# Recommend some songs about death **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699 "2003-07-24T19:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/21 "2003-07-25T01:17:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Balance \* > \*\*Damn. **Mr. Blue Sky** beat me to it. Well, at least there’s still “Nosferatu”, also by Blue Oyster Cult. > Oh my god! I thought I was the only person in the world who has “Specters” by B O C “Golden age of leather” is kinda about death. > > From a rather different genre: > > “Irish Rover”–Only the singer and a dog survive an outbreak of measles. Then the dog drowns. > > “The Mermaid”–A jolly, sometimes bawdy song about a ship sinking with all hands. > > “The Ship that Never Returned”–A rollicking tune about a ship that, well, never returned. > > “Yo Ho Ho”–I’m sure you’ve heard parts of this one. “Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead/Or a yawing hole in a battered head”…yeah, plenty of death. > > All of the above are traditional/trad-style sea songs. I favor the Corsairs renditions. You may even be able to hear some of them on their site. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/22 "2003-07-25T01:20:16Z")
whoops…did that wrong …sorry ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/23 "2003-07-25T01:27:03Z")
“Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep At the Wheel”, by Barenaked Ladies. You can guess what happens in the song based on the title. But don’t worry; it’s not as weepy and sentimental as “Last Kiss”. It’s a death song, but also a love song. The song is light and casual, but IMO that’s what makes it so haunting. ---
**Author:** ![Sacrilegium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@Sacrilegium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sacrilegium)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/24 "2003-07-25T01:59:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by InquisitiveIdiot \* > **I’d like good songs that treat death in an almost humorous fashion, but certainly not serious.** It’s amazing how people just gloss over major details in a short post like that, eh? How about _Suicide_ by The Tiger Lillies. Suicide + castrati yodeling = brilliance. ---
**Author:** ![desdinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@desdinova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desdinova)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/25 "2003-07-25T02:07:58Z")
If you want “death” and “humorous” I don’t see how the answer could be anything but Alice Cooper… Dead Babies Cold Ethyl most of the DaDa album decent chunks of Special Forces that Slick Black Limousine song that was a promo special Refrigerator Heaven I almost forgot the entire “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell” concept album I mean, this is the guy that turned morbidly humorous into the finest of arts. He used to execute himself at the end of every concert for christ’s sake! Iron Maiden’s an excellent call too. UP THE IRONS, GUV’NAH! ---
**Author:** ![desdinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@desdinova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desdinova)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/26 "2003-07-25T02:19:22Z")
Damn, I actually managed to forget “I Love the Dead” from the Billion Dollar Babies album… ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/27 "2003-07-25T04:12:18Z")
Warren Zevon - “Life’ll Kill Ya” Warren Zevon - “My Ride’s Here” ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/28 "2003-07-25T04:31:07Z")
“People Who Died” - Jim Carroll Band ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/29 "2003-07-25T04:43:45Z")
Don’t sweat the coding too much, **roland** , I got the message. You’re not alone in the world–there are other morbid Cult fans out here. Fancy that! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jzero99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@jzero99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jzero99)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/30 "2003-07-25T10:06:53Z")
The End by the Doors ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/31 "2003-07-25T10:15:25Z")
How about Tom Lehrer’s _[Irish Ballad](http://members.aol.com/quentncree/lehrer/irish.htm)_, in each verse of which, a young maid murders a different family member in a different gruesome fashion. > [@](#): > > One morning in a fit of pique, > Sing rickety-tickety-tin, > One morning in a fit of pique, > She drowned her father in the creek. > The water tasted bad for a week, > And we had to make do with gin 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/32 "2003-07-25T10:32:54Z")
Black by Sarah McLachlan ---
**Author:** ![Leechboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Leechboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leechboy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/33 "2003-07-25T12:24:26Z")
Song? Song? How about a couple of damn albums? [http://www.trikont.com/catalogue/dead\_gone/234\_dead\_gone\_funeral\_marches.html](http://www.trikont.com/catalogue/dead_gone/234_dead_gone_funeral_marches.html) ---
**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:** [July 25, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/34 "2003-07-25T15:29:58Z")
_Don’t Try Suicide_ - by Queen ---
**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:** [July 25, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/35 "2003-07-25T16:04:17Z")
Down By The River - PJ Harvey Old and Wise- Alan Parsons Project One Headlight- The Wallflowers Where the Red Roses Grow- Nick Cave & Kylie Minoque Freshmen- The Verve Pipe ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/36 "2003-07-25T16:18:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*“Don’t Fear the Reaper” - Blue Oyster Cult \*\* I got a fever for some cowbell! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/37 "2003-07-25T20:52:18Z")
“Falling in Love” - NOFX ---
**Author:** ![DeskMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DeskMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeskMonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/38 "2003-07-25T20:58:14Z")
“Happy Phantom” by Tori Amos takes a downright perky approach to death! ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/39 "2003-07-26T03:15:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*How about Tom Lehrer’s _[Irish Ballad](http://members.aol.com/quentncree/lehrer/irish.htm)_, in each verse of which, a young maid murders a different family member in a different gruesome fashion.😃 \*\* I always like the verse: - She cut her baby brother in two Sing rickety-tickety-tin She cut her baby brothe in two Then served him up as an Irish stew And invited the neighbors in\* ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-songs-about-death/190699/40 "2003-07-26T03:31:27Z")
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