Best wistfully melancholic song

No, not the break up songs, not the tearful songs, not even the sad songs, but the songs that pluck the heartstrings because of how they treat they subject matter, tonally, and musically.

I have two myself:

The Last Unicorn - America
Yesterday - The Beatles (and I know I used this in another list, but sue me, this is the epitome of the kind of mood im talking about)

[Edited on Sep 25, 2004 by wottan]

Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk - Rufus Wainwright

sevendust- burned out.. a little hard, but still kinda tugs at the old heartstrings

Satin Coffin - Modest Mouse

Love In My Baby's Eyes - Taj Mahal
Letters To You - Finch

'Mother' - Pink Floyd

Dagger- Slowdive

Death Cab for Cutie -- "Tiny Vessels"

Back On The Chain Gang - Pretenders

IZ-US - aphex twin

Chalet Lines by Belle and Sebastian

or In Liverpool by Suzanne Vega

A new favorite of mine is Sonic Youth's "I Love you Golden Blue" off their new album.

"by starlight" smashing pumpkins
"closing time" tom waits (instrumental, but still)

Finger Eleven - Awake and Dreaming

Ben Folds Five "Magic"

although I guess that one's a bit intense

how about

Keane "Can't Stop Now"
or
Elvis Costello "Good Year for the Roses"

3rd Planet & The World At Large-Modest Mouse

Here Comes a Regular - The Replacements

"A person can work up a mean, mean thirst after a hard day of nothin' much at all."

Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet
Alkaline Trio - San Francisco

"Actual Blood"- Shipping News
"Androgynous"- The Replacements

ummm... to name a few

add one more for me:

Ben Harper - Forever

built to spill - the weather
mirah- cold cold water
modest mouse - dramamine
planes mistaken for stars- pillbox
the shins - the past and pending

lately anyways

"into the arms of sleep" smashing pumpkins

"letter never sent" rem

"the world has turned and left me here" weezer

I'm gonna have to second that.