What is it about music that seems to express our feelings so well, sometimes even those we didn’t know we had? If you’re in a long-distance relationship, then you probably know the feeling of missing someone all too well. LDRs aren’t easy, but no relationship is! Perhaps that’s why so many songs about missing that special person exist! Thousands of songs about missing someone exist, and some musicians make their entire careers on the theme! Missing someone might even encourage you to write about it.
You might find that a certain song about missing someone don’t always reminds you of your man. Or a sad song about missing him might be perfect right after a breakup. At other times, more general songs about missing someone might, instead, remind you of an old friend or even a departed family member. That’s the beauty of the songs on this list; they can mean whatever you need them to mean in the moment!
1. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL – MISSING
This classic 90s anthem uses the classic line “I miss you like the deserts miss the rain.” And while the lyrics detail a break up and the singer being reminded of her ex whenever she sees certain things, you probably feel the same when you’re apart from your man. Perhaps it’s his favorite restaurant, a movie you watched together or even a song you both loved. You see it, think of him, and your heart experiences a pang of missing him.
2. SELENA GOMEZ – A YEAR WITHOUT RAIN
In this more recent song, young Selena Gomez expresses how hard it is to be without the one she’s in love with. She compares just a single day without him to an entire year without rain. Indeed, it can feel like time slows to a crawl when you’re unable to be with the person you love. We all understand where Selena’s coming from with this one! Ok…enough about the rain…
3. AEROSMITH – I DON’T WANNA MISS A THING
This song about missing someone became an instant hit when it was featured in the movie Armageddon. And while it’s unlikely you’ll be missing your honey from a distance as far as the moon is from Earth, it can sometimes feel like that. When you’re with someone, you can’t get enough of them, just like the lyrics talk about “staying awake just to hear you breathing.” The sweet song goes on to describe just how much “the sweetest dream will never do” when compared with the reality of being in love. Aww!
4. NICKELBACK – FAR AWAY
If you and your man are frequently apart, then you might be able to understand where this song about missing someone is coming from. Whether it’s work or school that keeps the two of you far away, it doesn’t seem to get any easier. You might simply have times when it feels as though you won’t survive until you can see your man. Those feelings are typical.
5. JACK JOHNSON – BETTER TOGETHER
If you want a song about missing your man that sounds a little more upbeat, this one is for you. Rather than focusing on how difficult it can be to be apart – and it definitely is hard! – this song talks about how good the two of you can be when you’re together. Don’t we all want a partner who makes it better? Separation might be hard to handle, but this song about missing someone can remind you how lucky the two of you are to have found one another!
6. BILL WITHERS – AIN’T NO SUNSHINE
In this classic R&B hit, Mr. Withers sings about how cold and bleak the world can be when he’s separated from the woman he loves. You’ve probably experienced the same after having to say your temporary “Good byes” to your man. It can be difficult to enjoy life or even to get out of bed when you can’t be by your loved one. However, it’s the right thing to do!
7. BILLIE MYERS – KISS THE RAIN
Ok, maybe one more song about missing someone that is also about the rain…Here’s another song that shows just how much those 90s musicians understood our feelings of love! With her deep voice, Billie Myers sings about missing someone, and even when they’re on the other end of the line, it doesn’t feel the same. We all can understand that. A phone call, SnapChat message or email is nice, but it doesn’t feel as good as being in our lover’s arms. Perhaps that’s because it doesn’t induce the same chemicals, including oxytocin, as cuddling and sex?
8. AVRIL LAVIGNE – WISH YOU WERE HERE
There’s no shortage of songs about missing someone with this title. It’s to the point, isn’t it? And in Avril’s version of this song, she puts it plainly when she sings “Damn, damn, damn. I wish you were here.” Sometimes that’s all we can think or say when we’re separated from the person we love. The feeling of missing them is so overwhelming, that our normally articulate selves find ourselves at a loss for words. It’s okay, though, because Avril is here to sing us through it!
9. THREE DOORS DOWN – HERE WITHOUT YOU
In this song about missing someone, the rockers show their sensitive side. It’s another song that details how being on the road causes you to miss someone and can be a great source of stress. Just because you can’t see your man every day doesn’t mean he’s not constantly in your thoughts. In this song, wheels keep turning, just like life goes on around you when you miss your man. But sometimes missing someone can make that life seem so surreal!
10. GEORGE STRAIT – CARRYING YOUR LOVE WITH ME
Perhaps you prefer a country crooner to the pop and rock stars that make up most of this list. Don’t worry because George Strait has you covered. This might be a good song for you to listen to when you’re on the road for whatever reason and missing your man. In it, George sings about packing up his belongings. He reassures his lover he’ll be fine, and that what’s most important is that he’s carrying her love with him. It’s as sweet as it is sad, just like it is to be apart from someone whom you miss!
Of course, you might find that plenty of songs remind you how much you miss a specific person even if they’re not about missing someone else. Perhaps it’s simply a song by his favorite band that threatens to bring you to tears, or one of any Taylor Swift’s emotional songs that give you pause when they come on the radio. The song doesn’t matter nearly as the feeling they create.
What these songs about missing someone do reminds us is that we’re not alone, even if we feel that way. Everyone has missed someone before, and circumstances don’t always give us what we want. Sometimes, being apart can make us feel stronger! However, we can connect with others, whether by picking up the phone to call a friend or by listening to a song about missing your man, to ease some of the pain.