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Depressing sounding songs
- Thread starter Don CT
- Start date
Tons of them, and yes, there are people who are depressed (though I don't believe you have to be depressed to like a particular song).
Most depressing that isn't syrupy: He Stopped Loving Her Today-George Jones.
Seasons in The Sun - Terry Jacks
Run Joey Run - David Geddes
The Freshmen - Verve Pipe
Brick - Ben Folds Five
Slide - The Goo Goo Dolls
The last three are all from the late 90's and deal with the same subject matter (Slide is a little bit more upbeat than the other two, which are just downright depressing).
Because it was unusually long for a radio single and an unusually dynamic recording, and based on a classical melody -- just like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" which had been released two months prior.
Both were something different and more artistic than what people had come to expect from Rock music.
Ronnie Milsap, "Nobody Likes Sad Songs." So, please, end this thread! 
“The Blind Man in the Bleachers” by Kenny Starr
“Everybody Hurts” by REM
”Please Daddy Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas” by Alan Jackson
“Where Do I Put Her Memory“ by Charley Pride
”I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie
“Everybody Hurts” by REM
”Please Daddy Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas” by Alan Jackson
“Where Do I Put Her Memory“ by Charley Pride
”I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie
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Depressing sounding songs are a nice change of pace to non-stop "up" hits. The weird thing is how it seems there are periods of time where there are a lot clumped together and times when they are not. The early '80s had a lot, then a period where there wasn't. 2017-2020 had a lot and now not so much. The early '10s didn't have much, but the '00s did. It might be better if they were more "mixed in."
I have never seen anyone write those words before.
I have also never seen a phrase that goes with an avatar quite so well.
"Sam Stone" by John Prine is about as bleak as anything.
The line "There's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the money goes" is quite grim. "Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose " is another great line in that powerful song...
The mention of Alan Jackson's Please Daddy Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas Made me think of another one, Mama, Daddy Please Don't Steal for Us This Christmas.
And I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the worst one of all, at least in my view: Feelings by Morris Albert. 🤮
And I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the worst one of all, at least in my view: Feelings by Morris Albert. 🤮
Are you familiar with the original? The following was performed by the composer himself.
I’m thinking of lyric from “All You Get From Love is a Love Song” -
“And now the tears in my eyes are ever blinding
The future that lies before me I cannot see
Although tomorrow I know the sun is rising
Lighting up the world for everyone, but not for me
Oh it's a dirty old shame
When all you get from love is a love song
That's got you layin' up nights just waitin'
For the music to start
It's such a dirty old shame when you got to
Take the blame for a love song
Because the best love songs are written
With a broken heart”
“And now the tears in my eyes are ever blinding
The future that lies before me I cannot see
Although tomorrow I know the sun is rising
Lighting up the world for everyone, but not for me
Oh it's a dirty old shame
When all you get from love is a love song
That's got you layin' up nights just waitin'
For the music to start
It's such a dirty old shame when you got to
Take the blame for a love song
Because the best love songs are written
With a broken heart”
....which might be depressing if Richard Carpenter hadn't produced and arranged it (especially the chorus, and especially the last one) like it was a toothpaste jingle:
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For sure. I think radio is largely afraid to play most of these songs because some listeners strongly dislike negative songs. We played a bunch of them on the classic country station I worked for 20 years ago, but the 45+ audience of 1999 isn't today's audience.
A few suggestions for our list:
"Everything that Glitters Is Not Gold" - Dan Seals
-- Profiles a lost love, to the rodeo
"The Blizzard" - Jim Reeves
-- Profiles a lost love, to a blizzard (He was just 100 yards from Mary-Anne)
"Long Black Veil" - Lefty Frizzell (covers by Johnny Cash, Dave Matthews Band, and many others)
-- Profiles a lost love, to hanging
"Go Rest High on that Mountain" - Vince Gill
-- Profiles a lost love (a brother) to suicide
"Where've you Been" - Kathy Mattea
-- Profiles a lost love, to dementia
Another one, which is was not played on classic country:
"100 Years" - Five for Fighting
Wait, think about this for a second, and his other posts regarding musical taste.
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