# What are some of the most depressing songs you've ever heard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032 "2007-04-21T03:09:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [April 21, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/41 "2007-04-21T12:32:05Z")
Hank Williams Jr’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is my definitive depressing ditty. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/42 "2007-04-21T12:40:30Z")
**jjimm** , good call on Brel. Now, be aware that I say this as a fan of Joy Division’s _Atmosphere_, The Smiths’ _Asleep_, and many, many, many cheery Goth songs: The most depressing song I know is “Goddamn The Sun” by The Swans - “I’ve got one thing to say before I am drunk again… Goddamn the sun, goddamn the sun Goddamn anyone who ever says a kind word”. It’s the voice that does it - more emotive than Cash’s drunken wino imitation on _Hurt_ , by far. Closely followed by This Mortal Coil’s _The Jeweller_: “He know the use of ashes…he worships God with ashes” and I\* come and Stand at Every Door\*(words by Nazim Hikmet): "I come and stand at every door But no one hears my silent tread I knock and yet remain unseen For I am dead, for I am dead. " ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/43 "2007-04-21T12:46:58Z")
Wow, **MrDibble** it’s rare to see a mention of Swans. Oddly enough though, [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiQsv3Q5P8Y) of Swans covering Joy Division turned up on Fark a couple of days ago. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/44 "2007-04-21T12:50:41Z")
Sadly I can’t find any video of Brel performing _Le Moribund_, but I have found a pretty good [literal translation](http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1802365) of the original lyrics. Compare with the [bowdlerised English language version](http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/seasonsinthesunlyrics.html). This verse: > [@](#): > > Goodbye, Papa, it’s hard to die > when all the birds are singing in the sky, > Now that the spring is in the air. > Little children everywhere. > When you see them I’ll be there. Was subsituted for the original: > [@](#): > > Goodbye, Tony, I didn’t like you too much > Goodbye, Tony, I didn’t like you too much, you know > It’s killing me to be dying today > While you are so vigorous and full of life > And stronger even than boredom itself > Goodbye, Tony, I’m going to die > It’s hard to die in the Spring, you know > But I’m going to the flowers with peace in my heart > Because you were her lover > I know you’ll take care of my wife when I’m gone Ouch. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/45 "2007-04-21T13:21:04Z")
Love Has No Pride (Bonnie Raitt version) The Promise (Tracy Chapman) ---
**Author:** ![baronsabato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@baronsabato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baronsabato)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/46 "2007-04-21T13:32:31Z")
“Evaporated” by Ben Folds Five is on the top of my list, with Sondheim’s “We Do Not Belong Together” from _Sunday in the Park With George_ following close behind. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/47 "2007-04-21T14:03:17Z")
VNV Nation - “Forsaken” _The day you died, I lost my way The day you died, I lost my mind What am I supposed to do?_ ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/48 "2007-04-21T14:03:47Z")
In case y’all are not familiar with Red House Painters, from _Katy Song_: “a chance for calm a hope for freedom outlet from my cold solitary kingdom by the forest of our spring stay where you walked away and left a bleeding part of me empty and bothered watching the water quiet in the corner numb and falling through without you what does my life amount to” ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/49 "2007-04-21T14:06:37Z")
Alice in Chains “Nutshell” comes to mind: We chase misprinted lies We face the path of time And yet I fight, and yet I fight this battle all alone No one to cry to, no place to call home ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/50 "2007-04-21T14:11:15Z")
From the O’ Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack You are my Sunshine and O’Death From A Parie Home Companion soundtrack Goodbye to my Momma. Oh and I personally find all of the Kid Bob disks very very depressing. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/51 "2007-04-21T14:17:17Z")
[QUOTE=mamboman] 30 posts and no Leonard Cohen? 30 years ago ole’ Laughing Lenny was the gold standard for “depressing”. He walked the walk, he talked the talk. “Dress Rehersal Rag”, for example, is miserable. mm [/QUOTE] Amen! I was shocked at no mention of “Famous Blue Raincoat,” “Avalanche,” “Dress Rehearsal Rag,” “Paper-Thin Hotel,” and, oh yeah, THE GUY’S ENTIRE OUEVURE. I absolutely love Cohen, but he makes me want to blow my brains out. 🙂 Here’s the rest of my list, you amateurs!: **Big Star** - “Holocaust” **Joy Division** - “Atmosphere” and all of _Closer_, which is literally the soundtrack to a suicide. **Bert Jansch** - “Needle of Death” (try listening to that one a few times without blowing your brains out!) **the Mountain Goats** - “Woke up new” (listen to that one before you go to bed and you won’t want to wake up) **Lou Reed** - all of “Berlin” **Scott Walker** - “Big Louise” **Jackson C. Frank** - “Milk and Honey” - used to great “take a bottle of pills ASAP” effect in _The Brown Bunny_ **Red House Painters** - “Katy Song” and “Grace Cathedral Park” **the Magnetic Fields** - “Railroad Boy,” “I don’t believe in the sun,” “100,000 Fireflies” Man, I’m just warming up. ---
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/52 "2007-04-21T14:19:36Z")
I’ll echo Harry Chapin’s “ **Better Place to Be** ” and add Meatloaf’s “\*\*Objects in the Rear-View Mirror. \*\*” Both of these can bring tears to my eyes under the right circumstances. Also, I remember my dad singing me an old folk song called “ **Scarlet Ribbons** ” which was very emotional, although not really depressing. Edited to correct spelling. ---
**Author:** ![freekalette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@freekalette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freekalette)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/53 "2007-04-21T14:50:12Z")
Two from Pink Floyd- “Two Suns in the Sunset,” and “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.” David Gilmour- “Out of the Blue.” Sugarcult- “Counting Stars.” Dropkick Murphys- “The Green Fields of France.” I’m somewhat a connossieur of stuff that’ll make you (me) cry; I could go on for days. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/54 "2007-04-21T14:50:48Z")
**Simin & Garfukel** -_A Most Peculiar Man_ He turned on the gas and he went to sleep With the windows closed so hed never wake up To his silent world and his tiny room… and **Marty Robbins** - _They’re Hanging Me Tonight_ I took my pistol from my hip and with a trembling hand I took the life of pretty Flo and that good for nothin’ man That good for nothin’ man! I think about the thing I’ve done I know it wasn’t right They’ll bury Flo tomorrow, but they’re hanging me tonight ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/55 "2007-04-21T14:52:42Z")
[QUOTE=DfrntBreign] A friend used to say of Cowboy Junkies’ music “music to slit your wrist to”. [/QUOTE] I say that about a lot of Lori Carson’s music - it’s “music to commit suicide by.” Don’t listen to it when you’re depressed. “My Sister” by Tindersticks is very depressing. The high point of the subject’s life is being born. It’s all downhill from there. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/56 "2007-04-21T15:58:52Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] Wow, **MrDibble** it’s rare to see a mention of Swans. Oddly enough though, [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiQsv3Q5P8Y) of Swans covering Joy Division turned up on Fark a couple of days ago. [/QUOTE] I am a _huge_ fan of both the early grindcore stuff and the later folky stuff. It amazes me that they aren’t better known. And thanks for the video link. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/57 "2007-04-21T16:11:16Z")
Sour Times - Portishead Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve Hero of the Day - Metallica Send in the Clowns Hurt - Johnny Cash Oh, Father (?) - Madonna Live to Tell - Madonna ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/58 "2007-04-21T16:13:14Z")
I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables always makes me pretty depressed. The Cowboy Junkies are very melancholy, though I love them. They do have the Raritis, B-Sides and Slow Sad Waltzes album that, despite its name, has a couple of great upbeat songs on it. ETA: Oh, and another vote for Hurt by Johnny Cash. The song alone is incredibly sad. The video along with it makes me want to bawl like a small child. ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/59 "2007-04-21T16:19:18Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Sadly I can’t find any video of Brel performing _Le Moribund_, but I have found a pretty good [literal translation](http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1802365) of the original lyrics. Compare with the [bowdlerised English language version](http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/seasonsinthesunlyrics.html). This verse:Was subsituted for the original:Ouch. [/QUOTE] Check out [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7407893&postcount=14) for more information about _Seasons in the Sun_ as well as some interesting links about other versions. ---
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032/60 "2007-04-21T16:27:10Z")
“He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones > [@](#): > > He stopped loving her today. > They placed a wreath upon his door. “Don’t Cry Daddy” by Elvis Presley > [@](#): > > Daddy, you’ve still got me and little Tommy. > Together we’ll find a brand new mommy. “Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast” by Wayne Newton > [@](#): > > Daddy slow down some > Cause you’re making me run [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-most-depressing-songs-youve-ever-heard/401032.md?page=4)