Jumpers - Sleater-Kinney (specifically about the Golden Gate Bridge.)
Oops. Sorry, Quadrophenia is aimed at a teenage milieu. :smack:
For 50-something, how about Sinatra’s No One Cares or September of My Years or Pete Townshend’s Empty Glass?
Don’t Fear the Reaper - the band says it’s not about suicide
Suicide Chump by Frank Zappa (suicide)
Solitude by Black Sabbath (depression)
Kill Yourself by M.O.D. (suicide)
Fade To Black by Metallica (depression and suicide)
“Maggie” by Colin Hay
“Goodbye Cruel World” - Pink Floyd (or the whole The Wall album really)
“Jumper” - Third Eye Blind
Of course there’s always Judas Priest’s cover of Spooky Tooth’s “Better by You, Better than Me” which was the subject of the infamous lawsuit.
After re-reading the OP, while not in the 1st person POV, “Jumper” by Third Eye Blind is closer to what they are looking for.
From Wiki…
Pinch Me - Bare Naked Ladies
This song and the following lyrics in particular perfectly summed up the nothingness of depression that I was feeling at the time, and how I still feel when it takes hold.
It’s like a dream you try to remember
But it’s gone
Then you try to scream
But it only comes out as a yawn
“Flirted with You All My Life” by Cowboy Junkies is a first person account of life-long ambivalence about committing suicide. It starts out in such a way that upon the first listen you think it’s your typical boy/girl love song, then it becomes clear the singer is talking about death. Really brilliantly written. Vic Chestnutt, who wrote the song, is worth googling.
“The Final Cut” by Pink Floyd deals with themes of depression, difficulty opening up to others/anticipating being abandoned or taken advantage of, and suicidal contemplation.
Also consider:
“What Deaner Was Talking About,” and “If You Could Save Yourself (You’d Save Us All),” both by Ween.
“Beware of Darkness,” George Harrison.
“Good Feeling,” Violent Femmes.
Tori Amos. Marianne.
“Whiskey Lullabye” by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss
“Teenage Suicide, Don’t Do It!” by Big Fun
“Jeremy” by Pearl Jam
“If You Don’t Love Me (I’ll Kill Myself)” by Pete Droge–This song marked the end of the mourning period for Kurt Cobain
Suicide Solution - Judas Priest
Uncle Frank -Drive-By Truckers Uncle Frank hangs himself, leaving no note.
Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”
Wait.
That was an *actual *song by and *actual *band?
I thought it was just a cynical joke for the movie.
Under the bridge - Red hot chill peppers
Meet on the ledge - Fairport Convention
Mind you, I could have chosen a few dozen Richard Thompson songs, not for nothing did they call him the doom watcher
You can’t win - Richard Thompson
When No-one cares - Frank Sinatra - this is a pretty heart breaking song
Alone again, naturally - Gilbert O’Sullivan
“One More Suicide”-Marcy Playground
“Like Suicide”-Soundgarden“Fell On Black Days”-Soundgarden
“Lookout Mountain” - Drive-By Truckers
This was playing on Pandora as I scrolled to your post!!
In 1933, Hungarian composer Rezso Seress wrote a little ditty called Sad Sunday, that included the lyrics “the world is ending.” A poet named Laszlo Javor wrote even more depressing lyrics about the death of a lover. Three years later, Sam M. Lewis, better known for writing songs like I’m Sitting on Top of the World and Rock-a-bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody, translated the lyrics into English and turned them up to 11, with a new version where the singer was planning to follow the lover. That version, called Gloomy Sunday, has been recordeda lot over the years.
Otherside—Red Hot Chile Peppers
How long, how long will I slide?
Separate my side
I don’t, I don’t believe it’s bad
Slittin’ my throat, it’s all I ever
I heard your voice through a photograph
I thought it up, it brought up the past
Once you know you can never go back
I’ve got to take it on the otherside