# Music and Emotions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324 "2004-01-02T17:42:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/1 "2004-01-02T17:42:13Z")
why is it that sometimes when i’m depressed or just in a bad mood, listening to something that would normally put people in a bad mood (staind’s old stuff, stone sour, korn, etc.) makes me feel better? i know other people who are like this; so, no, i am not a freak. ---
**Author:** ![MFitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@MFitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MFitz)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/2 "2004-01-02T17:48:51Z")
Emotional outlet for bottled-up negative energy? Maybe not as effective as smashing something or balling like a baby, but stress-release nonetheless. MFitz ---
**Author:** ![Thylacinewas\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@Thylacinewas\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacinewas_taken)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/3 "2004-01-02T18:02:14Z")
I think it’s pretty much what MFitz said. Maybe the person singing is expressing what you feel, so you feel like you’re not alone in your problems. Maybe because the person singing is putting your emotions into better words (which I think is why people like love songs). Maybe the songs let you indulge in self pity. That’s why sometimes angry or depressing songs cheer me up! ---
**Author:** ![Inexplicable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@Inexplicable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inexplicable)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/4 "2004-01-02T19:06:02Z")
I am like that too. I am worse i guess but…i don’t really care anyway. Since it makes me feel better. It depends on everyone’s taste. It must be the words or the music beat. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/5 "2004-01-02T21:22:59Z")
On one occasion I was brought out of a depressed state by watching “The Godfather” for the first time. It’s a purging of the emotions. Aristotle called it a “catharsis” and said this was the purpose of a tragedy, his example being Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex”. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/6 "2004-01-02T23:08:20Z")
I think you’re embracing the emotion and allowing yourself to feel it fully. Once you’ve done that, you can finally let go of it, knowing that you’ve felt it and it doesn’t need to be felt anymore. Imagine trying to instantly pull yourself out of it with happy music. It would clash with your emotional status, and you’d just be mad at the person who was singing so happily. Or at least I would. Better to fill yourself with the emotion first, and then, as **rowrrbazzle** and Aristotle said, you can purge the emotion. ---
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/7 "2004-01-03T01:43:02Z")
…this song is for all the happy people… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/8 "2004-01-03T01:55:15Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by MFitz \* > \*\* balling like a baby_\* I’d like to know what kind of babies you’re talking about. [sub]I think you meant bawling.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![MFitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@MFitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MFitz)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/9 "2004-01-03T23:12:30Z")
Hahaha! Woops! Should have used spell check! MFitz ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-and-emotions/222324/10 "2004-01-04T01:53:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MFitz \* > \*\*Hahaha! Woops! Should have used spell check! > > MFitz \*\* A spell-check wouldn’t have helped, as they are both real words. What would help is a bit of preview. (I’ll never get why people think spell-check should catch misuse of words in addition to misspellings of words. Spell-check doesn’t understand what it’s being fed.)