# Let's kill people, music-like! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169 "2005-05-10T03:04:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/1 "2005-05-10T03:04:34Z")
I’m trying to compile a list (I do this a lot, by the way. Categorize music by themes, etc.). Songs where the singer is murdering the listener, or confessing to the listener about killing someone else. For example: 1. “Via Chicago” by Wilco. “I dreamed about killing you again last night, and it felt alright to me.” 2. “Underwater Love” by Faith No More. “Liquid seeps into your lungs but your eyes look so serene.” 3. “You’re All I Need” by Motley Crue. “But killing you helped me keep you home.” 4. “Country Death Song” by Violent Femmes. “I through my child into a bottomless pit.” I’m sure there’s a whole subculture of “death metal” dedicated to this very topic. Care to add to my list? ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/2 "2005-05-10T03:20:38Z")
Not death metal, but “Kim” is a song about Eminem killing his wife. The first time I heard it was late at night, I couldn’t sleep for hours. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/3 "2005-05-10T03:34:32Z")
“Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash, of course. “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.” ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/4 "2005-05-10T03:36:29Z")
In the duet “Henry Lee” by Nick Cave and P.J. Harvey, she’s singing about seducing and murdering him. In fact, Nick Cave has an entire album called _Murder Ballads_, devoted to this very subject. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/5 "2005-05-10T03:46:51Z")
“I Can’t Stop Killing You,” by Kirstie McCall. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/6 "2005-05-10T04:30:26Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > In the duet “Henry Lee” by Nick Cave and P.J. Harvey, she’s singing about seducing and murdering him. In fact, Nick Cave has an entire album called _Murder Ballads_, devoted to this very subject. For that matter there’s also P.J. Harvey’s “Down by the Water”. Maybe those two should get married and have kids… Ok, maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/7 "2005-05-10T04:31:35Z")
Roberta Flack Killing me softly with his song ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/8 "2005-05-10T04:34:35Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I’m sure there’s a whole subculture of “death metal” dedicated to this very topic. Whatever it is, it’s not actual death metal, which (IME) very rarely addresses such subjects. The name comes from an old Possessed song, “Death Metal”, which, while it certainly employs violent imagery, doesn’t match what you seem to have in mind. In fact, I’m having a hard time thinking of examples. ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/9 "2005-05-10T04:37:09Z")
“Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks. So long to an abuser… ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/10 "2005-05-10T05:00:44Z")
“Cell Block Tango” from the musical _Chicago_. Among other references, “I fired two warning shots…into his head.” ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/11 "2005-05-10T05:07:26Z")
And of course “Possum Kingdom” [http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/toadies/possumkingdom.html](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/toadies/possumkingdom.html) ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/12 "2005-05-10T05:07:57Z")
Girlfriend in a Coma, by The Smiths. He wasn’t entirely successful, but he tried. That’s my interpretation, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/13 "2005-05-10T05:26:33Z")
“Used to Love Her” – Guns N’ Roses ``` *I had to put her...six feet under And I can still hear her complain* ``` “Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots was about a murder, but it was not clear (to me) if the singer was the killer. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/14 "2005-05-10T05:27:49Z")
Whee! I’ve got half an album! The last four songs on “Raise Your Fist And Yell” by Alice Cooper. It starts off with “Time To Kill” where he talks about being in jail and how he’s run out of patience and only has time to kill. Next comes “Chop Chop Chop”. Our boy is on the streets and happily killing his ex, Gail. Again and again and again… At any rate, they all look like her. The next song is dedicated to Gail, herself. She’s been, um, disposed of. It’s way over the top =- all horror movie organ music and creepy lyrics. “The bugs serve time in her skeletal jail” - yech! The last song is the creepiest, even though it’s a fast rocker. “Roses On White Lace.” The “roses” would, of course, be drops of blood. _Very_creepy lyrics. _I took your evil skin away It’s all cut and dried_ and _I saw you last night And carefully took your hand With these smears on my face I knew that you’d understand…_ Not a guy that you’d wanna piss off! ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/15 "2005-05-10T05:50:27Z")
In the penultimate scene of _Don Giovanni_, the protagonist is dragged into Hell while he and a statue sing my favorite bit of the opera. Not sure if that counts as being killed, but it’s pretty close. The refrain to Elvis Costello’s “Alison” goes, _My aim is true_. Disturbed’s “The Game” ends so: _The little bitch she went and she told A LIE And now she will never tell another A LIE the little bitch she went and told A LIE NEVER FUCKING LIE TO ME!_ On a related note, “Gloomy Sunday”, though not actually about killing or suicide, is said to be so depressing that it prompted a whole bunch of people off themselves. [Cite](http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/gloomy.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/16 "2005-05-10T06:14:55Z")
Green Day’s “Having a Blast”. “_Well no one here is getting out alive This time I’ve really lost my mind and I don’t care So close your eyes And kiss yourself goodbye And think about the times you spent and what they’ve meant To me it’s nothing_” ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/17 "2005-05-10T06:20:14Z")
Also by Disturbed (same album, even): _Voices_: “Someone is gonna die when you listen to me / Let the living die” _Down With The Sickness_: There’s a bit in the middle where the singer is going off on his abusive mother, ending with, “Get ready to DIE!” _Conflict_: “Enemy, enemy, I must eliminate my enemy” I also like a cheesy heavy metal band called Manowar. Almost all of their songs are about combat and battle, so there is a lot of violent bloodshed being described in their songs. An example, from the song _Hatred_: I taste your blood as it showers from my blade I eat your heart - from evil it was made… I crush your bones, I kill your face I rip your flesh, I end the chase You meet with terror, you draw the ace I rule the world and the rats that race ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/18 "2005-05-10T08:28:31Z")
Gravity Kills- **Guilty** Hey Hey Hey I’m guilty and you’re guilty too Hey Hey Hey Hey One and one and one makes three One and one why don’t you see I’m killing you, you’re killing me ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/19 "2005-05-10T08:41:20Z")
The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia by Vicki Lawrence. “Little sister don’t miss when she aims her gun”. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169/20 "2005-05-10T09:03:00Z")
Yeah, I was gonna say “Alison” by Elvis Costello, but I got beaten to the punch. I’ll toss in a couple of my favorites: “Diane” by Husker Du (first verse: “Hey little girl, do you need a ride?/I’ve got room in my wagon, why don’t you hop inside/We could cruise down Robert Street all night long/But I think I’ll just rape you and kill you instead”). And “A Good Idea” by Sugar, about a guy drowning his girlfriend in the river. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-kill-people-music-like/303169.md?page=2)