# Your happiest sounding song with the saddest lyrics... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2002, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825 "2002-07-07T22:28:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crepitus\_Fremitus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@Crepitus\_Fremitus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crepitus_Fremitus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/1 "2002-07-07T22:28:13Z")
“Girlfriend in a Coma” by the Smiths- but I suspect that’s on purpose. “Rocky” by the one hit wonder Austin Roberts is another one. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/2 "2002-07-07T22:34:30Z")
The Cure - Just Like Heaven Vandals - My Girlfriends Dead ---
**Author:** ![Kang\_and\_Kodos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8baadc/32.png) [@Kang\_and\_Kodos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kang_and_Kodos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/3 "2002-07-07T22:34:45Z")
“Excitable Boy” by Warren Zevon automatically comes to mind. A song about rape and murder shouldn’t sound that upbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/4 "2002-07-07T22:38:14Z")
“Happiest Girl” by Depeche Mode. For some reason, it strikes me as very sad, despite the title and the fairly upbeat lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![QueenAl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/d26b3c/32.png) [@QueenAl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenAl)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/5 "2002-07-07T22:48:10Z")
An obvious one: ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.’ ‘Cause life’s a piece of shit, when you look at it Life’s a laugh and death’s a joke it’s true…’ Etc. However, this song does always cheer me up when I need it, by reminding that yes, life can be shit, but you might as well enoy it anyway. So maybe it’s not so sad after all. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/6 "2002-07-07T22:48:10Z")
Denia by Manu Chao, if the translation of the lyrics are right. It is a happy and upbeat song, but the lyrics (according to the translation) are more about the political situation in Algeria… Considering half of the album (Próximas Estación: Esperanza) has happy songs, this one seems much more sadder for me now. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/7 "2002-07-07T22:54:07Z")
“Daddy’s Song” by the Monkees (written by Harry Nilsson!) from the movie _Head_. A light, catchy tune about a father walking out on his wife and son. In the movie, Davy Jones sings this jaunty little pop musical number while doing a song and dance routine with Toni Basil. The true sad meaning of the song sneaks up on you the first time you hear it. **Kang and Kodos** , but he’s just an excitable boy… ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/8 "2002-07-07T22:56:30Z")
Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana” about a showgirl’s romance that turns tragic. \*She lost her youth and she lost her Tony Now she’s lost her mind Aaaaaat the Copa\* Happy and peppy, as if insanity and murder is just part of the menu of fun for your entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/9 "2002-07-07T23:05:25Z")
Almost anything by The Gothic Archies or Belle and Sebastian. ---
**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 7, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/10 "2002-07-07T23:13:21Z")
“You Are My Sunshine” ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/11 "2002-07-07T23:15:42Z")
Lots of stuff by **Randy Newman**. (And that’s why I like it . . .) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/12 "2002-07-07T23:17:05Z")
“Help!” by the Beatles. Was truly a cry for help from John, but the studio felt it would sell better if they pepped up the tempo. Happy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/13 "2002-07-07T23:17:45Z")
Can’t believe nobody’s mentioned it yet. “No Rain” by Blind Melon ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/14 "2002-07-07T23:21:25Z")
There is a French song that I can’t remember the title of (if anyone knows, PLEASE TELL ME!) but it’s a sort of happy sounding song, la la la… but it’s about a girl who commits suicide by drowning herself. I think that “soleil” is in the title somewhere, and part of the lyrics at the end involve her hair floating in the water… ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/15 "2002-07-07T23:28:33Z")
I found it!!! I went to babelfish and typed in “and her hair floated on the water” and translated it to french, “et ses cheveux ont flotté sur l’eau” and entered that into Google, and the first hit was the song!! [http://www.paroles.net/texte/22037](http://www.paroles.net/texte/22037) ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/16 "2002-07-08T01:29:43Z")
Just about every other song by The Beautiful South, especially “36D” and “Bell Bottom Tear”. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/17 "2002-07-08T01:42:15Z")
Feelin’ All Right by Dave Mason of Traffic (later made popular by Joe Cocker) sprightly song bummer lyrics ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/18 "2002-07-08T03:36:31Z")
“Song for the dumped” by Ben Folds Five has always stuck me as discordant… ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/19 "2002-07-08T03:45:36Z")
You’re all forgetting one of the most obvious - **Jack and Diane**. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/20 "2002-07-08T08:28:47Z")
“Song For The Dumped” has angry lyrics (bitter, but not sad), harsh piano pounding, and a fast tempo. To me it’s probably the best break-up song of the rock era. Forget “Love Hurts” or that Ugly Kid Joe crap. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825.md?page=2)