# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/41 "2002-07-09T01:36:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jorel \* > \*\*‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ (seems almost like a dirge) > > ‘Greensleeves’ also sounds sad to me.\*\* The original lyrics of “Greensleeves” are about a man falling in love with a prostitute, and how he longs to be with her but can’t have her. “Alas, my love, you do me wrong To cast me out discourteously. For I have loved thee for so long, Delighting in thy company.” My mother always told me that Irish prostitutes made themsleves known by their green sleeves, but I can’t back that up. As for “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” I read recently that it was originally from a movie about a midwestern family whose father gets transferred to the big city right around Christmas time. Either they will all have to leave the life and the town they love, or he will have to go alone and break up the family. Either way it sucks. So the song is originally sad. I could have sworn I read that in a Straight Dope staff report, but I couldn’t find it when I did a search. Speaking of Christmas songs, “The Angel Gabriel” and “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” always sound spooky and ghostly to me. My nomination would be “Allison” by Elvis Costello…a tale of murder masquerading as a love song. Although I guess it’s an overused example. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/42 "2002-07-09T02:12:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scott evil \* > \*\*Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks. \*\* Well well Mr. Evil. You have truely lived up to your name bringing up this song. I curse you. CURSE YOU SCOTT EVIL!!! CURSE YOOOOOUUUUUUU!!! ---
**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 9, 2002, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/43 "2002-07-09T02:13:52Z")
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was written for the movie “Meet Me in St. Louis,” in 1944. The movie’s kind of an alegory of the time: The guy leaving home is going off to war; the small town left behind is the simplier pre-war life, and so forth. It’s my understanding the song was supposed to be a bit bitter-sweet, like, “Let’s think of the good times we’ve had and the better times to come after this damn war is over, and we’ll all be together again (if the fates allow, of course).” It’s a good song for those of us who like to avoid the rush and start our ‘post’-holiday blues early. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/44 "2002-07-09T02:34:54Z")
“A Man of Great Promise” - Style Council Happy as could be about a guy who kills himself. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/45 "2002-07-09T03:43:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crepitus Fremitus \* > **"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was written for the movie “Meet Me in St. Louis,” in 1944. The guy leaving home is going off to war.** Oops. Anyway, you get the idea. :o ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/46 "2002-07-09T04:23:27Z")
the Bangles version of Hazy Shade of Winter ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/47 "2002-07-09T04:31:08Z")
You’re all wrong. It’s Pink Floyd’s “Free Four”, with such uplifting lyrics as: “The memories of a man in his old age, are the deeds of the man in his prime… You shuffle in the gloom of your sick room, and talk to yourself as you die…” All to this upbeat, mid-tempo roustabout…Timmy ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/48 "2002-07-09T04:39:52Z")
wow, you’re right tim, i totally forgot _free four_, thats the best so far ---
**Author:** ![MarsDragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@MarsDragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarsDragon)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/49 "2002-07-09T04:49:00Z")
The Titanic song. As far as I know, it’s never been done by any artist; it’s more of a camp song. It goes something like: _They built the ship Titanic, to sail the ocean blue/and they said it was one ship, the water would never go through/but the Lord’s almighty hand, knew that ship would never land/It was sad when that great ship went down._ And so on, for four or five more verses, all done in a cheerful, happy sort of tone. Very odd. Also, Tom Leher’s _So Long, Mom: A Song for World War III_. Armmageddon to upbeat piano music. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/50 "2002-07-09T05:13:19Z")
“It’s A Mistake” by Men At Work, another catchy little song about nuclear apocalypse. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/51 "2002-07-09T05:24:46Z")
Um, it has to be “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/52 "2002-07-09T10:31:49Z")
“Kivutar” by Värttinä. It’s an upbeat folky little song. The lyrics translate as: “The Goddess of Pain has a kettle, the Daughter of Evil has a pot: and in it she’s cooking up a mess of pain” … “Up on Misery Ridge roams a pack of suffering hounds, dogs the colour of frost, howling in pain on the hill, suffering and whimpering” ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/53 "2002-07-09T10:43:34Z")
I’d have to go for Karma Hotel by the Spooks Quite an upbeat tempo and female singer has a beautiful, soothing voice but the lyrics are actually really morbid (russion roulette amongst other things) [http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/spooks/karmahotel.html](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/spooks/karmahotel.html) ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/54 "2002-07-09T11:44:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\* > > Not really. The final verse shows the singer has gotten over things. > > \*\* Hmm, well perhaps it becomes a bit subjective here. I guess I’d go so far as to say that the singer is _trying_ to get over things. While it’s good that the he’s decided that ‘there is too much to do before’ he dies, I am not sure that the tone of ‘got to stop believin’ in all your lies’ matches the cheery uptempo melody. ---
**Author:** ![misseuropa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@misseuropa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misseuropa)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/55 "2002-07-09T11:45:14Z")
Uh Just like Heaven isn’t a depressing song…it’s about hyperventilating while kissing, as far as I knew. ‘You keep me Hangin’ On’ would get my vote…or ‘Mandy’ by Barry Manilow or possibly ‘I Never Thought You’d Be a Junkie (Because Heroin is so Passe)’ (about the lead singer’s ex getting into heroin). ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/56 "2002-07-09T14:27:49Z")
Since we’re into apocalypse songs now, how’s about **Ultravox** ’s _Dancing with tears in my eyes_? ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/57 "2002-07-09T16:51:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Torque \* > \*\*They Might Be Giants have lots of songs with upbeat tempos and downer lyrics. Take, for example, “Mr. Me”, with a repeated refrain of “He ended up sad, he ended up sad, he ended up really really really sad”. Or “Youth Culture Killed My Dog”. Or “The World’s Address”. Or, hell, even “The Famous Polka.” > > Anyway, TMBG has a million of 'em. \*\* You’re right, but you neglected to mention the best of the lot – “Narrow Your Eyes,” the tale of a man who won’t get off the bus and go home to his girl because she’ll be mad. “They’ll Need a Crane” can be heartbreaking, too – \* They’ll need a crane, they’ll need a crane To take the house he built for her apart To make it break, it’s gonna take A metal ball hung from a chain.\* And their very first single, “Don’t Let’s Start” is another wildly peppy song about bad love. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/58 "2002-07-09T17:20:43Z")
“Conquistador” by Procal Harum, live with the Edmondton Symphony Orchestra – possibly the greatest live recording ever. Conquistador\*, your stallion stands In need of company. And like some angel’s haloed brow, you reek of purity. It’s basically a song lamenting the corpse of a Spanish soldier, lying on the beach as the surf washes over him. “I know you came with sword held high You did not conquer, only die.” Still, a fantastic piece. Definitely crank-it-up-to-11 worthy. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/59 "2002-07-09T17:21:53Z")
“Conquistador” by Procal Harum, live with the Edmondton Symphony Orchestra – possibly the greatest live recording ever. Conquistador\*, your stallion stands In need of company. And like some angel’s haloed brow, you reek of purity. It’s basically a song lamenting the corpse of a Spanish soldier, lying on the beach as the surf washes over him. “I know you came with sword held high You did not conquer, only die.” Still, a fantastic piece. Definitely crank-it-up-to-11 worthy. (\*And by the way, it’s pronounced “con-KWIST-a-dor,” not “con-KEE-sta-dor.” How cool is that?) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Bee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Larry\_Bee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Bee)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825/60 "2002-07-10T01:02:57Z")
The Housemartins had some very catchy depressing songs, none of which spring to mind at the moment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-happiest-sounding-song-with-the-saddest-lyrics/117825.md?page=4)