# Most Depressing Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014 "2008-01-25T21:01:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/141 "2008-01-30T09:42:21Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff] **Forever Autumn** by _Jeff Wayne_ from _The War of the Worlds_ [/QUOTE] I didn’t realize that I’ve been aware of that song for THIRTY FREAKIN’ YEARS! I finally YouTube’d it today & was stunned that I recognized it from the late 1970’s but had no idea it came from WOTW & was sung by Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues (and I’ve been an MB fan for years)! ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/142 "2008-01-30T16:03:19Z")
[QUOTE=Jophiel] Nodding in acceptance to many songs here, my own addition is Sufjan Stevens’ [Casimir Pulaski Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGEMx3TKxNc). [/QUOTE] Jesus Christ, I think you win the thread. That’s a hell of a song, though. I had to buy it on Itunes. I’d also say the Cure’s [Same Deep Water as You.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yf6ieFJ32M) Can’t find a youtube link, but Ralph Stanley’s “Body and Soul.” I’m pretty sure the lyrics are public domain, as are most traditional bluegrass lyrics: See that train coming round the bend, Carrying the one that I love Her beautiful body is still here on earth, But her soul has been called up above Body and Soul, Body and Soul, That’s how she loved me, with Body and Soul Her beautiful hair was the purest of gold, Her eyes were as blue as the sea, Her lips were the color of summer’s red rose, And she promised she would always love me Tomorrow as the sun sinks low The shadows will cover her face As her last sun goes down, she’s laid beneath the ground And my teardrops are falling like rain ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/143 "2008-01-30T16:08:39Z")
I’ll go with “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone.” Every time I hear it, i think, “Dude, if you want to go ahead and kill yourself so as not to bother everyone else, that would be great.” ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/144 "2008-01-30T16:22:35Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] I’ll go with “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone.” Every time I hear it, i think, “Dude, if you want to go ahead and kill yourself so as not to bother everyone else, that would be great.” [/QUOTE] In a similar vein: How about “[Goodnight, Irene](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5888260899571974372&q=goodnight+irene&total=212&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1)”? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/145 "2008-01-30T17:28:33Z")
A few that turn on the waterworks for me are: Black Muddy River - Grateful Dead Looks Like Rain- Grateful Dead Angel of Montgomery - (especially when sung by Bonnie Raitt) Visions of Johanna- Bob Dylan I Can’t Make You Love Me- Bonnie Raitt Beloved Wife- Natalie Merchane Biko- Peter Gabriel Come Talk to Me -Peter Gabriel This Woman’s Work- Kate Bush Street’s Of Philadelphia- Bruce Springsteen April Come She Will- Simon and Garfunkel Danny Boy- sung by anyone She Moved Through the Fair- sung by anyone. That’s just a few. I’m quite emotional apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/146 "2008-01-30T20:02:11Z")
The best ones are taken so I’ll have to try something else. [I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqV8mpTfBHc) by Tom Waits is sad in the ‘your lonely and the bar is closing’ kinda way. My Ipod has a Hootie and the Blowfish cover and it’s even more sad. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/147 "2008-01-30T21:33:35Z")
The theme from Schindler’s List. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLK5OWU2YGw) ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/148 "2008-01-31T00:10:55Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] Just for the record, Gary Jules’ version is cover of the original tune, written by Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears; the song was a hit for that band in 1982. (I know, I know – prehistoric). [/QUOTE] Ah, I did not know that. Thanks, I’l have to look up the original! ---
**Author:** ![Tess\_Trueheart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Tess\_Trueheart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess_Trueheart)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/149 "2008-01-31T01:40:45Z")
[The Lighthouse’s Tale](http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Nickel-Creek/The-Lighthouse-s-Tale.html) by Nickel Creek. A lighthouse keeper loves a woman who is sailing back to him when her ship gets caught in a storm, and that’s just the beginning. \*And the waves crash around me. The sand slips out to sea, and the winds that blow remind me of what has been, and what can never be. \* ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/150 "2008-01-31T02:03:20Z")
Round here by the Counting crows is a pretty sad song… Dang, that Kermit song was something else though. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014/151 "2008-01-31T03:43:34Z")
I love these threads. Here are my votes: [Alice in Chains - Nutshell](http://youtube.com/watch?v=scCxx4fgJwA) [Alice in Chains - Dirt](http://youtube.com/watch?v=QAZcFVuSo0M) Here’s a sampling of Dirts lyrics: > [@](#): > > I Have Never Felt Such Frustration > Or Lack Of Self Control > I Want You To Kill Me > And Dig Me Under, I Wanna Live No More > > One Who Doesn’t Care Is One Who Shouldn’t Be > I’ve Tried To Hide Myself From What Is > Wrong For Me, For Me > > I Want To Taste Dirty, A Stinging Pistol > In My Mouth, On My Tongue > I Want You To Scrape Me From The Walls > And Go Crazy Like You’ve Made Me > > You, You Are So Special > You Have The Talent To > Make Me Feel Like Dirt > And You, You Use Your > Talent To Dig Me Under > And Cover Me With Dirt [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-song/435014.md?page=7)