Diamonds’ sparkle, shine, and value have kept humans enchanted for centuries.
Jewelry stores, video games, and romantic partners all value these sparkly gems, so it’s no surprise that musicians are inspired by them when they write songs.
Here are some of the best songs about diamonds that can help you celebrate these gems in all their glory and learn about how diamonds can be used to symbolize aspects of the human experience.
Contents
- Shine On You Crazy Diamond – Pink Floyd
- Diamonds Are Forever – Shirley Bassey
- The Diamond Sea – Sonic Youth
- Diamonds – Rihanna
- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – The Beatles
- Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend – Marilyn Monroe
- Diamonds from Sierra Leone – Ye
- Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes – Paul Simon
- Diamonds and Pearls – Prince and the New Power Generation
- Diamonds on the Water – Enya
- Diamonds Make Babies – Dierks Bentley
- Diamonds and Gold – Mac Miller
- Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All – Father John Misty
- Buy Me Diamonds – Bea Miller
- Diamonds – Jauz
- Diamonds in the Mine – Leonard Cohen
- Diamonds Made From Rain – Eric Clapton
- Black Diamond Bay – Bob Dylan
- Diamond in My Crown – Emmylou Harris
Shine On You Crazy Diamond – Pink Floyd
This track is a tribute to Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett, with many of the title’s words spelling out the name “SYD” when you look at their beginning letters. It talks about Barrett being a wild, shining person as he is compared to a diamond that’s shining bright but might be out of control.
Diamonds Are Forever – Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey sings the theme song for the James Bond film of the same name. The song’s name comes from the De Beers mining company’s marketing campaign for diamonds, setting up listeners for the track’s subject matter; it focuses on the many joys diamonds can bring to one’s life.
Related: This one appears on our complete list of James Bond theme songs.
The Diamond Sea – Sonic Youth
This song talks about love “running wild on the diamond sea” and cautions listeners about the dangers of falling in passionate love with the wrong person. It also discusses the many challenges of being in a relationship, especially when emotions are running high. The track has an impressive runtime of twenty minutes.
Related: Check out our playlist of falling in love songs.
Diamonds – Rihanna
Rihanna sings about love optimistically with this track and reminds you to shine bright, which surprised many listeners after its release. Rihanna had been recording numerous songs about the downsides of love before singing this happy and romantic piece. Sia wrote this song and showcased her signature musicality and lyricism.
Related: Got your eye on someone new? Listen to the best new love songs.
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – The Beatles
John Lennon said that a classmate of his son Julian, named Lucy, inspired this track. One day, the boy came home with a picture of the girl that he drew surrounded by diamond-like stars in the sky. The sketch led to the creation of this dreamy song, a psychedelic piece that’s very symbolic of the era in which it was released.
Related: This song features on our playlist of songs about skies.
Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend – Marilyn Monroe
Carol Channing and Ethel Merman sang this track—which was written for the Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes—before Marilyn Monroe brought new life to it in the film version of the same musical. The classic song highlights a materialistic yet somewhat humorous view that diamonds and money are more reliable than love and romance. Many cover versions have been recorded since Monroe’s performance.
Related: You can find this song on our playlist of the best fashion songs.
Diamonds from Sierra Leone – Ye
A diamond shape makes up the hand signal for Roc-a-Fella Records, the record label of Kanye West and the subject of this song. West also talks about the dark side of diamond mining and its adverse effects on African nations. Shirley Bassey’s ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ was the basis for this track.
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes – Paul Simon
This track tells the story of a self-confident and proudly rich woman in New York City and her lovers. It’s possible that Paul Simon, who considers this track to be one of his greatest musical achievements, was making a statement about the song’s abstract lyrics and people’s desire to find a deeper meaning with the line “and I could say ‘ooh ooh ooh’ as if everybody knows what I’m talking about.”
Related: Strut over to our playlist of the best songs about shoes.
Diamonds and Pearls – Prince and the New Power Generation
Lyrically, this track talks about love through Prince’s eyes, as he tells a romantic interest that a time will come when he can say that he will always be there for them. He also asks if diamonds and jewelry would make this person happy. The 17-note descending melody that accompanies the somewhat simplistic vocals stands out here.
Diamonds on the Water – Enya
Enya was inspired to write this song after going on a walk where the sun caused a diamond-like sparkle on the water’s surface. It’s an ode to summer and the memories that are often evoked by the state of nature during the warmest season, with lyrics such as “Drifting in my memories, the sound of summer” highlighting this concept.
Related: Hang ten with these summertime songs.
Diamonds Make Babies – Dierks Bentley
Here’s a piece that cautions listeners to think carefully before getting engaged. It highlights the challenges and changes when a romance leads to marriage and parenthood. Dierks Bentley related to the song, which was introduced to him by Jim Beavers, one of its writers, because his wife was pregnant with their second child.
Related: Listen to more of the best songs about marriage.
Diamonds and Gold – Mac Miller
Mac Miller sings of a strong woman who wants everything good that the world can give her but feels insecure due to bad experiences with love interests. She has gained a bad reputation—particularly during her school days—but she’s trying to turn her life around and become someone great. To her, being independent is better than being surrounded by people who hurt her and judge her.
Related: Pump yourself up with these believing in yourself songs.
Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All – Father John Misty
Sometimes, a romantic relationship can make you feel trapped and smothered rather than happy and free. These kinds of love relationships are the “disappointing diamonds” that Father John Misty refers to in the title and the lyrics. The singer also points out that every life story doesn’t have to be a raving success.
Related: See more feeling trapped songs.
Buy Me Diamonds – Bea Miller
In the vein of ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,’ Bea Miller asks a hurtful lover to buy her diamonds rather than give her love, as diamonds last forever when love often does not. The song is simultaneously a feel-good track and an angry anthem of empowerment, giving it a unique feel.
Related: Want to feel empowered? Head over to the best power songs.
Diamonds – Jauz
This song talks about feelings of darkness as the narrator wonders how to get out of a murky headspace. The track captures the feelings of confusion, conflict, loneliness, and anger when one feels down or in despair. The line “Wide awake without a clue” captures all of these emotions and states of mind.
Related: Ride an emotional roller coaster with this playlist of songs about emotions.
Diamonds in the Mine – Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen explores the darkest depths of loss in this sorrowful and emotionally powerful track. He points out some of the darker parts of human nature as they are seen through the eyes of a hopeless individual, who is not the narrator here but is the subject who is both criticized and sympathized with.
Related: Find some comfort with these grieving songs.
Diamonds Made From Rain – Eric Clapton
This track thoughtfully explores how life’s challenges, heartbreaks, and greatest disappointments all have silver linings that shape someone into the person they are meant to be. The song points out that no love—or life experience—is truly a mistake or waste of time. Eric Clapton’s former love interest, Sheryl Crow, shares lead vocals with Clapton.
Related: You can hear similar songs on our playlist of broken heart songs.
Black Diamond Bay – Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan sings of how wastefulness and other bad habits can wreak havoc on a person’s life in this track. It seems to tell an abstract story on the surface, but upon closer inspection, it shows listeners the strange feelings that often accompany detachment from other human beings and their lives.
Diamond in My Crown – Emmylou Harris
Here’s a track that looks forward to better days in the future, even after the narrator admits that she’s wasted numerous opportunities and faced varied disappointments up until this point in time. It’s an overall hopeful track that shows listeners how it’s possible to expect your life to get better, no matter how bad it’s seemed in the past.
Related: Chin up with the best songs about feeling hopeful.
More songs about diamonds:
- White Diamond – Kylie Minogue
- Big Blue Diamonds – Earl J. (Kit) Carson
- Diamond Heart – Lady Gaga
- Flawless – Beyoncé
