A Bittersweet Symphony...

I know a lot of people aren't going to understand this, but I actually kind of like being sad. In small doses. I think it's better to own my emotions, let myself feel them, allow myself a catharsis (usually in the form of intense weeping), and then ride the endorphins that come from a good cry. It's why I treat myself to a monthly PMS-related viewing of The Notebook or Beaches. (Seriously, are there sadder movies out there? I think these films are basically like kryptonite to women. I defy you to watch them and not shed a tear.) So, in the spirit of soaking in the melancholy of my current predicament and giving myself space to feel everything I need to feel to get it out of my system, I decided to make myself a playlist of my favorite breakup songs.

Breakups are no time for showcasing one's taste in music. In fact, it's more of a time to turn to the comforts of the "guilty pleasures" that lurk in the dark corners of your iTunes collection. Sometimes, that's exactly what you need. For instance, nobody does schmaltzy heartbreak anthems quite like Barry Manilow, whose music I inherited a taste for from my mother. For angst and righteous indignation, I turn to my high-school musical heroine, Fiona Apple. This is the kind of music that I save for special occasions.

For my playlist, I wanted to capture the full range of breakup emotions, and take myself on a little musical journey. And then I decided to share it with all of you, because hey, we've all been there. So here you go, Haley's Essential Breakup Songs, organized by emotions, complete with what I consider to be the key lyric from each:

Sadness (The first stage of a breakup)

• "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" - Colin Hay, Key Lyric: Don't want you thinking I'm unhappy/What is closer to the truth/I just don't think I'll ever get over you
• "Photographs and Memories" - Jim Croce, Key Lyric: Photographs and memories/All the love you gave to me/Somehow it just can't be true/It's all I've left of you
• "Love Ridden" - Fiona Apple, Key Lyric: I want your warmth/But it will only make me colder/When it's Over
• "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes" - Beck, Key Lyric: I need your loving/Like the sunshine/But everybody's gotta learn sometimes
• "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M., Key Lyric: Everybody cries/And everybody hurts, sometimes
• "Foundations" - Kate Nash, Key Lyric: My fingertips are holding onto/The cracks in our foundation/And I know that I should let go/But I can't

Bitterness (It happens, don't deny it)

• "How's It Gonna Be" - Third Eye Blind (this is actually my favorite breakup song of all time), Key Lyric: I wonder how it's gonna be/When it goes down/How's it gonna be/When you're not around/How's it gonna be/When you find out there was nothing between you and me
• "Read 'Em And Weep" - Barry Manilow, Key Lyric: Well I could tell you "goodbye"/Or "maybe see you around"/With just a touch of a sarcastic "Thanks"
• "Barely Breathing" - Duncan Sheik, Key Lyric: 'Cause I am barely breathing/And I can't find the air/I don't know who I'm kidding/Imagining you care
• "Get Gone" - Fiona Apple, Key Lyric: 'Cause I've done what I could for you/And I do know what's good for me/And I'm not benefiting/Instead I'm sitting/Singing again
• "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell, Key Lyric: Once I ran to you/Now I run from you/This tainted love you've given/I gave you all a boy could give you/Take my tears and that's not nearly all

Acceptance (Aah, finally)

• "Some Good Things Never Last" - Barry Manilow, Key Lyric: No matter how hard we try/Some good things never last/But what good is holding on/When you know/That all you can think about/Is letting go
• "Some Day You Will Be Loved" - Death Cab For Cutie, Key Lyric: You'll be loved/You'll be loved/Like you never have known/And your memories of me/Will seem more like bad dreams/Just a series of blurs/Like I never occurred
• "Better in Time" - Leona Lewis, Key Lyric: I'm gonna smile/'Cause I deserve to/It'll all get better in time
• "Don't Look Back In Anger" - Oasis, Key Lyric: Don't look back in anger/I heard you say/At least not today
• "Cool" - Gwen Stefani, Key Lyric: After all the obstacles/It's good to see you now with someone else/After all that we've been through/I know we're cool

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. I didn't share this to solicit sympathetic remarks in the comments, but more to give you a laugh, or some ideas if you're going through some heartbreak of your own. So instead of having a pity party, why don't you share your favorite breakup song? Surely everybody has one.