21 Songs About Growing Apart (2023)

Music had long been a medium for expressing the complexities of human emotions, amongst it is the experience of drifting away or growing distant from someone, be it a romantic partner, friend, or family member.

These songs describe the emotions and experiences associated with growing apart, such as feelings of sadness, confusion, or nostalgia, and may explore the reasons behind the separation, such as changing priorities, values, or circumstances.

Among the many songs about growing apart, the songs listed below capture the audience’s hearts the most.

21. “I Keep Forgettin’” by David Bowie

Album: Toy (unreleased) | Style: Pop

This song speaks about the pain of losing touch with a significant other. It focuses on regrets, longing, and frustration that come with trying to hold onto the memories of the past. The universal feelings of struggling to move on from a relationship and the denial of its end, continue to resonate among fans and listeners. That is why this song creates an atmosphere of sadness and evokes a range of emotions.

20. “Valleys (My Love)” by Whitney

Album: Forever Turned Around | Style: Indie Folk

This may be the most panoramic song that one may listen to while driving on country roads. It explores the metaphorical valleys and mountains as a representation of the highs and lows of human relationships and how it drifts away from one’s view when you are in motion like traveling. The smooth melody of the song adds up to the touch of nostalgia in the song.

19. “It All Seems to Fall Into Line” by Perry Como

Album: Perry Como In Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas | Style: Traditional Pop

Released in 1973, the song depicts the singer’s relationship that losses energy and momentum as it races through time.  It follows the storyline of how he realizes that they were drifting apart because someone else had replaced him in her heart already. The optimistic message of this song complements its upbeat and charming instrumentation, which fans love so much.

18. “Just Friends” by Chet Baker

Album: Chet Baker Sings | Style: Jazz

The singer wraps up the song’s bittersweet emotions in just 12 lines as it illustrates how what once used to be a loving relationship evolves into something like “just friends”. It captures the sense of longing and nostalgia that often accompanies a platonic relationship with those who have experienced the pangs of unrequited love or the bittersweet feelings of it that never quite developed as they had hoped. The jazzy tempo of the song adds a deep touch to its overall effect on human emotions.

17. “I Know There’s Something Going On” by Frida

Album: Something’s Going On | Style: Pop rock

For people who had been seeing the signs of a relationship on the brink of falling apart, this song would probably be the most powerful and emotive one. It follows through how the persona in the song realizes that her relationship will inevitably come to an end after suspecting that there is nasty going on between his partner.  Varied emotions like uncertainty, confusion, and pain in a relationship are being depicted in the song making it more relatable to audiences from all walks of life.

16. “Drifting Away” by Roy Orbison

Album: Mystery Girl | Style: Rock Ballad

Released in 1989, this rock ballad vividly describes feelings that encompass loss and drifting away from a relationship. Orbison’s soulful vocals and the song’s melody capture the song’s heartbreaking emotion delivered in an upbeat way. It also depicts the struggles one could feel while in the process of moving on making this song more touching to the hearts of its listeners.

15. “Family Snapshot” by Peter Gabriel

Album: Peter Gabriel (III) | Style: Progressive rock

Most of us are well aware of the fact that a broken family negatively impacts a person’s upbringing, but some realize that only until an extremely devastating incident results from it. This song speaks so much of this scenario as it was written based on a story of an assassination told from the perspective of the gunman. It explores the psychological motivations and inner turmoil of a disturbed individual who carries out a violent act against a public figure because he was raised in a broken home witnessing how his parents drifted away from each other every single day.

14. “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt

Album: Luck of the Draw | Style: Blues Ballad

One of the many songs about unrequited love, this song, however, talks about how the persona in the song confronts it for the last time before totally letting her grip go. The feeling of helplessness for not making your partner love you back is very imminent in the song. This song is a perfect reminder to men and women out there that we can never force love to come our way despite our extreme efforts.

13. “Let’s Just Kiss And Say Goodbye” by The Manhattans

Album: The Manhattans | Style: Soul

All heartbreaks are painful, one way or another, but not all are a result of bad relationships. This song, for one, talks about heartbreaks and separation but not due to third-party issues but due to obligations and ties. The persona in the song calls out to his lover to share a final kiss and part ways amicably. That way, they will both remember their impending separation with a smile.

12. “Over You” by Miranda Lambert

Album: Four the Record | Style: Country

This song is a tribute to Shelton’s (Miranda’s husband) brother, who died in a car accident. It speaks about longing, loss, and missing the person so much. It also points out how hard moving on and finding closure are. In totality, this song empathizes with someone else’s pain and grief.

11. “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough” by Patty Smyth and Don Henley

Album: Patty Smyth | Style: Rock

There could be a lot of times when love is not enough to make a relationship grow. Despite caring and loving each other, the complexity of love is more powerful to outgrow love. People will appreciate this song more if they have had experienced the same heartbreaks, as it perfectly reminds us to search for love and happiness elsewhere.

10. “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson

Album: Breakaway | Style: Pop Rock

The song depicts a woman all geared up to move on from a toxic relationship and embrace her liberation with full energy. The exciting and energy-filled chorus is a celebration of women’s empowerment and self-love. It makes this song an anthem to all women who had successfully found their happiness after a break-up. This timeless track continues to capture the hearts of people from all walks of life up to this day.

9. “Cry Me A River” by Justin Timberlake

Album: Justified | Style: Pop

The song effectively conveys the anger and frustration of a lover who has been betrayed, as evidenced by its lyrics and an infectious beat that perfectly captures its vengeful tone. The raw emotions and relatable themes depicted in the song allow it to resonate with many listeners.

8. “Fight For This Love” by Cheryl Cole

Album: 3 Words | Style: Pop

The inevitable rough patches in a relationship often lead to couples growing apart from each other. However, this song speaks about how a couple fights to keep their relationship and struggles fair enough to save it. The serious nature of the lyrics creates a sense of determination and hopeful endeavor against the ups and downs of a romantic relationship and inspires everyone to believe in the power of love.

7. “It Ends Tonight” by The All American Rejects

Album: Move Along | Style: Pop Rock

This song depicts an end to a relationship, be it friendship or romance, and the pain that comes with it. It describes the frustration that the singer feels towards his partner for the way things ended. Sometimes, we have to realize that some things are better off-ended, though.

6. “Out of Love” by Alessia Cara

Album: This Summer: Live Off The Floor | Style: Soul Pop

This is a very emotional song about falling out of love and growing apart from their once very romantic relationship. It depicts of the persona’s struggles of moving on and the heartache that it brings.  If you’ve ever gone through a tough breakup, this one will definitely hit you right in the feels.

5. “Broken Strings” by James Morrison

Album: Songs for You, Truths for Me | Style: R&B

This song will definitely tug the strings of your heart as it tells of the story of a couple trying to hold on to the relationship but eventually realizing that they’ll soon grow apart despite all the efforts. Sometimes, we just have to accept that broken strings cannot be fixed. The song’s vocals and tones create a beautiful harmony that will leave you in a soulful mood for quite long.

4. “Already Gone” by Kelly Clarkson

Album: All I Ever Wanted | Style: Pop Rock

Love requires sacrifice in all its senses, and if you are already in a situation where you know that it will never work, will you not think of self-sacrificing too? This song teaches us that letting go and just being gone solves everything. Indeed, it takes a lot of courage to accept the fact that you can’t make it feel right when you know that it is wrong, and this song is all that and more.

3. “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad” by Meatloaf

Album: Bat Out of Hell | Style: Rock Ballad

There are times when we love someone so much that we are willing to keep the relationship in desperation. This song somehow, depicts this idea as it talks about how a man is trying to convince his lover to stay with him even if he falls short of some things. This song is worth a listen especially for fans who wishes to make the same appeal to their loved ones. After all, nobody is perfect.

2. “Time For Me To Fly” by REO Speedwagon

Album: You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tuna Fish | Style: Rock, Pop Rock, Soft Rock

The title of the song implies how the persona is already decided to move on and move away from an emotional or romantic attachment. At times when we reach the crossroads of life and moving on becomes necessary, keeping the distance seems to be the best option. And this song is inspired in this light based on the singer’s own experience of first love and first heartbreak.

1. “Angie” by The Rolling Stones

Album: Goats Head Soup | Style: Rock, Soft Rock, Ballad

When would you say that it is not yet time to say goodbye? This beautiful song was written with the singer’s thoughts on a person with whom he decided to have ended their relationship. It vividly illustrates the pain of separation and the regret and longing that come afterward. This powerful and memorable ballad is a manifestation of the Rolling Stones’ musical versatility.