Sadly Beautiful

wow, a beautiful song. I can't decide whether or not its about someones child dying or a seperation of parents. Could be something totally different, really emotional song.

It's about a lost loved one.

i agree with it being about a lost loved one. The line "To the very last time you waved and honked you're horn" may imply that a loved one died in a car accident by waving to someone and being distracted.

Tom McRae didn't actually write this song, it's originally form The Replacements. I like Tom's version better though.

Very beautiful song, makes me cry almost every time.

i also think it is about losing someone. the first and second verse tell a story from the point of view of an older person(mom or dad) who never got the chance to watch their child grow up. the pain is deep and the child is "sadly beautiful". the title of the song is - to me- an evidance that the person in the song is a mom or dad because to your parents you are always beautiful, no matter what and even though the child is grieving and most likely looks like a mess, it is "sadly beautiful". the last verse though changes the point of view in my opinion.

"from the very last time you waved and honked your horn to the face that turned away pale and worn I had no chance at all to let you know you left me so sadly beautiful."

it sounds as if the child is singing now. the face turned away pale, maybe it is a metaphor for death. "you left me so sadly beautiful" said by a child makes sense in my eyes because a child will always (/usually) say his or her mom /dad are beautiful and the fact that one of them had to leave makes them sad. sadly beautiful. none wants to leave a child behind when they havent even seen it grow up.

maybe i am thinking in too many directions but that is what i think of when i hear the song. or maybe i just made this song fit my life. in the beginning ,for me, it is my dad saying this to my brother who is 8 years now and who was 7 years old when my dad passed away. i can also relate to it for me but "I had no chance at all to watch you grow up " really reminds me of my little brother more. the last part could be words coming out of my mouth. i relate to it a hurtful way too much. "i had no change at all to let you know" to let you know so many things. and if i think about the way my dad had to leave, i can only say he left sad but still beautiful.

sadly beautiful.

i can see why this song can be confusing lyric-wise. thats because paul westerberg of the replacements originally wrote it for marianne faithful. I think the song was originally meant to convey the sadness and angst of a mother who was absent during the important moments of her daughters life and ultimately estranged from her. Its a heart-breaking song, beautifully written, and I cant blame paul for wanting it for himself. although I wonder if he might have changed "father's hair" to "mother's hair" perhaps i could recommend "fearless" by matthew good, or "tomorrow wendy" by concrete blonde, followed by "wish you were here" for dessert..........