Remember Me: Ten "Miss You" Songs

I'm a big fan of music in the past. I like to sort through all of it, piece by piece, when I find a new artist I love. None of these artists are new, but they're the first ten songs I listen to when I miss a friend, lover, or family member. Sometimes it's just a song that reminds me of that person, and sometimes we both have a connection to the song. Genres will vary, as always. What are some of your favorite "I Miss You" songs?

It's all in the title, really. Matchbox Twenty is an old favorite of mine, and the song holds true even after all these years. When I listen to "If You're Gone", it brings me back to a feeling of uncertainty. He's not even sure if she's gone yet, but he knows he wants her to come back to him. Sorrow for what may be lost fills his lyrics.

When Lifehouse sings about regrets from a past relationship, it's almost as if I can feel his pain with him... or maybe that mine was written. Many of the tracks I enjoy from Lifehouse are geared towards the "I Miss You" genre. Whether this one is about broken friendship or torn love never really occurred to me, but I feel it appropriate for either.

Incubus also holds a lot of my first song choices when I'm lonely. "I'll Miss You" was an obvious choice, but if I could pick a second tune for the same artist, it would have to be "Wish You Were Here". All around, Incubus has a mellow way of dealing with heartache and loneliness. They've been in my hall of fame for a large part of my life, and this song along with them.

I can't even remember when I first heard this song, but it's lyrics have been what I compare other songs to more than once. As her heart breaks, all she really asks is that he not look at her while he leaves. It's final, she will want nothing to do with him once he's broken her heart. It's clear that her well-being is no longer any of his business. Even though she'll miss him more than she can describe in four minute, she'll never tell him how hard it is to let go.

There's a moment in healing when you still miss someone, but know that it's for the best that they're gone. I don't like to think on terms of "forever gone", and this song is no exception. He's still saying that the person he's singing to is the best he ever had. He has all intentions of being seeing her again. I like to think so, anyways.

I love both versions of this one. Depending on what mood I'm in, I'll listen to either artist sing the lyrics. Gary Allen's voice speaks of romantic love to me, where I can also place a platonic relationship to Vertical Horizon's original.

Both artists have mistakes streaked through their voices, and if I didn't miss that person before - I do now. A lost longing is woven into the poetry that lies at the root of this track.

As a teen, I had a friend that listen to this song with me on the phone when he missed me - which was the entire time I was gone. (We had other songs, too...) If we would be out of contact for the duration of our absence, we would listen to this among our list of music that reminded us of each other. Even now, when I hear this song I think of him. Now, I have another friend to share the love of this song with. If we were ever to be separated for an abnormal amount of time, it would be a double dose of "miss you" with this song.

Gavin DeGraw says everything that no one does in real life. He's hiding his love for her and sharing his painful truth with us. By the end of this song, if I've had a couple drinks, I'd be texting someone to apologize to them for something that I've done. This song describes the agony of loving someone that is standing right in front of you, which is a feeling that most people are all too familiar with. As for my love story, I think of my husband when I hear this song. We've been together since we were teenagers and had a few break-ups before we settled down. This song may very well be one of the reasons we got back together once all that time ago.

When I'm mad at my best friend, but I miss him because I'm mad at him, I find myself listening to this song. It's a different kind of "I miss you", one without tears unless they come from anger. Behind the anger lies the pain of betrayal and loss of this artist's voice as he sings what I can't say. A few tunes like this, and I'm ready to work it out, with whoever made me angry enough to push them away.

Hoku holds a few old, secretive favorites on my playlists. She says it, plain and simple. In my real life, this song holds a dedication from a friend I dated... but shouldn't have. When we hang out now, sometimes we listen to this and laugh about all the tears it brought about way back then. The Hoku craze didn't last long, if there was one at all, but she'll always hold a special place in my heart.

Strictly speacking, this song is about love. I listen to Shinedown, though, when I'm missing one of my best girl friends. This happens to be one of her favorite songs, so it comes though my speakers a lot now that she's moved outside of our home state. For others, this song probably speaks about drowning in love but for me it's just another Thursday night car ride.