Tale of woe (3,5)
I believe the answer is:
sob story
'tale of woe' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for sob story that I've seen before include "Tale of misfortune" , "Account intended to evoke sympathy" , "Sentimental tale designed to arouse sympathy" , "tale of woe" , "Plea for sympathy from Tory boss" .)