invisible_r Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 I wasn't going to make a separate post for this, but after typing all the songs, I felt it deserved it! I just finished reading "I hate myself and I wanna die- the 52 most depressing songs you've ever heard" by tom reynolds. Interesting read, although I was not familiar with most of the songs. He basically gives a brief history of the song, including which version he is talking about, goes through the actual song and then explains why he things it's depressing. He doesn't praise these depressing songs, in facts he tears them to bits, in a very funny way with some like "all by myself" and "without you". some however I really do like, so he did piss me off, but I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion. here is the list of songs if anyone is interested: 1. The christmas shoes-newsong 2. the shortest story- harry chaplin 3. honey- bobby goldsboro 4. total exciple of the heart- bonnie tyler 5. seasons in the sun- terry jacks 6. doa- bloodrock 7. strange fruit- billie holiday 8. hurt- nine inch nails 9. sister morphine- mariane faithful 10. people who died- the jim carroll band 11. one- metallica 12. ruby don't take your love to town-kenny rogers and the first editions 13. brick- ben folds five 14. comfortably numb- pink floyd 15. maggie's dream- don williams 16. the rose- bette middler 17. the freshmen- verve pipe 18. prayers for rain- the cure 19. women's prison- loretta lyn 20. all by myself- celine dion 21. tell laura I love her- ray peterson 22. the river - bruce sprinsteen 23. you don't bring me flowers- neil diamon and barbra streisand 24. my immortal- evanescence 25. sam stone- john prine 26. in the air tonight- phil collins 27. macarthur park- richard harris 28. round here- counting crows 29. I will always love you- whitney houston 30. the end- the doors 31. last kiss- j frank wilson and the cavaliers 32. many- barry manilow 33. don't cry out loud- melissa manchester 34. goodby to love- the carpenters 35. beth- kiss 36. at seventeen- janis ian 37. let her cry- hootie and the blowfish 38. alone again (naturally)- gilbert o'sullivan 39. it must be him- vicky carr 40. without you- mariah carey 41. send in the clows 42. in the year 2525- zager and evans 43. the wrck of edmund fitzerald- gordon lightfoot 44. sylvia's mother- dr. hook and the medicine show 45. indiana wants me- r dean taylor 46. captain jack- billy joel 47. lucky man- emerson, lake and palmer 48. landslide- smashing pumkins 49. teen angel- mark dinning 50. love will tear us apart- joy division 51. artificial flowers- bobby darin 52. same old syn- dan fogelberg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Jane 61 Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Interesting list for sure. Right off the bat I was surprised to see Floyd, I mean Comfortably Numb is not depressing, just a great stoner tune. Most of the others do fit for the most part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisible_r Posted August 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 his definition of depressing is a bit odd, in that he makes a distinction from sad songs. in the introduction he gives a definition to help understand his choices. the songs are torn apart for mainly being over-the-top, pretentious and horrific for no reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 I can see how most of those are depressing. I was having a little trouble with "The Rose" by Bette Midler, but now that I think about it, I suppose it's sad to start with, but ends up with the right idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 an interesting list, although I don't know a lot songs - the ones I do know are pretty depressing... I would probably add either "Climbing to the Moon" or "Dead Of Winter" by the Eels, the most depressing songs I know... (or maybe they're just "sad" after his definition!?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisible_r Posted August 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 just to see what the "mood" of the book is, here's a quote, which is from the back of the book so I assume it's ok to type it out "On Celine Dion's All by myself: Had Celine been around in 1944, the Allies could've have skipped the D-day invasion and just dropped her off at Omaha beach with a PA system so she could sing All by myself until the German infantry bayonetted themselves" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Not a single entry from Neil Young. He has to be the King of Depressing Songs (Helpless, Out On The Weekend, The Needle And The Damage Done, Down By The River, Heart of Gold, etc. etc. ), but, then again, he usually keeps them danceable, and sings them with a smile on his face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Jane 61 Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Kenny Rodgers Ruby, well it is a country song for the most part and all country songs have someone done me wrong, but I don't think this one is depressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danielj Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Good list, but wrong title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Kenny Rodgers Ruby, well it is a country song for the most part and all country songs have someone done me wrong, but I don't think this one is depressing. I'm surprised, Jane. This is about a paralyzed veteran whose wife thinks he's useless now so she's going out and cheating on him. That's pretty sad, IMO. Of all the songs that I recognized on this list, I would agree with the list 100%. There were a few that I don't know, so I can't say. Some are just tearjerker songs, others are sad because - like the book's quote: I would rather bayonet myself and die messily than have to ever hear them again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otokichi Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 A few corrections, notes, and observations: "The Shortest Story" by Harry Chapin "Mandy" by Barry Manilow (One reason I don't have any Barry Manilow on CD!) "Send In The Clowns" by Judy Collins(?) "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot (Good enough for Country?) "Same Old Lange Syne" by Dan Fogelberg (What, "Taxi" or "Cat's In The Cradle" by Harry Chapin don't get the raspberry?) Note: "Strange Fruit" is an anti-lynching Jazz protest song! (How's that for a rare bird?) Observation: "Goodbye To Love" by The Carpenters summed up their love lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisible_r Posted August 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 "Send In The Clowns" by Judy Collins(?) sorry for the typos but I did have to type all of that you know! as for "send in the clowns", the reason I did not add an artist is because he talks about everyone who has sung it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Not a single entry from Neil Young. He has to be the King of Depressing Songs (Helpless, Out On The Weekend, The Needle And The Damage Done, Down By The River, Heart of Gold, etc. etc. ), but, then again, he usually keeps them danceable, and sings them with a smile on his face....and the whole "On the beach" album... which I love... Observation: "Goodbye To Love" by The Carpenters summed up their love lives. I was watching some Carpenters´ videos on youtube and found them all so sad... Karen Carpenter had really a sad love life and she seemed like she felt so uncomfortable in her body... in fact, she died of sadness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 I really think that some Nick Drake shoulda been on the list... talk about depressing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'll say, Scott: "Please beware of those who stare who only smile to see you while you're dying away..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted August 27, 2006 Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 Hmm. No songs by The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode. I guess they make depressing sound good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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