# Most depressing songs that aren't about love? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301 "2003-04-26T11:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wristy\_McSlashalot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Wristy\_McSlashalot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wristy_McSlashalot)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/1 "2003-04-26T11:53:30Z")
I’m making a compilation CD, and I need some suggestions. I need some good, depressing songs that aren’t about love. I mean _really_ depressing. So far I have: Street Spirit - Radiohead Everybody Hurts - REM The End - The Doors All Apologies - Nirvana Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/2 "2003-04-26T12:37:58Z")
I think it’s gonna rain today - Tom Waits Will the cirle be unbroken - NGDB ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/3 "2003-04-26T12:43:55Z")
The first one that came to mind was “I Know It’s Over” by the Smiths. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/4 "2003-04-26T14:15:30Z")
‘Hard Time Killing Floor Blues’, Skip James, 1931. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/5 "2003-04-26T14:30:13Z")
The Beatles had some depressing ones - “She’s Leaving Home” and “Elenor Rigby” (sp?) come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_the_CC)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/6 "2003-04-26T15:04:36Z")
Alanis Morisette’s **Perfect** always got me. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/7 "2003-04-26T15:08:41Z")
CSN and Y’s _Four Dead In Ohio_ ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/8 "2003-04-26T15:13:28Z")
“Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve “Tears In Heaven” - Eric Clapton “The Living Years” - Mike & the Mechanics ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/9 "2003-04-26T15:21:25Z")
_Blessed_ , Simon and Garfunkel _Dress Rehearsal Rag_ , Leonard Cohen _Joshua Gone Barbados_ , numerous covers _Desolation Row_, Bob Dylan _Just Like Tom Thumb Blues_ , Bob Dylan ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/10 "2003-04-26T15:28:35Z")
Brick by Ben Folds Five ---
**Author:** ![qshapadooy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c67d28/32.png) [@qshapadooy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qshapadooy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/11 "2003-04-26T15:38:09Z")
[Bright Eyes - Padriac My Prince](http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=34481) [Eels - Manchild](http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=59664) [Catch 22 - As the Footsteps Die Out Forever](http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=6467) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/12 "2003-04-26T15:39:26Z")
“Father and Son” by Cat Stevens ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/13 "2003-04-26T15:39:32Z")
_Desperado_ by your choice of artists _Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father_ by Randy Newman _Percy’s Song_ by Bob Dylan ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/14 "2003-04-26T15:41:35Z")
Forgot one: _Change_ by Keb’ Mo’ ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/15 "2003-04-26T15:57:36Z")
“Losing It” by Rush ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/16 "2003-04-26T16:08:31Z")
_Cat’s in the Cradle_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/17 "2003-04-26T16:23:41Z")
Freiflug by Megaherz. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/18 "2003-04-26T16:28:47Z")
Just about any song from Joy Division’s albums _Unknown Pleasures_ and _Closer_. “Day of the Lords” in particular caused me to have a horrible nightmare. PiL’s songs “Phenagen” and “Under the House” from _Flowers of Romance_ are disturbing and just…well…weird. The song “Swan Lake” from PiL’s second album is about the death of John Lydon’s mother and he claimed he would get tears in his eyes when he sang it in concert. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/19 "2003-04-26T16:38:16Z")
The depressing hit of my youth that I remember best is Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy”. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301/20 "2003-04-26T16:43:05Z")
“Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six” and “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” - the Pogues [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-depressing-songs-that-arent-about-love/171301.md?page=2)