# Looking for songs/music about depression & suicide. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049 "2015-12-10T05:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/21 "2015-12-10T14:52:02Z")
Two from Porcupine Tree: [The Sleep of No Dreaming](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbQGiMK5Qdw) > [@](#): > > At the age of sixteen I grew out of hope > Regarded the cosmos through a circle of rope… [Arriving Somewhere But Not Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3lsqUqGTzM) > [@](#): > > All my designs, simplified > And all of my plans, compromised > And all of my dreams, sacrificed ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/22 "2015-12-10T15:18:10Z")
I don’t know if this qualifies as a song, but whatever it is, it seems to be along the lines of what was asked for. [Current 93-- I have a Special Plan…"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxZpEFJhO6k) It is long but powerful and well worth the time investment. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/23 "2015-12-10T15:46:22Z")
Blue October’s “Hate Me” is a crushing song about alcohol addiction and depression. [Blue October - Hate Me - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDxgSvJINlU) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/24 "2015-12-10T15:53:27Z")
[At Seventeen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhFnOAwr96o), Janis Ian ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/25 "2015-12-10T16:09:18Z")
My favorite song for that topic, Will Oldham’s [I See A Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txn1MiqJct4), as sung by Johnny Cash and accompanied by the writer. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/26 "2015-12-10T16:55:41Z")
Not a first-person perspective of suicide or depression, but Crowded House’s “[Hole in the River](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUiyrKHIxAg)” tells a very emotional story of suicide from the point of a family member. This one has become all the more poignant to me since my aunty took her own life a few years ago. Hugs to you Foggy. I will also recommend a couple of more upbeat songs to balance it out: Foo Fighters - [These Days](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDVAQI-4lto) The Breeders - [Cannonball](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvkI9MTQw4) Also, you might enjoy reading the web comic “[A Kid with Experience](http://jessfink.com/kwe/)” whose author often talks about handling her own depression. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/27 "2015-12-10T16:59:04Z")
14 posts and no mention of Suicide Solution by Ozzy Osborne? Technically I think it’s about alcoholism, but that’s a close enough link to depression and suicide to count. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/28 "2015-12-10T17:00:38Z")
Thank you for your replies. I have to say its disappointing that there is nothing from the Muppets. I suspect that there is some serious darkness in Kermit. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/29 "2015-12-10T17:06:36Z")
I just wrote about this song in [The SDMB Music Appreciation Society](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=713881) thread: [Orange Goblin - Beginners Guide To Suicide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEEo-smePjc) ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/30 "2015-12-10T17:19:03Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > I have to say its disappointing that there is nothing from the Muppets. I suspect that there is some serious darkness in Kermit. > 😉 [It’s not Easy Being Green](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco). A cry for help if ever I heard one. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/31 "2015-12-10T17:22:41Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > Thank you for your replies. > I have to say its disappointing that there is nothing from the Muppets. How about Kermit’s cover version of [Hurt?](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=57ta7mkgrOU) ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/32 "2015-12-10T17:39:27Z")
Nirvana has a song called “I Hate Myself and Want to Die.” ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/33 "2015-12-10T17:43:27Z")
Matthew Sweet - [Someone to Pull the Trigger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yHLNf0bJlM) ---
**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:** [December 10, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/34 "2015-12-10T17:48:24Z")
This far into the thread and no one’s mentioned James Taylor’s [“Fire and Rain”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3uaXCJcRrE)? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/35 "2015-12-10T18:06:38Z")
_Jump, Jump, Jump_ by Rick Derringer ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/36 "2015-12-10T18:12:46Z")
[Sunday Morning, Coming Down](http://www.metrolyrics.com/sunday-morning-coming-down-lyrics-johnny-cash.html), Johnny Cash. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/37 "2015-12-10T18:16:13Z")
My suggestion, look into the genre called Doom. It’s a subgenre of metal, though there are plenty of artists on the light side of it, and it can go well into the brutal side too. As a rule, Doom tends to be atmospheric, tends to be slower than similar styles, and typically focuses on the dark topics, particularly grief, depression, death, etc. It’s hard to really make any sort of suggestions since I’m not sure what your taste is, but I can definitely recommend some of my favorite bands: Swallow the Sun, probably my favorite pure Doom band, and they vary from very heavy to closer to rock My Dying Bride, these guys are the OGs of Doom, they have some varied styles too, their softer stuff goes more into the gothic kind of sound Novembers Doom, more of an American Death Metal sound mixed in Katatonia, their older stuff is definitely Doom, newer stuff not as much, and they’ve gotten more into other subjects, but I absolutely adore this band Shape of Despair, classic Funeral Doom, very slow and very heavy and very depressing, just as you might expect Ahab, more solid Funeral Doom Draconian so I’d start there, and if one of those fits your druthers I can maybe suggest other similar stuff, or go down the rabbit hole with youtube recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/38 "2015-12-10T18:34:56Z")
The first one that popped-into my head was this gem from Josh Clayton-Felt. [“Deer In the Headlights”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AyaosU33eE). It’s about suicide, but it’s a somewhat sweet interpretation of it. Then there’s this tune from the same album. It doesn’t directly deal w/ depression, but tries to bring some light to a gloomy situation. [Backwards World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah-qqSUXm7M). I hope they lift your day a bit. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/39 "2015-12-10T19:54:22Z")
“Empty Garden” by Elton John is about the sadness of losing someone special, in this song’s case it’s John Lennon. I always interpreted “Take the long way home” by Supertramp to be about suicide. > [@](#): > > and when the day comes to settle down > who’s to blame if you’re not around > you took the long way home ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049/40 "2015-12-10T21:39:30Z")
You’re in luck. There’s an album by the Who called Quadrophenia. Most every song touches on depression (along with schizophrenia) and a song like “I’ve Had Enough” on suicide. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-songs-music-about-depression-suicide/740049.md?page=3)