It’s a Saturday morning, and you find yourself wandering the grocery store, or perhaps it’s a Friday night, and you’re unwinding with a drink after a long work week. If you’re anything like me, it could even be a quiet Monday afternoon spent rummaging through a thrift shop. One moment, you’re jamming to the catchy beats of the Pet Shop Boys, recalling wild nights spent with your friend Sarah, sipping Seagram’s 7, dancing until you were breathless, and stealing kisses from a guy who looked just like the dreamy lead from A-ha, all while “West End Girls” played in the background. You smile at the memory; he certainly wasn’t complaining.
Then, the next song starts to play. It could be that slow dance tune from prom, where you wore a stunning purple satin dress with an enormous hoop skirt and lace gloves. Or maybe it’s the one that filled the air when he spent the night for the first time, both of you curled up watching late-night movies, wrapped in each other’s arms. Perhaps it’s the song you played repeatedly as you lay on your orange shag carpet, weeping over a heart that felt shattered.
But sometimes, it isn’t about a romantic connection at all. It could be a song that reminds you of the best friend you promised to always keep close, the one you sang along with during late-night drives, smoking cigarettes and dreaming of the future—yet you haven’t seen her in three decades.
In an instant, you find yourself fighting back tears, feeling silly as you sift through jeans in the thrift store, hoping no one notices your muffled singing when a particular lyric pierces your heart. You know the one—the Ugly Cry Lyric.
Sing along with me:
- “Love Song,” The Cure
This heartfelt ballad resonated with those who dared to love boys marred by angst and shadowed by their own floppy black hair. Whispered into the ears of countless prom dates, this song was a staple of teenage love.
Ugly Cry Lyric: However far away / I will always love you / However long I stay / I will always love you. - “I Melt With You,” Modern English
What was it about this tune? Beyond the memorable scenes of Nicholas Cage sweeping Deborah Foreman off her feet, who didn’t long to be the reason someone would stop the world to melt with them? Spoiler: it’s about a couple making love as a nuclear bomb falls—talk about an intense backdrop.
Ugly Cry Lyric: I’ll stop the world and melt with you. - “In Your Eyes,” Peter Gabriel
You remember the iconic movie, but did you know that boom box and trench coat sales surged by 20% in 1989? This was the song that played in your mind while curled up next to him, making you think of him every time it graced the airwaves.
Ugly Cry Lyric: ALL OF THEM, but especially: Love, I don’t like to see so much pain / so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away. - “Hold On to the Nights,” Richard Marx
You know this one, even if you may not want to admit it. Let’s pretend you were always loyal and never had that fleeting moment of longing for someone else while with your floppy-haired beau.
Ugly Cry Lyric: Well I think that I’ve been true to everybody else but me / And the way I feel about you makes my heart long to be free. - “The Flame,” Cheap Trick
The quintessential torch song of the ‘80s, this tune provided solace during those lonely nights spent waiting in your car for that guy to return home—crying and calling your best friend, with no cell phones to reach out.
Ugly Cry Lyric: I’m going crazy, I’m losing sleep / I’m in too far, I’m in way too deep over you. - “Time After Time,” Cyndi Lauper
Fearless in her style and subject matter, Lauper’s anthem brings tears for anyone you’ve left behind.
Ugly Cry Lyric: If you’re lost, you can look and you will find me / Time after time.
Go ahead, let it out. No one’s watching—grab a tissue.
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In summary, the emotional power of these ’80s songs continues to resonate, evoking memories of love, loss, and friendship that can still bring on the ugly cry.
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