Restraining Order Music
March 24, 2011 11:10 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for songs from the vantage point of a possessive/threatening lover (Don't even think about breaking up with/cheating on me songs).
A friend was trying to think of a recent techno-ish song with lyrics along the lines of "if you leave me you gonna get it" (not Furious Angels - my guess). If that song is incidentally identified here that would be cool, but personally I'm just interested in finding songs that fit this theme from any genre.
A friend was trying to think of a recent techno-ish song with lyrics along the lines of "if you leave me you gonna get it" (not Furious Angels - my guess). If that song is incidentally identified here that would be cool, but personally I'm just interested in finding songs that fit this theme from any genre.
The Tom Jones song Delilah is from the vantage point of a jealous lover after stabbing his unfaithful girlfriend to death. Obviously there's no threat element, because it's a bit too late for that, but I think it fits in the same general category.
posted by baf at 11:28 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by baf at 11:28 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
According to John Lennon, it was the worst song he ever wrote: Run for Your Life. "Well, I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man / You'd better keep your head, little girl, or you won't know where I am."
curse you, dhammond</small<
posted by scody at 11:28 PM on March 24, 2011
curse you, dhammond</small<
posted by scody at 11:28 PM on March 24, 2011
Another from Em, Obie Trice ft. Eminem - Lady
posted by the mad poster! at 11:28 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by the mad poster! at 11:28 PM on March 24, 2011
curse you, failure to close brackets properly
posted by scody at 11:29 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by scody at 11:29 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
"Treachery", by the late, great, and tragically underrated Kirsty Maccoll
posted by holterbarbour at 11:32 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by holterbarbour at 11:32 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh, and can't forget: Willie Nelson, I Just Can't Let You Say Goodbye. He's not kidding.
posted by scody at 11:32 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by scody at 11:32 PM on March 24, 2011
Previous question: Looking for songs and movies that can teach abusers about relationships
posted by slidell at 11:34 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by slidell at 11:34 PM on March 24, 2011
Paul Kelly, Before Too Long.
(Chrissy Amphlett, lead singer of The Divinyls, does a creepily awesome slow cover on Women At The Well.)
posted by malibustacey9999 at 11:34 PM on March 24, 2011
(Chrissy Amphlett, lead singer of The Divinyls, does a creepily awesome slow cover on Women At The Well.)
posted by malibustacey9999 at 11:34 PM on March 24, 2011
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town."
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 12:37 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 12:37 AM on March 25, 2011
Do Murder Ballads count? Down by the Ohio is about a man (or woman depending on who's singing it) killing their lover when they reject them.
posted by fshgrl at 12:42 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by fshgrl at 12:42 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
There's Sarah McLachlan's Possession, or perhaps Death Cab for Cutie's I Will Possess Your Heart, which feel possessive/threatening in a more obsessive stalker way.
posted by vespertine at 12:42 AM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by vespertine at 12:42 AM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
The Dead Milkmen - If You Love Somebody, Set them on Fire!
Blondie - One Way or Another is creepy as hell once you actually pay attention to the lyrics.
Rx - And When (lyrics in description)
The Dresden Dolls - Missed Me [lyrics] is in some ways everything people who know nothing about Lolita seem to think Lolita's about.
Circle Jerks - In Your Eyes [lyrics]
That Marylin Manson cover is fine, but Diamanda Galás' version of "I Put a Spell on You" is just terrifying. I think it's only on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack, but there's a live version on YouTube.
[If Murder Ballads do count, there's obviously Nick Cave's entire album entitled......."Murder Ballads."]
posted by Su at 3:14 AM on March 25, 2011
Blondie - One Way or Another is creepy as hell once you actually pay attention to the lyrics.
Rx - And When (lyrics in description)
The Dresden Dolls - Missed Me [lyrics] is in some ways everything people who know nothing about Lolita seem to think Lolita's about.
Circle Jerks - In Your Eyes [lyrics]
That Marylin Manson cover is fine, but Diamanda Galás' version of "I Put a Spell on You" is just terrifying. I think it's only on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack, but there's a live version on YouTube.
[If Murder Ballads do count, there's obviously Nick Cave's entire album entitled......."Murder Ballads."]
posted by Su at 3:14 AM on March 25, 2011
Old 97's, Por Favor, an awesome song apparently not available for your free listening pleasure on this here thing called the internet:
I said Dear Lord, por favor, I need a favor.
Can you help me get back that what is no more?
See I double-crossed the woman who was two-timin' me.
She gave me one good reason, and I gave her what for.
(Spoiler alert: he needs help with "the one [he] buried three feet deep in wet East Texas dirt")
posted by drlith at 3:53 AM on March 25, 2011
I said Dear Lord, por favor, I need a favor.
Can you help me get back that what is no more?
See I double-crossed the woman who was two-timin' me.
She gave me one good reason, and I gave her what for.
(Spoiler alert: he needs help with "the one [he] buried three feet deep in wet East Texas dirt")
posted by drlith at 3:53 AM on March 25, 2011
Oh! And an extra special bonus track, Riskay's "Smell Yo Dick" [lyrics]
posted by Su at 3:59 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by Su at 3:59 AM on March 25, 2011
If you like the blues...
I'm Gonna Murder My Baby by Pat Hare.
Doubly creepy because Pat Hare died in jail after killing his wife.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 4:54 AM on March 25, 2011
I'm Gonna Murder My Baby by Pat Hare.
Doubly creepy because Pat Hare died in jail after killing his wife.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 4:54 AM on March 25, 2011
I'm not sure whether it's intended this way, but "I Drove All Night" (Roy Orbison/Cyndi Lauper/Céline Dion) always came off as having a creepy/stalkerish vibe to me.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:56 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:56 AM on March 25, 2011
Death Cab for Cutie: I Will Possess Your Heart. (Fair warning: Intro is long. You can skip to 4:40 for lyrics, or head for the radio edit instead.)
posted by D.Billy at 5:26 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by D.Billy at 5:26 AM on March 25, 2011
I have always been creeped out by Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day." It's the old -- "if you leave me, I'll kill myself and it'll be all your fault" trope.
posted by motsque at 5:52 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by motsque at 5:52 AM on March 25, 2011
There's also the song from which Lennon took "I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man," Elvis's Baby Let's Play House, although that line is the only one that fits your bill.
posted by troywestfield at 5:59 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by troywestfield at 5:59 AM on March 25, 2011
For the ultimate in jealousy, look no further than Elvis Costello - I Want You.
(Re: your criteria, there is another person involved, though it's not clearly a breakup or affair song.)
posted by Beardman at 6:40 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
(Re: your criteria, there is another person involved, though it's not clearly a breakup or affair song.)
posted by Beardman at 6:40 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Brother Ali's Prince Charming starts off sweet and then...
posted by OLechat at 7:48 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by OLechat at 7:48 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Imogen Heap drops a stalkerish vibe into an otherwise innocuous song: Say Goodnight and Go
posted by LN at 7:59 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by LN at 7:59 AM on March 25, 2011
(lyrics because it takes 4 minutes to get to the vocal)
I've been alone, for too long,posted by empath at 8:03 AM on March 25, 2011
To be burned by this now.
If i can keep, you here with me,
I will live somehow.
I'll tell you, when you run away,
I'll save you.
I'll break you, when you fall away,
I'll kill you.
Deliah's Gone by Johnny Cash and Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix are both about dudes who murdered their unfaithful lovers.
The Ten Commandments by Prince Buster is a dude laying out the "rules" for his woman.
posted by electroboy at 8:23 AM on March 25, 2011
The Ten Commandments by Prince Buster is a dude laying out the "rules" for his woman.
posted by electroboy at 8:23 AM on March 25, 2011
"Hey Joe", which is an old standard done by tons of people, including Hendrix.
"Everything You Did"--Steely Dan
"If You Leave Me Now"--Chicago
posted by luckynerd at 9:07 AM on March 25, 2011
"Everything You Did"--Steely Dan
"If You Leave Me Now"--Chicago
posted by luckynerd at 9:07 AM on March 25, 2011
Slayer - 213 (Lyrics)
Complete control of a prized possession
To touch and fondle with no objection
Lonely souls, an emptiness fullfilled
Physical pleasure and addictive thrill
It's about killing (and eating) someone so that they can never leave!
posted by ignignokt at 9:34 AM on March 25, 2011
Complete control of a prized possession
To touch and fondle with no objection
Lonely souls, an emptiness fullfilled
Physical pleasure and addictive thrill
It's about killing (and eating) someone so that they can never leave!
posted by ignignokt at 9:34 AM on March 25, 2011
"You Are My Sunshine" as sung in "O Brother Where Art Thou" is creeping threatening.
posted by purenitrous at 10:26 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by purenitrous at 10:26 AM on March 25, 2011
Tila Tequila, I Love U. Just listen to the first 20 seconds.
(I AIN'T GOT NO SHAME)
posted by granted at 10:57 AM on March 25, 2011
(I AIN'T GOT NO SHAME)
posted by granted at 10:57 AM on March 25, 2011
The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get - Morrissey
posted by SisterHavana at 11:44 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by SisterHavana at 11:44 AM on March 25, 2011
Jonathan Coulton -- Skullcrusher Mountain. "Maybe you could cut me just a little slack/Would it kill you to be civil?/I’ve been patient, I’ve been gracious/And this mountain is covered with wolves/Hear them howling, my hungry children/Maybe you should stay and have another drink and think about me and you..."
posted by anaelith at 2:07 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by anaelith at 2:07 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting for You" is so creepy that I once used it as intro music for a staged reading of a passionate hate letter.
posted by millipede at 3:47 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by millipede at 3:47 PM on March 25, 2011
'Keep on Runnin' is the original bring-me-a-restraining-order ditty.
posted by genghis at 5:52 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by genghis at 5:52 PM on March 25, 2011
Slightly on a tangent, Passenger's song "Walk You Home" (unimaginatively renamed "Night Vision Binoculars" for the American release) is stalkeriffically creepy. But it is so damn poppy and catchy! Oog.
The Beautiful South song "Woman in the Wall" is creepy as fuck. I didn't actually re-listen to it, just enough to make sure it was the right track.
posted by Lexica at 7:13 PM on March 25, 2011
The Beautiful South song "Woman in the Wall" is creepy as fuck. I didn't actually re-listen to it, just enough to make sure it was the right track.
posted by Lexica at 7:13 PM on March 25, 2011
Barenaked Ladies' "Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank" is about a farmer who stalked Anne Murray.
posted by themissy at 3:06 PM on March 26, 2011
posted by themissy at 3:06 PM on March 26, 2011
Stone Temple Pilots' "Sour Girl" and Foo Fighters' "Walking After You" both have that "Every Breath You Take" vibe... Sounds wistfully romantic, but it actually isn't.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 11:38 PM on March 27, 2011
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 11:38 PM on March 27, 2011
How did I not think of this one earlier? Daniel Lanois - "The Collection of Marie Claire" (lyrics here, rough translation here)
posted by Lexica at 7:01 PM on March 29, 2011
posted by Lexica at 7:01 PM on March 29, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Rhaomi at 11:24 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]