20 Songs When You Miss Your Ex and Regret Breaking Up With Them
Sometimes after a break-up with somebody, we realize that we still have feelings for them or we just made the wrong decision while in anger. This will lead to wanting your ex back since you are a better person with them around. Here are some songs to help reflect your feelings:
1. Taylor Swift – Back To December
During an interview with Comcast, Taylor Swift stated that this is the first time she has ever apologized to someone in a song before. It is about a person who was incredible to her and the relationship was perfect, however, she was careless with him. The subject in the song is her ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner. He confirmed this in a Facebook Live interview promoting his show Scream Queens.
The track peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went on to win two BMI Awards (Publisher Of The Year and Award Winning Songs). Apparently, Taylor Swift wrote it on a napkin in an airplane bathroom.
2. Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man
The song is from Bruno Mars’ second studio album Unorthodox Jukebox which was released in 2012. It is a piano ballad about a pre-fame heartbreak whereby he regrets letting go of. When they were together Bruno did not give her all the love and attention that she craved. He uses the term ‘should have bought you flowers’ to symbolize the romantic gestures he had oversight on.
Bruno Mars’ ex has not moved on and he hopes that the new man is making her happy the way he should have done. He has stated that this is his most difficult song to perform because of its meaning.
3. Charlie Puth – We Don’t Talk Anymore
This is the second single from the album Nine Track Mind. The main topic of the song is bemoaning the regrets after a breakup. The phrase “We don’t talk anymore” came from a conversation Charlie had with a friend after his friend broke up with his girl.
Lyrically, Charlie and Selena portray themselves as exes. Charlie might get back with Selena if she makes the first move since he is too afraid of rejection. Selena on the other hand thinks he has moved on with another girl but she still can’t stop thinking about him. They don’t talk anymore like they used to so they don’t know much about each other.
4. Adelle – Hello
The track is mainly about Adele trying to reach out to someone from her past so that she can try to right her wrongs. She wants to apologize to the one she hurt but he won’t give her that opportunity.
Adele stated that the deeper meaning of the song is that she is making amends with her younger self. She wants to apologize for her past mistakes but that younger self no longer exists. She yearns for the other side of herself that she really misses when she is away from England.
5. Mariah Carey feat Ne-Yo – Angels Cry
The song is part of Mariah’s 12th studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. The song is mainly about holding out hope that a relationship can be saved. The two singers regret letting the relationship go through hard times without trying their best to prevent things from getting to the point of no return.
6. Bowwow feat T Pain – Outta My System
Bowwow teams up with T-Pain to address his feelings about breaking up with long-time partner Ciara over alleged cheating rumors with Ashley R, a video vixen and Ciara’s friend. He raps about how he misses her and all the time they spent together makes it so hard to forget her. Even when he is with other women he still thinks about her.
The track is his second single off his fifth studio album The Price Of Fame and samples Rick James’ 1978 funk record Hollywood.
This is the second single from Mariah’s 2005 comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi. It was #1 on the Billboard charts for 14 weeks which made it the second longest-running #1 song in US chart history at the time. The music video stars Prison Break star Wentworth Miller.
Lyrically, the song is about Mariah regretting letting her go and now thinks she should have held on tighter to the relationship. She is now realizing that life is much worse without him and can’t seem to be able to find a person who will understand her plus treat her the way he did.
8. Katy Perry – The One That Got Away
In this track, Katy Perry reminisces about her former lover. She looks at what would life look like if things between them had turned out differently and maybe ended up spending their lives together. She realizes that there is nothing could ever match up to him.
Katy Perry revealed that the track is about Josh Groban during a game of ‘Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts’ with James Corden.
9. Chris Brown – She Ain’t You
This is the fourth single from the album FAME. Its music video draws inspiration from Michael Jackson and it was able to peak at #5 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-hop Songs chart.
Lyrically, the song is about an ex Chris Brown can’t seem to forget despite moving on and having a new girl in his life. He wishes that it was his ex in place of his new girl and given the chance to trade her in, he would go for it.
10. Usher, Alicia Keys – My Boo
The duet is part of Usher’s 2004 album Confessions. The chemisty between the two singers led to rumors that they were dating but no evidence ever came up. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Lyrically, the song is about Alicia Keys and Usher creating fictional characters who used to date each other when they were much younger before they got famous. They even share that they were each other’s first kiss. However, they broke up and lost touch of each other for a while. What makes them not forget each other is that they were each other’s first person they ever had feelings for.
11. Selena Gomez – Back To You
This is a love ballad where Selena sings her heart out and expresses her love for her significant other. This is despite the fact that they are no longer together, he can hurt her again and he is not good for her. The song is in reference to Selena Gomez’ relationship with Justin Bieber and her relationship with The Weeknd. Selena dated Justin on and off for four years and after that they seen multiple times together even after breaking up with The Weeknd.
The song is part of the 2020 album Rare.
12. Ed Sheeran – Happier
Ed describes his mindset after finding out that a girl he recently broke up with has moved on to a new man. He revealed that he based the song on a relationship he was in when he was younger. It was the first girl he dated but then broke up with. He one day bumped into the guy she had replaced him with and immediately got the impression that he is so much suited for her as compared to him.
Even though Ed is happy for his ex and her new man, he is still drinking and thinking about her. He also admits that he hurt her so many times with his words and actions at the time they were together. He now regrets and has to live with the fact that he is still in love with her.
13. Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles
The song was released in 2002 and ended up becoming a big hit. It became the #1 song on the Adult Contemporary charts and peaked at #5 on the Hot 100 chart.
Vanessa revealed that the song is about a crush she had on a Juilliard student. She was very shy so she would rarely talk to him.
14. Yungblud, Halsey – 11 Minutes feat Travis Barker
Yungblud stated that a true event actually inspired the song. It is about two young people who were perfect for each other but they ended up separating because they had to fit within the boundaries of modern ideologies. After years apart they realize living without each other is unfulfilling so they decide to meet.
The lady sends a message telling him that she is 11 minutes away but on the way she gets into a car accident. Those 11 minutes now haunt his subconscious for the rest of his life. You never realize how important something is to you till it’s taken away from you.
15. Mariah Carey – Don’t Forget About Us
This is the fifth single from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, R&B and dance charts.
The song is generally about the emotions that are sometimes felt after losing their relationship. Mariah confesses how much she still thinks about her ex and reveals just how much she wants to reach out to him.
16. Ne-Yo – Part Of The List
In this track, Ne-Yo lists all of the small things he misses about the woman he used to date. These range from some of her physical traits that are unique to her, mannerisms and things they used to do just the two of them. He states that she will never leave his heart and will never forget her.
17. Ed Sheeran – Overpass Graffiti
Ed Sheeran sings about a relationship that ended a while ago that he can’t forget about. He compares this feeling to how graffiti stays almost forever on the overpass. He says it will never fade as time passes. The track is part of the 2021 album = (Equals).
18. Bruno Mars – Talking To The Moon
In this track we see Bruno Mars sing about a person he used to be in a relationship with. The two have since lost touch ever since they broke up and his ex seems to be living far away from Bruno. He misses her and feels so lonely at night when she isn’t there with him like it used to be. He also wonders if she thinks about him anymore.
The song is part of the album Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010).
19. Clean Bandit – Baby
The message of the song can simple be interpreted as “the one that got away”. It talks about the bitterness of surviving the marriage of someone you hadn’t completely let go of and the helplessness in the realization that it is over. Marina adds that the person they have moved on with isn’t good enough for them as compared to her.
20. Kygo feat Valerie Broussard – Think About You
Valeria sings about an ex who she hasn’t heard from for a number of years. She has done a number of things to try and forget him but none of them has fully worked since she still thinks about him a lot.