Musical interlude: Woman going off the rails.

March 29, 2016 6:56 PM

I love songs that feature the female singers going "off the rails" in response to the pain in their lives. Drugs, sex, alcohol! Help me find more songs to rock featuring a woman letting go/losing it to music. Bonus points if they have a music video.

Recent examples include:

Sia - Chandelier

Florence & the Machine - Lover to Lover

Tove Lo - Habits (Stay High)

Icona Pop - I don't care.

posted by BusyBusyBusy to Media & Arts (27 answers total)

Janis Joplin!
posted by rhizome at 7:01 PM on March 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

"He pushed me 'round
now I'm drawin' the line
He lived his life
now I'm gonna go live mine
I'm sick of wastin' my time
Well now I've been good for way too long
Found my red dress and I'm gonna throw it on
'Bout to get too far gone..."

--Dixie Chicks, "Sin Wagon"
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:02 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Back to black by Amy Winehouse
posted by askmehow at 7:13 PM on March 29, 2016

The song that put me onto the very exquisite Shilpa Ray: Erotolepsy. The vocal performance on the album version is more powerful in my opinion, but it is so fun to watch this band do their thing.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 7:18 PM on March 29, 2016

Concrete Blonde 100 Games of Solitaire, (Live performance video)
posted by monopas at 7:23 PM on March 29, 2016

Amy Winehouse: Rehab

Brandy Clark: Get High
posted by ActionPopulated at 7:24 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

https://youtu.be/ajoI8X8Ys94

Miranda Lambert -'gunpowder and lead'
posted by irish01 at 7:50 PM on March 29, 2016

Dresden Dolls!
posted by zinful at 7:52 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Miranda Lambert's great for this.

My Mama's Broken Heart

Kerosene
posted by woodvine at 7:53 PM on March 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

Pink - So What
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:56 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh, and how did I forget Before He Cheats?
posted by ActionPopulated at 7:57 PM on March 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

Tracy Bonham Mother Mother
posted by Sebmojo at 7:59 PM on March 29, 2016

Ida Maria, Oh My God - the whole album is gold!
posted by lumensimus at 9:23 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Peaches - Fuck Away the Pain.
posted by cairnoflore at 9:55 PM on March 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

Amanda Palmer - Runs in the Family
posted by erst at 10:04 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad
posted by intensitymultiply at 10:59 PM on March 29, 2016

Be Good Tanyas - Light Enough to Travel

Olenka and the Autumn Lovers - Flash in the Pan

K's Choice - Not An Addict
posted by little eiffel at 11:42 PM on March 29, 2016

The Janis Joplin track I was thinking of myself is Kozmic Blues - here live.
PJ Harvey - Sheela Na Gig
posted by rongorongo at 1:31 AM on March 30, 2016

Cold in Berlin - Take Control

She Keeps Bees - See Me
posted by fourpotatoes at 2:17 AM on March 30, 2016

For a country edge, I like Mama's Broken Heart.
posted by celtalitha at 2:36 AM on March 30, 2016 [1 favorite]

Girlschool - Hellrazor
Deap Vally - Bad For My Body
posted by misteraitch at 3:29 AM on March 30, 2016

Emmylou Harris - Deeper Well

Also, Lucinda Williams live at the Fillmore often has that haunting vibe of "You abandoned me far from home so I'm gonna git real drunk alone in this cheap motel room and feel sorry for myself".
posted by ovvl at 7:49 AM on March 30, 2016

Liz Phair- Fuck and Run
posted by serenity_now at 8:36 AM on March 30, 2016

KATHLEEN EDWARDS Back to me
posted by Gor-ella at 10:06 AM on March 30, 2016

Birdcloud.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:23 AM on March 30, 2016

Mary Gauthier, I Drink

Warning will pretty much break your heart
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:01 PM on March 30, 2016 [1 favorite]

There's no shortage of Gwen Stefani going off the rails in response to pain in her life, but Excuse Me Mr. is a personal favorite.
posted by thebots at 1:02 AM on March 31, 2016