Please recommend songs with sad/disturbing lyrics but a jaunty melody.
July 10, 2014 5:11 AM Subscribe
My favourite song about depression is Dog by Andy Bull. (Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult is another one that captures the kind of feeling I'm after.
I'm looking for other songs that have sad or disturbing lyrics with a really upbeat sound.
I'm looking for other songs that have sad or disturbing lyrics with a really upbeat sound.
Almost anything by The Beautiful South
posted by mattholomew at 5:28 AM on July 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by mattholomew at 5:28 AM on July 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
The entire career of Morrissey. Here's a great example.
posted by jbickers at 5:32 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jbickers at 5:32 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Elton John I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself.
Fastball The Way.
posted by The Deej at 5:41 AM on July 10, 2014
Fastball The Way.
posted by The Deej at 5:41 AM on July 10, 2014
The first song that came to mind is Ue o Muite Arukō by Kyu Sakamoto - the one that was racistly retitled to "Sukiyaki." Incredibly catchy and upbeat sounding, but sad lyrics.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 5:41 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 5:41 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
My Man by They Might Be Giants is a jaunty tune with seemingly goofy lyrics that eventually resolve into an extended metaphor for paralyzing spinal cord injury.
posted by psoas at 5:48 AM on July 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by psoas at 5:48 AM on July 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
A lot of Del Amitri.
posted by shallowcenter at 5:54 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by shallowcenter at 5:54 AM on July 10, 2014
"Please, Baby, Please" by David Bazan sounds upbeat, but it has pretty stark lyrics.
posted by schooley at 6:03 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by schooley at 6:03 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Last year's Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men is open to interpretation (I maintain it's about being in love with someone who's irretrievably mentally ill) but the horns and hey!s definitely mask something much darker.
posted by psoas at 6:12 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by psoas at 6:12 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
"Get a Room" by Jim O'Rourke: pleasant little indie riff, lyrics about a guy watching the lovers he's recently poisoned die.
posted by julthumbscrew at 6:12 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by julthumbscrew at 6:12 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
Mountain Goats
1. The Plague
And rivers will all turn to blood
Frogs will fall from the sky
And the plague will rage
La la la la
2. No Children
I am drowning
There is no sign of land
You are coming down with me
Hand in unlovable hand
And I hope you die
I hope we both die
posted by maya at 6:18 AM on July 10, 2014
1. The Plague
And rivers will all turn to blood
Frogs will fall from the sky
And the plague will rage
La la la la
2. No Children
I am drowning
There is no sign of land
You are coming down with me
Hand in unlovable hand
And I hope you die
I hope we both die
posted by maya at 6:18 AM on July 10, 2014
Lilly One-Ten-One-Forty™ by Dave's True Story.
posted by BostonTerrier at 6:24 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by BostonTerrier at 6:24 AM on July 10, 2014
Depending on how you interpret the lyrics, My Last Breath by Evanescence might fit.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:25 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by Thorzdad at 6:25 AM on July 10, 2014
"Out the Window" by the Violent Femmes is the most cheerful song about suicide by defenestration you'll ever hear.
"See You When You Get You Get Here" by Lisa Mitchell is a sweet and lovely little chat between a dead person and their living friend.
posted by Jilder at 6:30 AM on July 10, 2014
"See You When You Get You Get Here" by Lisa Mitchell is a sweet and lovely little chat between a dead person and their living friend.
posted by Jilder at 6:30 AM on July 10, 2014
I've always thought about The Clash - Train in Vain as you describe it.
posted by China Grover at 6:38 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by China Grover at 6:38 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Help by The Beatles
Pyscho Killer by The Talking Heads
Bad Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce
Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin
Teardrops by George Harrison
Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles
and I'm trying to come up with something from The Wall. Maybe "Young Lust" or "Run Like Hell". Or "Happiest Days of Our Lives" (has a disco beat) and "Another Brick in the Wall" --So much of this album.
posted by GrapeApiary at 6:38 AM on July 10, 2014
Pyscho Killer by The Talking Heads
Bad Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce
Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin
Teardrops by George Harrison
Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles
and I'm trying to come up with something from The Wall. Maybe "Young Lust" or "Run Like Hell". Or "Happiest Days of Our Lives" (has a disco beat) and "Another Brick in the Wall" --So much of this album.
posted by GrapeApiary at 6:38 AM on July 10, 2014
Strangelove: The Greatest Show on Earth (yt), lyrics
posted by orthicon halo at 6:40 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Mary Poppins killed a dream today / Locked it up and threw the key away / It was a very old and dusty dream / Everybody knows - There's no time for happiness todayA bit of a slow start, but the jaunty melody kicks in at :14.
posted by orthicon halo at 6:40 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
GrapeApiary's mention of Bad Bad Leroy Brown made me think of Copacabana - a song of young love, resulting in depression and alcoholism. [Trigger Warning - Disco]
posted by China Grover at 6:41 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by China Grover at 6:41 AM on July 10, 2014
Oh and Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival? I never really noticed the lyrics till this cover by Rasputina came to my attention.
I HOPE YOU ARE QUITE PREPARED TO DIE.
posted by Jilder at 6:42 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
I HOPE YOU ARE QUITE PREPARED TO DIE.
posted by Jilder at 6:42 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
You got one They Might Be Giants song above, but there are a ton of others that also fit the bill:
Dead
I Palindrome I
Turn Around
They'll Need a Crane
Spiralling Shape
posted by ActionPopulated at 6:46 AM on July 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
Dead
I Palindrome I
Turn Around
They'll Need a Crane
Spiralling Shape
posted by ActionPopulated at 6:46 AM on July 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
Ween, too, but someone more familiar with them might have a better take. I don't really know any deep cuts.
Ween - Zoloft
Ween - Push Th' Little Daisies
posted by GrapeApiary at 6:51 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Ween - Zoloft
Ween - Push Th' Little Daisies
posted by GrapeApiary at 6:51 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind
Pepper by Butthhole Surfers
I Don't Wanna Grow Up by Tom Waits
Belle and Sebastian seem to specialize in this. Try The Boy with the Arab Strap, A Century of Fakers, or I'm a Cuckoo
posted by Redstart at 7:09 AM on July 10, 2014
Pepper by Butthhole Surfers
I Don't Wanna Grow Up by Tom Waits
Belle and Sebastian seem to specialize in this. Try The Boy with the Arab Strap, A Century of Fakers, or I'm a Cuckoo
posted by Redstart at 7:09 AM on July 10, 2014
Definitely Morrisey and The Cure for sure.
Surprised nobody yet mentioned New Order.
Also, Less Than Jake's Hello Rockview might be the most depressing album of all time.
posted by General Malaise at 7:13 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
Surprised nobody yet mentioned New Order.
Also, Less Than Jake's Hello Rockview might be the most depressing album of all time.
posted by General Malaise at 7:13 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
Excitable Boy by Warren Zevon is a classic of the genre.
posted by alms at 7:16 AM on July 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by alms at 7:16 AM on July 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
the Mountain Goats have plenty of these, some of which have already been mentioned, but I think Dance Music is a good example (lyrics are about JD's abusive stepfather and his own arrest for heroin possession).
posted by dismas at 7:22 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by dismas at 7:22 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
Jonathan Coulton - ShopVac. Quite a few of his have the jaunty tune/disturbing lyrics split.
posted by crocomancer at 7:24 AM on July 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by crocomancer at 7:24 AM on July 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
J Roddy Walston and the Business, "Don't Break the Needle".
Marah, "Round-Eye Blues".
The Hold Steady's made a career of this, e.g., "Two-Handed Handshake", "Stevie Nix".
posted by yerfatma at 7:42 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Marah, "Round-Eye Blues".
The Hold Steady's made a career of this, e.g., "Two-Handed Handshake", "Stevie Nix".
posted by yerfatma at 7:42 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Replacements are also great for this.
posted by black_lizard at 7:48 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by black_lizard at 7:48 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
Tears for Fears' Mad World is much perkier than the cover you know from Donnie Darko.
posted by ChuraChura at 7:48 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by ChuraChura at 7:48 AM on July 10, 2014
I don't know if it's jaunty enough, but maybe Alone Again, Naturally?
posted by librarina at 7:52 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by librarina at 7:52 AM on July 10, 2014
Sufjan Stevens' Casimir Pulaski Day? A sweet tune about a girl who dies of cancer.
posted by Gilbert at 7:53 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Gilbert at 7:53 AM on July 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
So many Beatles songs ... "Getting Better" is about domestic violence. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is about a serial killer. "Run for Your Life" — threatening to commit murder.
"Art Snob Solutions" by Of Montreal is a very cheerful song about mass murder.
posted by John Cohen at 7:58 AM on July 10, 2014
"Art Snob Solutions" by Of Montreal is a very cheerful song about mass murder.
posted by John Cohen at 7:58 AM on July 10, 2014
Oh! Also Deep Red Bells by Neko Case is about the Green River Killer.
posted by librarina at 8:01 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by librarina at 8:01 AM on July 10, 2014
Another Of Montreal song (they have a lot of these): Old People in the Cemetery.
posted by John Cohen at 8:03 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by John Cohen at 8:03 AM on July 10, 2014
The song that popped immediately to mind is Beulah's A Good Man Is Easy to Kill from The Coast Is Never Clear, but really Beulah generally has a lot of this--the lyrics get more... existential with each successive album, I think.
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 8:18 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 8:18 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
For me the gold standard of happy fun music with lyrics of alienation and despair is most anything by Fastbacks
posted by whuppy at 8:38 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by whuppy at 8:38 AM on July 10, 2014
Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 8:52 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 8:52 AM on July 10, 2014
Charles Guiteau is about the execution of president Garfield's assassin, but it you ignore the lyrics it's a pretty peppy tune, so much so that I've heard that a couple requested it as a dance tune for their wedding.
posted by SandiBeech at 8:57 AM on July 10, 2014
posted by SandiBeech at 8:57 AM on July 10, 2014
In fact, a lot of Springsteen may fit the bill - Songs like Badlands, Backstreets, Dancing in the Dark, Glory Days.
Also, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 9:00 AM on July 10, 2014
Also, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 9:00 AM on July 10, 2014
Let's Get Lost by Elliott Smith.
Also, Memory Lane by Elliott Smith.
The music sounds happy but the lyrics are lonely and isolated. I always thought it sounded like he had accepted that his life was just lonely and depressed. And it isn't put on because dude killed himself not too long after these songs. Almost all his songs are about being depressed, but usually sound sad. Both of those songs were on the album he was working on when he died. Because he died while making the album, these two songs aren't full instrumentals or anything. You may enjoy his more polished songs more, like Miss Misery or Between The Bars from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:20 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also, Memory Lane by Elliott Smith.
The music sounds happy but the lyrics are lonely and isolated. I always thought it sounded like he had accepted that his life was just lonely and depressed. And it isn't put on because dude killed himself not too long after these songs. Almost all his songs are about being depressed, but usually sound sad. Both of those songs were on the album he was working on when he died. Because he died while making the album, these two songs aren't full instrumentals or anything. You may enjoy his more polished songs more, like Miss Misery or Between The Bars from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:20 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Genocide Ball by The Robot Ate Me
Warning- the video is disturbing!
posted by fourpotatoes at 10:53 AM on July 10, 2014
Warning- the video is disturbing!
posted by fourpotatoes at 10:53 AM on July 10, 2014
Oasis by Amanda Palmer. It's the story of a teenager's rape and abortion set to a jaunty pop melody.
posted by Sullenbode at 10:55 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Sullenbode at 10:55 AM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's a pretty good rule of thumb that the prettier a Wire melody, the more disturbing the lyrics. Case in point: French Film Blurred.
posted by Sonny Jim at 12:29 PM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Sonny Jim at 12:29 PM on July 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Safe and Sound by Electric President is a very cheerful song about a terminal diagnosis!
posted by Middlemarch at 12:50 PM on July 10, 2014
posted by Middlemarch at 12:50 PM on July 10, 2014
Bye, bye, love, by the Everly Bros. The lyrics aren't really disturbing, but the are at odds with the lively tune.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:28 PM on July 10, 2014
posted by SemiSalt at 1:28 PM on July 10, 2014
The title song for Pretty Little Liars (hey, we all deserve a guilty pleasure!), which Wikipedia tells me is "Secret" by The Pierces.
"'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead."
My now disbanded favourite Japanese band, Garnet Crow, was also pretty good at packing potentially depressing thoughts into upbeat music.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 2:21 PM on July 10, 2014
"'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead."
My now disbanded favourite Japanese band, Garnet Crow, was also pretty good at packing potentially depressing thoughts into upbeat music.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 2:21 PM on July 10, 2014
I came to recommend many of David Bazan's songs, but "Please, Baby, Please" as mentioned above is the immediate choice.
posted by tacodave at 4:02 PM on July 10, 2014
posted by tacodave at 4:02 PM on July 10, 2014
My Name is Death by Red Wanting Blue fills the bill nicely.
posted by kate4914 at 7:16 PM on July 10, 2014
posted by kate4914 at 7:16 PM on July 10, 2014
Goddamn Right (It's a Beautiful Day) by the Eels.
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 5:34 AM on July 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 5:34 AM on July 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Queen of Denmark by John Grant, who is astonishingly talented.
posted by metasav at 7:11 PM on July 11, 2014
posted by metasav at 7:11 PM on July 11, 2014
Ooh, one more! In the "surprisingly, parody can be horrifying" genre I submit: We're Not Young.
posted by psoas at 7:27 AM on July 20, 2014
posted by psoas at 7:27 AM on July 20, 2014
Stars, and Neko Case.
Start with: Dead Hearts, or Personal (Stars) and This Tornado Loves You (Neko Case).
posted by ontheradio at 5:49 AM on August 1, 2014
Start with: Dead Hearts, or Personal (Stars) and This Tornado Loves You (Neko Case).
posted by ontheradio at 5:49 AM on August 1, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cincinnatus c at 5:20 AM on July 10, 2014 [5 favorites]