# Last Kiss- Explain this song's popularity to me. Please! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-kiss-explain-this-songs-popularity-to-me-please/226664 "2004-01-29T23:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-kiss-explain-this-songs-popularity-to-me-please/226664/41 "2004-01-31T09:26:19Z")
Here’s a few from my CD collection you might be interested in: –“Sweet Thing” by Van Morrison –“Astral Weeks” by Van Morrison –“Misguided Angel” by The Cowboy Junkies ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-kiss-explain-this-songs-popularity-to-me-please/226664/42 "2004-01-31T09:27:31Z")
:smack: Please ignore that last entry. It belonged in the “Prettiest Songs” Thread. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-kiss-explain-this-songs-popularity-to-me-please/226664/43 "2004-01-31T11:03:54Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned _El Paso_ yet; as far as I know, the only story song in which the narrator is singing from beyond the grave. Another one is _Long Black Veil_. It’s been recorded by lots of people; I’m most familiar with The Band’s version: > [@](#): > > She walks these hills in a long black veil > She visits my grave when the night winds wail ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-kiss-explain-this-songs-popularity-to-me-please/226664/44 "2004-01-31T14:02:26Z")
Dickie Lee of “Patches” fame also recorded a song called “Laurie,” where Laurie is already dead when he meets her. Weird guy, but my older sister the lesbian loved him. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-kiss-explain-this-songs-popularity-to-me-please/226664/45 "2004-01-31T14:15:03Z")
Included in those death songs is ‘Mack the Knife’ Copa Cobana - Classic death song - with mental illness included just to cheer things up! Slaughter on 10th Avenue. Knocking on heavens door. Bright eyes. Big Bad John. Miss Otis regrets (that she’s unable to lunch today) [http://www.lyrics007.com/Cab%20Calloway%20Lyrics/Miss%20Otis%20Regrets%20(She’s%20Unable%20to%20Lunch%20Today)%20Lyrics.html](http://www.lyrics007.com/Cab%20Calloway%20Lyrics/Miss%20Otis%20Regrets%20(She's%20Unable%20to%20Lunch%20Today)%20Lyrics.html) There have been deathy songs for centuries try Matty Groves, [http://arthsoc.drruss.net/matty.html](http://arthsoc.drruss.net/matty.html) Which is a traditional folk song I remember this song as an answer to all that [http://www.lyricsxp.com/lyrics/l/let\_s\_think\_about\_living\_bob\_luman.html](http://www.lyricsxp.com/lyrics/l/let_s_think_about_living_bob_luman.html) ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-kiss-explain-this-songs-popularity-to-me-please/226664/46 "2004-01-31T18:29:57Z")
A death song well worth mentioning is **“Billy and Sue” by BJ Thomas**. (Please do not _ **ever** _ confuse this with “Billy Don’t Be A Hero”). “Billy and Sue” (released in 1966) is a rather good song and it doesn’t go overboard in the sentimental nor the morbid ‘departments’. In a nutshell, Billy and Sue were sweethearts since they were kids. Billy gets drafted and sent to Vietnam. Eventually, Billy gets a ‘Dear John’ letter and almost immediately gets killed. This song _ **rarely** _ heard nowadays is definitely one of the better “death” songs of all time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-kiss-explain-this-songs-popularity-to-me-please/226664.md?page=2)