Ex: is Independence Day a sad song? It's about a murder-suicide perpetrated by a domestic abuse victim, told from the perspective of her young daughter who's sent to a group home at the conclusion. But...it's a murder ballad, & sadness isn't really an emotion those typically engage with

Two more songs for you: Every Light In The House Is On, Trace Adkins; Seminole Wind, John Anderson

I think sadness is actually a tricky theme with country, bc it deals heavily in topics that would be associated with sadness in most genres but don't necessarily foreground sadness in country

I also think Chris Ledoux's Silence on the Line and Joe Diffie's Ships That Don't Come In could be interesting songs for folks to write about. Garth Brooks' The Dance is arguably more uplifting than sad, but could fit here - it's a shame Way Too Young To Feel This Damn Old came out in 1989

I gotta second all of @kgardens42.bsky.social 's country picks, & would add Faith Hill's It Matters to Me. It's technically a cover, but Leann Rimes' Blue came out in 1994 & is widely regarded as the definitive version of the song

I'll have to ponder what I want to suggest, but Beaches of Cheyenne immediately comes to mind

it was about joy and dancing and finding space. now it's about trust and bonds and building what you can't find, even if it means dreaming smaller. when it's raining a tent you have is better than a palace you don't