# Songs About Mental Illness? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252 "2019-12-22T20:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/41 "2019-12-23T15:27:56Z")
Oh, I forgot, half of the work by the Ramones: [Teenage Lobotomy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ssoBUb2cJk) (Guess I have to break the news, that I got no mind to lose) [I Wanna Be Sedated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm51ihfi1p4) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/42 "2019-12-23T15:42:36Z")
_Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer Came down upon her head Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer Made sure that she was dead_ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/43 "2019-12-23T15:46:26Z")
Kinky Friedman’s The Ballad of Charles “Texas Tower” Whitman, based on a true event. Cat Steven’s Sad Lisa is about depression. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/44 "2019-12-23T15:54:00Z")
**Jeremy** by Pearl Jam - biting the recess lady’s breast doesn’t seem like something a normal kid would do. I always thought \*\*Carry On Wayward Son \*\*by Kansas was about mental illness, but it can be interpreted in different ways I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/45 "2019-12-23T16:10:30Z")
I don’t know much about The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster other than that they really need a shorter band name, but [Psychosis Safari](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XIw40l0md8) is a pretty solid description of having a mental illness. There’s also [Everybody Knows That You’re Insane](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bssbV4lskJQ) by Queens of the Stone Age (which is worth a listen for the opening guitar part alone). ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/46 "2019-12-23T16:38:15Z")
_Vincent_. By Don McClean. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/47 "2019-12-23T17:02:10Z")
Avenue Q’s [The Holi-Daz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rclrvxj_x4) is all about how to cope with the holidays It’s that special time of year again that’s meant for peace and joy. But then your relatives descend like locust and people beat up strangers for a to. he season turns into a stressful nightmare for every girl and guy But we never let it get to us. Let us tell you why. We’re drinking out way through the holidays What a wonderful way to survive When you’re losing your grip then it’s time to get ripped Somewhere in the world it’s always after five. We’re drinking our way through he holidays Pouring beer and vodka and wine. We’re drowning in cheer this time of the year From Hannukah to Old Lang Syne. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/48 "2019-12-23T18:46:46Z")
Just Another Nervous Wreck by Supertramp is about loneliness and depression. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/49 "2019-12-23T19:20:40Z")
[Ghost](https://genius.com/Badflower-ghost-lyrics), by Badflower. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/50 "2019-12-23T19:34:26Z")
[Psychotic Reaction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBTT3VPriV8) by The Count Five [I Live in a Split Level Head](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71xMhiT_PXc) by Napoleon XIV [Crazy In The Night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVhJwrWJNm0) by Kim Carnes ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/51 "2019-12-23T21:03:52Z")
[Hey Hey Take Me Away](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmK8p-6Z3_A) by Ian Dury is mostly about physical illness (I think it must relate to the period he spent in hospital with polio) but it certainly touches on mental illness: > [@](#): > > Hey, hey, take me away > From the ones that go mad every night… > > When I get better, when I get strong > Will I be alright in the head? In fact there’s some pretty dark stuff on that album. [Manic Depression](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8xLScVPkGE): > [@](#): > > The mind is a very precious flower > That finds itself a strand amongst the weeds > The cause and effect, is what you might expect > And going round the bend is where it leads The album title? **Laughter** , of course. j ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/52 "2019-12-24T02:24:34Z")
Warren Zevon’s “ **Excitable Boy** ” certainly fits the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/53 "2019-12-24T03:16:13Z")
_Somebody’s Watching Me_ by Rockwell ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/54 "2019-12-24T03:28:27Z")
Staind was pretty much all about depression. It’s always raining in my head? Inside you’re ugly, ugly like me? It’s been awhile since I’ve gone and fucked things up just like I always do? Who were those guys and how did they go back in time and get inside my 13-year-old head? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/55 "2019-12-24T03:39:02Z")
Rilo Kiley, “A Better Son/Daughter”, about singer Jenny Lewis’ bipolar disorder: And sometimes when you’re on You’re really fuckin’ on And your friends sing along and they love you But the lows are so extreme That the good feels fuckin’ cheap And it teases you for weeks with its absence ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/56 "2019-12-24T05:07:56Z")
Country Death Song-Violent Femmes ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/57 "2019-12-24T08:45:22Z")
“They’re Coming to Take Me Away” by Napoleon XIV. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/g-eafUBULWA/hqdefault.jpg "Napoleon XIV - They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa !") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-eafUBULWA) ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/58 "2019-12-24T09:57:31Z")
> [@LLCoolL](#): > > “They’re Coming to Take Me Away” by Napoleon XIV. > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-eafUBULWA&app=desktop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-eafUBULWA&app=desktop) Woops - \*\*Burpo the Wonder Mutt \*\*beat me to it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/59 "2019-12-24T10:20:22Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The best example I know is the album “On My Way to Where” by Dory Previn. She had a history of psychosis and depression, and had a breakdown that landed her in a mental hospital. Her therapist suggested to Previn that she write songs as part of her therapy, which eventually became this album… “With My Daddy in the Attic” is …… holy cow… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252/60 "2019-12-24T14:19:39Z")
Tom Paxton won a beautiful tribute called Phil, after his long time friend Phil Ochs committed suicide. I know I’m going to spend the rest of my lifetime a-wondering why You found yourself so badly hurt you had to die. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-mental-illness/845252.md?page=4)