Loneliness Doesn’t Have to Be All That Bad, Especially if You Listen to These 3 Tracks

Nobody wants to be lonely. However, now and then, we all feel it. No shame, no judgment, or criticism; loneliness is an unavoidable fact of life and is an integral part of the human experience. Thanks to its inevitability, it behooves us all to learn some coping mechanisms for it.

Maybe you already have that figured out, and if so, great! You are ahead of the game. Although, if you aren’t and are still looking for expressive and cathartic avenues—We got you covered. That being so, here are three songs about loneliness, that might make your loneliness a bit more bearable for the time being.

“Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan

Despite the title and the lyrics, nothing about this song’s music evokes any inkling of loneliness. Between its upbeat melody and catchy chorus, O’Sullivan almost turns the timeless theme of loneliness into a gleeful moment of celebration. Frankly, once you listen to this song, you might even go so far as to want to feel loneliness daily. Well, if that’s your thing that is.

Leave it to the Irish to make the sad into happy, and thanks to this difficult sentimental feat, O’Sullivan scored a Grammy nomination in 1971. Furthermore, O’Sullivan also reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in which the song sat there for a whopping six weeks. Needless to say, loneliness sells.

“I’m So Tired of Being Alone” by Al Green

If anyone listens or has listened to Al Green, they know it’s impossible not to tap a foot, swing a hip, or bop your head. The man arguably has the best rhythm of all time and fully displays this on his 1971 hit. Like O’Sullivan, the relationship between Green’s lyrics and his music is an oxymoronic trip that makes one fully tap into the sensational music and tap out of their somber feelings.

If you really want this to work, make sure you put it on full blast and attempt to blow your vocal cords in the chorus. It works for me more often than not. So, you might give it a try whenever you get the chance.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston

It is quite possible that nobody ever knew this song was actually about loneliness. Well, props to Houston for making this truth partially true, as her classic hit makes one dance and sweat out all the melancholic feelings running through their soul. In essence, it’s a pop classic, a guilty pleasure, and an ideal catalyst for finding a silver lining amidst one’s bleak feelings.

Released in 1987, the lonely lyrics are entirely secondary, as the music is rhythmically persuading and entails an out-of-body experience. In other words, you’ll dance and sing so much you’ll forget why you were even lonely in the first place. Whether it’s in your car or your apartment, if you want a surge of dopamine to the dome, give this song a go.

Photo by Getty Images