# What is/are the most depressing song(s) you've ever heard? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 13, 2000, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027 "2000-09-13T15:15:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/21 "2000-09-14T08:49:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by poohpah chalupa \* > \*\*“Down from Dover” by Dolly Parton \*\* [hijack] poopah - do you actually have the Dolly version of this? I’ve been trying to find it for ages and want to know if it’s around on any CDs. The Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazlewood version is one of my favourite songs of all time. [/hijack] HenrySpencer ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/22 "2000-09-14T09:06:19Z")
**Hero in me** by Jeffery Gaines “And I sleep and dream of the person I might have been and I’m free again And I speak of someone whose been to the highest peaks and back again And I’ll swear that my grass is greener than anyones till I believe again” A song about livivng with regretful choices. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/23 "2000-09-14T09:08:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alansmithee \* > \*\*“Desperado” > > The line “and freedom, oh, freedom, well that’s just some people talkin’, you’re prison is walkin’ through this world all alone” is among of the saddest lines I’ve heard in a song. Thankfully, though, the song has a positive and truthful message, i.e., that the “queen of hearts is always your best bet”. \*\* Agreed. A friend of mine said that she always imagined the lead singer performing this song pointing a gun to his head. I’ll also agree that “Puff The Magic Dragon” is depressing. As are “MacArthur Park” and “Cat’s In the Cradle”. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/24 "2000-09-14T12:56:52Z")
Judas Priest’s Beyond the Relems of death and most of WASP’s Crimson Idol CD is pretty depressing, that’s why i don’t listen to it anymore, especially while drinking. ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/25 "2000-09-14T13:04:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HenrySpencer \* > poopah - do you actually have the Dolly version of this? I do, but it’s on one of those big flat black vinyl round things with the teeny hole in the middle… But it’s _gotta_ be on CD out there…good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/26 "2000-09-14T13:48:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\ ***Hero in me** by Jeffery Gaines > > “And I sleep and dream of the person I might have been > and I’m free again > And I speak of someone whose been to the highest peaks > and back again > And I’ll swear that my grass is greener than anyones > till I believe again” > > A song about livivng with regretful choices. \*\* Spooje, you just made me cry. I haven’t heard that song in…oh good lord, in 5 years. It was one of the songs they played on a retreat where I ended up physically collapsing. Summed up how I felt about myself perfectly at the time. Still does, in a lot of ways. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/27 "2000-09-14T13:58:40Z")
Fade to Black by Metallica ---
**Author:** ![seriousart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@seriousart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seriousart)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/28 "2000-09-14T14:14:15Z")
Blue Spanish Sky by Chris Isaak. It’s a big blue spanish sky, Lay on my back and watch clouds roll by. I’ve got the time to wonder why, She left me. It’s a slow sad spanish song, I knew the words but I sang them wrong. The one I love has left and gone, Without me. Now she’s gone, our world has changed. Watchin a blue sky, thinkin of rain. It’s a slow sad spanish song, I knew the words but I sang them wrong. The one that I love has left and gone, Without me. It’s a big blue spanish sky, I lay on my back and watch clouds roll by. I only wish I could make you cry, Like I do. Like I do. Like I do. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/29 "2000-09-14T15:02:05Z")
No-one’s mentioned **Neil Young** or **Warren Zevon** yet. The 'phone don’t ring And the sun refused to shine Never thought I’d have to pay so dearly For what was already mine (Zevon - Accidentally Like a Martyr) Too many Neil Young songs to mention, but start with Sleeps with Angels, Down by the River, Old Man. picmr ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/30 "2000-09-14T16:31:21Z")
Gilbert O’Sullivan - Alone Again (Naturally) Elvis Presley - In the Ghetto ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/31 "2000-09-14T16:44:44Z")
I’ll second the NIN, but the most depressing song I know about love is “Can’t See (Useless)” by (Oingo) Boingo. Here’s some of the lyrics : And I tried to find you, but it’s useless And I tried to speak, but it was useless And I felt so bad and I didn’t know why And it didn’t get better as time went by I was there for you, but you turned away And I tried to find you, but you turned away And I tried to find you, but it’s useless And I tried to speak, but was useless And I tried to find you, but it’s useless And you’re so close, but I can’t see you And you’re right there, but I can’t see you And I feel so dumb and I didn’t know what to do You were right there but I can’t see you And I realize that it’s useless And I want to fight, but it’s useless And I know you’re there, but it’s useless And you’re everywhere, but it’s useless also, “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac is pretty depressing too. ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/32 "2000-09-14T17:33:34Z")
“Un bel di” (“One beautiful day”), from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. An already abandoned woman, still believing that her husband–who bought her on a relative whim, but whom she loves very much, and for whom she gave up her religion and family and bore a child–will be returning for her, sings about the day of their reunion. The beauty of the music, the sincerity of her hope, the strength of her faith, and the dramatic irony (it’s already clear that she has been discarded without remorse) all conspire to make the most crushing moment in music. It breaks my heart. ---
**Author:** ![Kvallulf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@Kvallulf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kvallulf)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/33 "2000-09-14T18:08:26Z")
Operation Mindcrime. The whole album. How will I laugh tommorow when I can’t even smile today? ---
**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:** [September 14, 2000, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/34 "2000-09-14T18:25:57Z")
I’ll third the Jeffery Gaines nomination. Man, that whole album kills me. Especially the song “Sorry the Very Next Day.” “Cat’s in the Cradle” too. Why no, Dr. Freud, I don’t have any issues with my father, what would make you say that? pcubed ---
**Author:** ![DavisMcDavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@DavisMcDavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavisMcDavis)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/35 "2000-09-14T18:37:08Z")
I think “Landslide” is fairly cheerful compared to “Silver Springs” - “I know I could have loved you, but you would not let me.” But other than that, “Everything But the Girl” wins in my book for absolutely heartbreaking songs, including the wildly overplayed “Missing” :“You’re all gone, and I can’t move on” seems utterly bleak to me, since it’s “been years since” they were together. From “Walking Wounded” there’s “Single,” which I think is the one that ends with “It’s gonna be alright, it’s gonna be alright…it’s never gonna be alright.” Just when you think it might be ending in an upbeat, “I’m gonna be Strong” sorta way she just sinks back into depression. Faboo. I’m always impressed when a song that has utterly depressing lyrics manages to become a pop single without anyone wondering what it means and thinking it’s cheerful, such as “Looking at You” by Sunscreem and “Running Up that Hill” by Kate Bush. For awhile I was seeing someone and we thought that “Looking At You” was sort of “our song” but then we listened to the lyrics, which go “I scrathed your records, dear, and threw them in the nearest river…and I’m looking at you.” Not too romantic, but sho’ 'nuff catchy! Kudos to Jophiel for “The Last Spike” interpretation. I hadn’t listened closely enough, I didn’t get the bit about a guy not coming back. I’ll have to listen to that album again when I go home. But finally, here’s the lyrics to “The Heart Remains A Child” by Everything But The Girl. The last lines are kinda wailed in a totally depressing way: i dreamed about you again last night you never have the same face twice but i always know it’s you and you’re always looking better than you really do and i walk around the whole next day feeling like i’ve still got something to say but i don’t know what it is i don’t know how to reach you even if i did do i wanna hear that you forgive me? do i wanna hear you’re no good without me? am i big enough to hear that you never even think about me? why should you ever think about me? [extra verse removed for space reasons] why don’t you love me? why don’t you love me? ---
**Author:** ![DavisMcDavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@DavisMcDavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavisMcDavis)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/36 "2000-09-14T18:41:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DavisMcDavis \* > \*\* > I scrathed your records, dear… > [/b/ That should be “I **scratched** your records…” Sorry 'bout that. ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/37 "2000-09-14T18:42:27Z")
Tori Amos’s entire “Little Earthquakes” album makes me want to assume a fetal position and rock endlessly in a corner. I _like_ the album a lot, but wow… some lines that come to mind, from various tracks: “When you gonna change your mind… when you gonna love you as much as I do…” (Winter, I think) “Mother the car is here, somebody leave a light on…” (Mother) And, last but not least, from Silent All These Years: “Years go by will I still be waiting for somebody else to understand/ Years go by if I’m stripped of my beauty and the orange clouds raining in my head/ Years go by will I choke on my tears till finally there is nothing left…” Please pass the cyanide. ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/38 "2000-09-14T20:52:11Z")
Rosebud - good call. And yep, first quote is from Winter. I always thought one of the saddest things on that album was from the title track, in the middle: “Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again.” ---
**Author:** ![DavisMcDavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@DavisMcDavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavisMcDavis)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/39 "2000-09-14T21:02:42Z")
> [@](#): > > from \* Tear In Your Hand\* > All the world just stopped now > So you say you don’t wanna stay together any more > Let me take a deep breath babe > If you need me, me and Neil’ll be hangin’ out with the Dream King > > Neil says hi by the way > I don’t believe you’re leaving cause > me and Charles Manson like the same ice cream > I think it’s that girl > and I think there’re pieces of me you’ve never seen > Maybe she’s just pieces of me you’ve never seen well Although in reading (not hearing) it, the Dream King, etc., stuff sounds a bit funny, the “Maybe she’s just pieces of me you’ve never seen” is so plaintive and sad. > [@](#): > > from _Baker Baker_ > > …I guess you heard he’s gone to LA > He says that behind my eyes I’m hiding > And he tells me I pushed him away > That my hearts been hard to find > > Here. There must be something > Here. There must be something > Here. > Here. > > Baker baker can you explain > If truly his heart was made of icing > And I wonder how mine could taste > Maybe we could change his mind > > I know you’re late for your next parade > You came to make sure that I’m not running > Well I ran from him in all kinds of ways > Guess it was his turn this time > > Time. Thought I’d made friends with > Time. Thought we’d be > Flying > Maybe not this time > > Baker baker, baking a cake > Make me a day make me whole again > And I wonder if he’s okay > If you see him say hi She manages to carry off this whole baking/icing metaphor all the way through, it’s great. I guess I’m just a sucker for any variant on “I don’t know where you are and I miss you terribly.” Hey, maybe that’d be a good song title. Little wordy though… ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027/40 "2000-09-14T21:24:22Z")
“Watching TV”, from Roger Waters’ “Amused to Death” album. The song is about watching the 1989 student protests at Tiananmen Square on TV and seeing a pretty philosophy student die. I can’t say the song is particularly good; in fact it’s got several lines that are embarassingly bad. But despite all that it’s the only song that has ever, in and of itself, moved me to tears. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-are-the-most-depressing-song-s-youve-ever-heard/33027.md?page=3)