Ten Songs that Can Help You when You Are Feeling Alone

Although it is a powerful and universal human emotion felt by everyone around the globe at one time or another, loneliness is not a topic often covered by musicians. And no, I am not talking about the single entendre "sexual loneliness" singers like Mariah Carey specialize in. I am talking about feeling like you are utterly alone in the world.

Angry break up songs, "I will survive" style sentiments of empowerment and live for tonight party music dominates the musical landscape. But do these pop trifles speak to you when you feel utterly alienated from the world? Are these the songs you would turn to when you felt like you didn't have a soul in the world to turn to? Of course not.

As follows are ten great songs that speak to the loneliness of the human condition. They are not meant to allow you to wallow in this emotion. They are meant to get you in touch with your sadness and really feel it so you can move on from it.

Nobody Knows-(Pink)

Even when you are a multi-millionaire, incomparable pop star and overall bad-ass like Pink, you can still become overwhelmed by feelings of being alone. "Nobody knows, nobody knows but me that I sometimes cry/If I could pretend that I'm asleep when these tears start to fall/I peek out from behind these walls/I think nobody knows, nobody cares."

Irvine-(Kelly Clarkson)

Kelly wrote this song on the last day of one of her tours (which ended in Irvine, California) and she says it was one of the darkest days of her life. If you think she can't write a decent song lyric because she was on "American Idol" maybe you should think again. "Are you there? Are you watching me? As I lie here on this floor/They say you feel what I do/They say you're here every moment/Will you stay?/Stay 'till the darkness leaves/Stay here with me/I know you're busy, I know I'm just one/But you might be the only one who sees me/The only one to save me/Why is it so hard?/Why can't you just take me?/I don't have much to go on/Before I fade completely."

Dark Road-(Annie Lennox)

Annie Lennox is a master when it comes to conveying feelings of longing, loss, loneliness and yearning. This song is just one more example of that fact. "It takes strength to live this way/The same old madness every day/I wanna kick these blues away/I wanna learn to live again..."

Two Beds and a Coffee Machine-(Savage Garden)

A lot of times we put impenetrable walls up around us because we grew up in homes where abuse was just a daily fact of life. This one fact is probably the number one contributor to people feeling like they are alone. Because if you can't let anyone past your walls, how can you really feel a part of any relationship? "And she takes another step/slowly she opens the door/check that he is sleeping/pick up all the broken glass and furniture on the floor/been up half the night screaming now it's time to get away/pack up the kids in the car/another bruise to try and hide/another alibi to write/another lonely highway in the dark of night/you keep moving on and the years go by so fast/wonder how I ever made it through."

Circle Dance-(Bonnie Raitt)

This little known Bonnie Raitt song talks about leaving behind old and toxic family patterns. Separating yourself from family members who are bad for you is incredibly hard and it is amazing more songs don't talk about this. "I don't know why it should be so hard/Giving up this circle dance/Worn out steps from long ago/Don't give love a chance/It's a bitter heirloom handed down/These twisted parts we play/I'm not her and you're not him/It just comes out that way."

Save Me-(Aimee Mann)

This Oscar nominated track from the film "Magnolia" speaks to our innate human desire to be rescued somehow from our emotions. But with this song Aimee spins that concept on its ear by telling us that the person who "saves" us may make our lives even worse.

Full of Grace-(Sarah Mclachlan)

With a spare piano accompaniment and some unquestionably dark lyrics, this remains one of Sarah's best songs. Sorry, but "I Will Remember You" sucks. "The winter here's cold and bitter/It chills us to the bone/I'm pulled down by the undertow/I never thought I could feel so low/Oh, darkness I feel like letting go."

L.A. Song-(Beth Hart)

If you haven't heard of Beth Hart you really should check out her body of work which covers the gamut of rough and tumble human experience. For instance, it takes real living to write the lyrics to this particular song. "She hangs around the boulevard/She's a local girl with local scars/She got home late, she got home late/She drank so hard the bottle ached/And she tried, and she tried, and she tried, and she tried/But nothing's clear in a bar full a flies/So she takes and she takes, she takes and she takes/ She understands when she gives it away."

Somebody to Love-(Queen/Glee Cast)

We all need someone to love and this Queen classic speaks to that. The Glee Cast also did a terrific cover of this song so check that out on iTunes if you haven't already.

Hold On-(Wilson Phillips)

This cheesy 1990's pop classic speaks to the eternal optimist in me which believes after every dark cloud there lies a sunny day. And while I have learned sometimes there are darker clouds behind the dark clouds, there always is a sunny day eventually.

Okay, enough hyperbole. This song is fun to listen to and I refused to end this list on a depressing note. So no matter how bad you feel always remember to hold on for one more day because things will, eventually, go your way.