One of the hardest and most heartbreaking experiences is the feeling of being betrayed by someone you love. Sometimes it is a slow realization of the betrayal, and sometimes it comes out of the blue to haunt us, and like most things around human nature, it’s complex.
Along with betrayal, you can feel sad, lonely, angry, disappointed, liberated, or even shameful (if you made the betrayal.) But no matter the feeling, you can always count on music to have your back. With so many songs around, we’ve made a list of the top 20 songs about betrayal of friends.
Betrayal, whether it was a friend, a lover, or a family member, you’ll find something just for you.
Songs About Betrayal
- Bad Blood – Taylor Swift
- Right My Wrongs – Bryson Tiller
- Ciao, Adios – Anne Marie
- You Give Love A Bad Name – Bon Jovi
- I’m Not The Only One – Sam Smith
- Set Fire To The Rain – Adele
- Cry Me A River – Justin Timberlake
- Sandcastles – Beyonce
- Love The Way You Lie – Eminem Ft. Rihanna
- You Oughta Know – Alanis Morisette
Bad Blood – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift explained to us that she wouldn’t keep being friends with someone who had their trust and betrayed her.
Problems are beyond salvation, and the friendship is now ruined. They better get used to being enemies because now they have bad blood.
Quote
“‘Now we got problems, and I don’t think we can solve them. You made a really deep cut, and baby, now we got bad blood.”
Right my Wrongs – Bryson Tiller
Right My Wrongs is a song that puts us in the perspective of the person who committed the mistake. He’s wrong, and he decided to admit his faults, so he doesn’t lose this person.
His mission is to be forgiven for the betrayal.
Quote
“Tell me, how can I right my wrongs? That’s something that I should know.”
Ciao, Adios – Anne Marie
Sometimes betrayal happens repeatedly. You’ve seen it so many times that you finally get tired of it and decide it’s best to say goodbye.
You see your ex with their new partner, and the anger transforms into a feeling of liberation. No one has to go through that; it’s best to just say, “Ciao, Adios.”
Quote
“If you’re giving her all of your money and time, I’m not gonna sit here wasting mine on you, yeah, you Ciao, adios, I’m done (I’m done).”
You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi sings as he feels he met the girl of his dreams that later turned out to be a nightmare. He feels that he was shot through the heart.
What he thought about this girl was all fake, and what’s left is pain.
Quote
“An angel’s smile is what you sell. You promise me heaven, then put me through hell.”
I’m Not the Only One – Sam Smith
Not every betrayal happens out of nowhere. Sometimes people start becoming suspicious of their partner’s actions and words.
They just know that there is someone else around.
That’s what Sam Smiths sings about in this song that reflects the feelings of betrayal on someone who keeps denying and gaslighting you about it.
Quote
“You say I’m crazy cause you don’t think I know what you’ve done. But when you call me baby, I know I’m not the only one.”
Set Fire to the Rain – Adele
Adele gave us amazing songs about betrayals, and one of them is Set Fire to the Rain.
She tells us how she was at a vulnerable moment in her life, and someone showed up to help her.
But she soon realized that he was no saint and she got hurt. The feeling she describes as a very heartbreaking one. It must be hard to feel safe in someone’s hands and then realize it was just a disguise.
Quote
“But there’s a side to you that I never knew, never knew. All the things you’d say. They were never, never true.”
Cry Me a River – Justin Timberlake
Cry me a river speaks to the hearts of the betrayed. Justin Timberlake sings from his soul as he feels that he was left all alone and in despair.
But now that the woman who did him wrong comes back, there’s no second chance as all the bridges have been burned.
Quote
“You don’t have to say what you did; I already know; I found out from him.”
Sandcastles – Beyonce
When devastation and sorrow are all that’s left behind, it’s a tough feeling, and when all of the promises that were made are now just gone with the wind, it makes you question so many things.
But now, the sandcastles have been washed away, so it’s time to try and erase the past.
Quote
“We built sandcastles that washed away. I made you cry when I walked away.”
Love the Way You Lie – Eminem ft. Rihanna
This song by Eminem and Rihanna tells us a tragic story of two lovers who used to burn in love but now they’re turning into ashes.
Fights, lies, pain. They know they’re bad for each other, but they had a love so strong that now she loves the way he lies.
Quote
“Just gonna stand there and hear me cry. But that’s alright because I love the way you lie.”
You Oughta Know – Alanis Morisette
When someone we love finds a new relationship, we can feel a little betrayed.
It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that this person is now holding someone else as nothing happened between you—a bittersweet feeling of being betrayed and forgotten.
Quote
“Does she know how you told me You’d hold me until you died ‘Til you died, but you’re still alive.”
Rolling in the Deep – Adele
Repeated betrayals can make someone go from sadness to anger. You no longer believe what they have to say, and you can see clearly their intentions without pink glasses.
It hurts to think how vulnerable we were with this person, but the betrayal is so intense that all we can feel is anger and disappointment.
Quote
“You had my heart inside your hands, but you played it to the beat.”
Beautiful Liar – Beyonce ft. Shakira
Beautiful Liar tells us the story of two women who found out they were dating the same man and are now going through so many feelings.
They come to a conclusion the man is the one responsible for their pain, so they shouldn’t fight or blame each other.
Quote
“Tell me how to forgive you (ooh)
When it’s me who’s ashamed (oh)
And I wish I could free you of the hurt and the pain
But the answer is simple He’s the one to blame (hey).”
The Last Song I’m Wasting on You – Evanescence
Once you have enough of a person, there’s no going back. This song is for when you get mixed signs of someone telling you that they love you and then telling you that they hate you.
When they should support you, they let you down and scream at you. It’s rough, but there’s a way out.
Quote
“You dare to tell me that you love me.
But you held me down and screamed you wanted me to die.”
Cry – Kelly Clarkson
Cry is a song that best describes the feelings of sadness and emptiness when we suddenly part ways with someone.
Kelly Clarkson doesn’t care what people say about her relationship; she prefers to lie than to explain what happened.
Quote
“Is this as hard as it gets?
Is this what it feels like to really cry?”
Heart Wants What It Wants – Selena Gomez
When your mind torments you about one person is a difficult emotion.
Everything and everyone reminds you about the wrong they did to you. But sometimes, that’s not enough to stop loving someone.
Sometimes life is hard, and no one knows why the heart wants what it wants.
Quote
“There’s a million reasons why I should give you up. But the heart wants what it wants.”
Positively 4th Street – Bob Dylan
It hurts to know that someone who you thought was your friend acts distantly.
Bob Dylan explains this with this song. He tells us about a friend that promised to be there for him. But he’s never there when he needs it. He’s tired of the hypocrisy.
Quote
“You’ve got a lotta nerve to say you were my friend. When I was down, you just stood there grinning.”
Your Betrayal – Bullet for My Valentine
It’s hard to leave someone even if they’ve betrayed us. Common sense tells us to stay away from this person, but it’s not as easy as it seems.
Most of the time, the betrayed person is the one that has to pay the price for the betrayal and suffer more.
Quote
“I was told to stay away. Those two words I can’t obey. Pay the price for your betrayal, your betrayal, your betrayal.”
Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri
Once time passes and the person who broke all of the promises decides to come back, what should we do?
Christina Perri decided she had enough of it. It is one thing to break some promises and move on. But coming back is something she’s not willing to accept.
Quote
“Don’t you know I’m not your ghost anymore? You lost the love I loved the most.’
Friend of Mine – Lily Allen
When you find out that a friend of yours is spreading rumors about you. you can listen to Friend of Mine
It’s about a girl who has a bad reputation of always being a hypocrite. She isn’t really the type of friend you’d want around. While LilyAllen is hurt at her betrayal, she isn’t surprised about it.
Quote
“Don’t know you anymore. You’re no friend of mine, girl.”
Take a Bow – Rihanna
When everything’s been said and done, the person who betrays may feel remorse.
But sometimes, being sorry for the past isn’t enough to save a relationship.
It’s hard to forgive someone and accept an apology. It’s better to just move on and quit the show.
Quote
“You’re so ugly when you cry.”
Conclusion
Songs have a way of speaking directly to the listener. It makes us feel understood when someone else went through the same thing that we had to go through.
Listening to their words can feel like a breath of fresh air.
These are some of the most famous and beloved songs about betrayal. They all speak about different emotions surrounding the complexity of betrayal. Be sure to check them all and expand your musical knowledge.