25 of the most depressing songs of all time ?????

There seem to be two threads going here - songs that are depressingly bad and songs that induce depression.

Going for the latter, I find songs from artists who have met an untimely death somewhat emotional. I'm no Queen fan, but the songs Mercury recorded as he realised his life was ending are imbued with a certain amount of pathos. Same with songs like "Motorcycle Emptiness" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

But I'm going to nominate Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut". Not only for the subject matter, but also for its relevance both to events in the early eighties and also currently. Possibly the only record that sends a chill through me.

quote:

Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
Anyone who thinks Cohen is depressing is a mindless cretin.
If you want depressing try
"Chalet Lines" by Belle and Sebastien

Bob

Bob,

I know numerous people who are far more intelligent than both me and (judging by the choice of words in your response) you, who find the music of Leonard Cohen dreary and depressing.

Stewart
Please ask these numerous people if any of them have ever seen him live and if they found it a depressing experience. I have seen him several times and have never found it anything less than life affirming.
People who think him depressing are, sadly, missing the point.

bob

"I`m your Man" is not depressing some classic tracks on there, Bob seen him Live a few times ,
Isle of Wight stands out for me !

"Gloomy Sunday" in its many versions...
"Alone again naturally" by Gilbert O'Sullivan
"All my trials" by Nick and Gabrielle Drake (bootleg)
"I can Dream Can't I" by the Carpenters

All tremendously beautiful and staggeringly depressing...

Owen

"They are taking her baby away" by Lou Reed
and the jazz standard "Memories" - dreadful
Gus

It was Ray Stevens, not Ray charles that did the novelty song, the Streak.

David- I agree that Richard Thompson should be on this list. My vote would be for 'Dimming of the Day'.

Ron

quote:

Grandad.. Clive Dunn
Grandma.. St Winnifreds
Agadoo
Itsy teeny weeny polka dot bikini.. Timmy Mallet
The Streak... Ray Charles

Yep I'd have said that Lou Reed's "Magic & Loss" was a contender too.

This "mindless cretin" didn't see any mention of Leonard Cohen though. The lyrics to "Hallelujah" are a pretty depressing concept. "November Rain" from Guns & Roses was pretty sad too.

Andrew

quote:

Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
Stewart
Please ask these numerous people if any of them have ever seen him live and if they found it a depressing experience. I have seen him several times and have never found it anything less than life affirming.
People who think him depressing are, sadly, missing the point.

bob

All that matters is how it makes you feel and if you found it life affirming, well, good for you. It wouldn't have that effect on me.

There is definiely a song called 'There's nothing worth living for tonight' it is by a late eighties 'indie' group; I have the album but cannot remember the bands name - I think it begins with a 'V'. Anyway it is totally depressing on every level, unlike say the Smiths which are strangely uplifting.

That's because the Smiths have a lot of humour in their songs I think... I love depressing songs when they're done well as opposed to just general ill-defined angst. Sad can be beautiful.

O

I agree with Brian Von München: are we talking about depressing songs or 'depressingly bad' songs. I think the former, my immediate suggestion is 'My Sister' by Tindersticks.

Got a few more somewhere, but a swift half with Fritz has numbed my memory.

Sean

Roy Orbison's tear jerkers & Brenda Lee's "All alone am I" sustained me through the loss of my first "girlfriend". <sniff>

Nime

I think the sad song I posted earlier was by the Violet Femmes? Not sure of the spelling but a truly terrible album.

The morose Violent Femmes song I know is titled 'Breaking Up', and contains angsty lyrics such as 'theres a crack in my smile'.
This track also kicks ass through DBLs...try it out.

quote:

Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
People who think him depressing are, sadly, missing the point.

Precisely Bob.

I think that many (not all ) of those who claim to find him depressing have simply swallowed the "music to slit your wrists to" quote without listening for themselves.

Thought provoking, atmospheric, poetic - yes.

Depressing - certainly not.

Paul

Shostakovich's 13th Quartet is hands-down the most depressing piece I've heard (in a very good way, of course).

Bette "Medea" Midler's "The Rose" is a close second, though; The Guardian got that one right. Not many songs recall a basket of used tissues quite as well as that one.

Tones on Tail's "Rain".

I mentioned "Magic & Loss" by Lou Reed earlier, but one that's just popped into mind is "I see a darkness" by Bonny Prince Billy. That's a dark, deep album with a bit of a flump-like cloud hanging over its gloomy pallor...

John

shivers - boys next door
? best opening line ever

Mark

I have Kenny Everett's "World's Worst Record" It was Jimmy Cross who released I Want My Baby Back - The Downliners Sect did a cover version. However, the track by Dickey Lee called Laurie (Strange things happen) is worse - it is typical song about a boy who meets a girl at dance, loans her his sweater and then calls around at her house to retrieve it - he is greeted by her father who says Laurie has been dead for a year and he subsequently recovers his sweater from her grave - I don't think it was a hit.

If you want a track listing of Kenny's worst records then see [URL=http://infoman16.tripod.com/music/1978world'sworst.htm]THE CAPITAL RADIO "BOTTOM 30"[/URL] - my vinyl record (vomit coloured vinyl) has only the worst 20.

Best regards - ROTF

Nick Drake - Black Dog. Easily the most chilling, depressing, scary bit of music I know.

Congrats on
2000 Colin
Poor old Nick, I am depressed just thinking about him.

Whoops, just a few more to go.

I'd second 'Black Dog' and 'I see a Darkness'... the former of course is both a metaphor for and product of depression... could be the winner in this category!
owen