Wellins on tenor):

 

[cataract]

Incredible Hulk piano theme

 

[*ToNeS*]

Ya'll don't know real sadness:

 

[DJ Bebop]

Poor Charles Bradley, man. Dude was just breaking out late in life and he passed

 

[DJ Bebop]

 

[the harp unstrung]

 

[vanderbe]

Chopin’s Prelude In E Minor

 

[2tonic]

The A section of Harlem Nocturne.

Nice.... wasn't familiar...

Beat me to it!
I was going to chime in with that suggestion.
It's always struck me as rather melancholy, but I've heard versions that are absolutely haunting.

 

[DJ Bebop]

 

[vanderbe]

Black and Blue

 

[the harp unstrung]