What's your favorite depressing song? - Page 3

JohnIII · August 17, 2002, 08:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed
I think litsening to depressive music is sick. It's like deriving entertainment from watching people die from tubercolosis or something, revelling in and deriving pleasure from another person's fatal disease.

Listening to depressing songs is more disturbing. It's like someone's forcing themselves out of depression and repressing their emotions, which is more self-destructive than listening to Five Leaves Left.

General Ludd · August 17, 2002, 09:44

Pretty much anything by Tom Waits.

Boris Godunov · August 17, 2002, 11:11

I don't know about you, but I listen to depressing music when I'm in a good mood. It's actually the best time to listen to it. When I'm in a bad mood, I usually don't listen to anything.

It's interesting to note that for many composers, their gloomiest music was written when they were emotionally stable, while their happiest stuff was written while in the throes of a deep depression (Tchaikovsky is a perfect example).

Buck Birdseed · August 17, 2002, 11:17

I usually litsen to angry and confrontational music when I'm in a bad mood.

Being in a good mode when litsening to depressing music almost makes it worse, you're happy 'cause of a guy's misfortune...

Boris Godunov · August 17, 2002, 11:32

Music is meant to be listened to, who cares what mood one is in while doing it?

Buck Birdseed · August 17, 2002, 11:45

I do! If you're depressed and sharing someone else's depression that's less bad than if you're distantly dissecting their unhappiness, from your position of relative health. 'Slike, I can understand and pity two anorexics discussing how not to eat, but a healthy person giving one of them slimming tips is just nasty.

(On another note, I personally find no appeal whatsoever in properly depressive music. (Not just sad, or desperate, or self-destructive, or I've-Lost-My-Girl-Please-Come-Back Suicidal, but I-completely-lack-energy-and-the-ability-to-feel-joy depressive.) I wouldn't litsen to it whatever mood I was in, except possibly "depressed" (which I've never been).)

JohnIII · August 17, 2002, 11:51

I'm a bit shaky on your categories here, BB. Can we have examples of your (obviously tenuous) distinction between 'properly' depressive and the other kind of depressive?

Boris Godunov · August 17, 2002, 12:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed
I do! If you're depressed and sharing someone else's depression that's less bad than if you're distantly dissecting their unhappiness, from your position of relative health. 'Slike, I can understand and pity two anorexics discussing how not to eat, but a healthy person giving one of them slimming tips is just nasty.

First, the composer isn't aware you're listening to it, so comparing it to giving "slimming tips" to anorexics is pretty silly.

Second, most people bring their own emotions and experiences to the music they listen to. It's not about dissecting the emotions of the composer, it's about having the music speak to your own experiences and emotions.

alva · August 17, 2002, 14:56

Ne me quite pas - Brél

Buck Birdseed · August 17, 2002, 15:07

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
First, the composer isn't aware you're listening to it, so comparing it to giving "slimming tips" to anorexics is pretty silly.

Composer? The popular musician should be ware of his sales figures...

Sean: Depression is a medical condition characterised by prolonged, constant sadness (ie. more than a couple of weeks at a stretch), listlessness and lack of energy, extreme introversion and strong suicidal tendencies. Way different from all I listed above. He doesn't have the energy to be desperate or decadently self-destructive or pour-your-heart-out sad, and it goes way deeped than normal, short-lived melancholy.

Jac de Molay · August 17, 2002, 15:08

Anything by the Cowboy Junkies, especially the Trinity Sessions

Boris Godunov · August 17, 2002, 15:09

Do think a popular musician cares if people are buying his work and listening to it to "dissect" his emotions? I don't think he gives a crap so long as it sells.

Buck Birdseed · August 17, 2002, 15:15

I'd only wish. Unfortunately, there are many, many who claim to be creating Art and serious, heavy, "meaningful" music. Without exeption, all music made by clinically depressed people will fall into this cathegory, just litsen to Joy Division's "Closer" or Iggy Pop's "The Idiot".

Boris Godunov · August 17, 2002, 15:23

So, if you don't like music made for art's sake, and you don't like music made for money's sake, what is left?

In the end, does it matter a rat's tuchus why an individual chooses to listen to a particular piece of music?

Buck Birdseed · August 17, 2002, 15:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
So, if you don't like music made for art's sake, and you don't like music made for money's sake, what is left?

Music for Music's sake? Anyway, I never claimed the latter. I like commercial music, as long as it's musically viable commercial music and not some sort of sell-out junk.

Quote:

In the end, does it matter a rat's tuchus why an individual chooses to listen to a particular piece of music?

I think it does. It's like the ten-year-old and the Paedophile watches Sesame Street for different reasons, and I won't condone both.

Bereta_Eder · August 17, 2002, 16:23

lots of greek melancholic songs.

Kitschum · August 17, 2002, 16:36

I sympathize with the "I'm never in the mood for depressive music" crowd. It's just no good: when I'm happy I listen to happy music to confirm my happiness, and when I'm sad I listen to happy music to become happy again. Serotonin is not an objective meter for good music (or musical ability) but, for my own casual listening or dancing, it's it.

Anyway, to this subject I say Sade is very nice sometimes but depressive.

Cheers,

(I mean that!)

Al'Kimiya · August 17, 2002, 17:38

Sopor Aeternus and the Ensemble of Shadows - Time stands still... (... but stops for no-one)

LaurenX2C · August 17, 2002, 17:40

Does anyone remember that counting crows song on Collective soul (or was that the name of the song or album?)where the rich guy is about to jump off the buidling????? Then decides to throw his money over?? That was sad. Pretty old. Like 1996 or 1997 I think.

JohnIII · August 17, 2002, 18:08

Buck, depression is a medical condition. However, we're not talking about depression, we're talking about depressing songs, i.e. dismal, dreary, downbeat. I still think you're whimsically adding adjectives to depressing music that you really quite like to make it look like you're some super-well-adjusted guy.

Mr. Oobir · August 17, 2002, 18:22

...

All I know is that I love music. It is one of the few things in the world that is holy in its entirety. Therefore, I don't understand why it should matter whether a song was intended to be depressing or happy or anything else. It seems to be an artificial restriction to say that Song X with mood Y shouldn't be listened to while in mood Z. A song should be heard when the listener wants to hear it, nothing more!

That said, "depressing" music isn't usually what I like to hear. Light, happy music is more my style. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos are good examples. However, if I feel the need, I can just as easily listen to The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" or Bobby Vinton's "Mr. Lonely" and lose myself in the world of melancholy.

How many corny cliches can you find in the two paragraphs above? Make it a game!

Bugs ****ing Bunny · August 18, 2002, 14:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed
I'd only wish. Unfortunately, there are many, many who claim to be creating Art and serious, heavy, "meaningful" music. Without exeption, all music made by clinically depressed people will fall into this cathegory, just litsen to Joy Division's "Closer" or Iggy Pop's "The Idiot".

None of those involved with the making of "Closer" were clinically depressed. Benard Sumner did suffer from depression, but that was 10 years later.

Ian Curtis certainly suffered psychological upheaval due to the sudden onset of epilepsy and his marital problems, but he was never clinically depressed.

el freako · August 19, 2002, 08:49

When I'm feeling particularly down I like this:

Is it wrong to talk to myself?
Even when there's nobody else?
I'm just checking out
That i've not gone under the water
Thrown on the beach
Like a seal ready for slaughter

Can't you understand
That the way things were planned
It never worked out
So I just went crazy
I took to the drink
Like something says it's made me

I ain't got no excuse
And that's really the news
Got nothing else to say
But it's my way - it's always my way
I seem to be running away so often

I'll try anything once
And that's the way this should be
But it's always the same
And I'm caught up again in a habit
A habit that I just can't shake off
The way it always turned out

Can you understand
It's the way I choose to be
Everything seems so easy this way
But i'm going under fast
Slipping away
Am I so crazy?

It's 'Going Under' by Marillion

FYI I do suffer from depression (have done for 15 years now), SSRI's do help but only a bit.

Adalbertus · August 19, 2002, 10:55

English Renaissance:
Come sable night (Ward)
Draw on sweet night (Wilbye)

Or as a conductor announced in a concert:
We'll sing "Three ravens" by Ravenscroft. The story is about a young lady who buries her lover in the woods. In the evening, she is dead herself. This song is flanked by two others who are even more depressing.

Anyway, great stuff.

Solly · August 19, 2002, 11:00

You can't make do with just one.

Third Eye Blind - The Background
Metallica - Nothing Else Matters
Idlewild - The Bronze Medal
Pulp - Underwear
Alice in Chains - Nutshell
REM - Country Feedback
Juliana Theory - Infatuation
Juliana Theory - DJ
The Smiths - I Know It's Over

drake · August 19, 2002, 11:18

Oh I totally forgot about it until now.....

-Misery- by Soul Asylum is great depressing fare.

"They say Misery Loves Company,
We could build a factory, and make Misery....
Frustrated Incorporated"

Sten Sture · August 19, 2002, 19:43

I agree with 'the entire published works of Nick Drake...'

Replacements fav is Achin to be
Red House Painters Sundays and Holidays
Lloyd Cole Malcontent
Son Volt Ten Second News
Wilco Dash 7

but my all time fav down song is Elvis Costello's Good Year for the Roses

Jaguar · August 19, 2002, 20:41

Metallica - Fade to Black
Blink 182 - Adam's Song
Eminem - Stan
U2 - Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Lifehouse - Breathing
Puff Daddy - I'll Be Missing You

Kontiki · August 19, 2002, 22:35

Pretty much any of the Charlatans earlier work, but especially "Tremelo Song".

LaurenX2C · August 20, 2002, 00:07

Quote:

Originally posted by el freako
you said
FYI I do suffer from depression (have done for 15 years now), SSRI's do help but only a bit.

I have been through this. I can sympathize with you here. I took prozac since I was 13. My youngest brother was killed by a drunk driver. I think everyone in my house went on the stuff. We were all torn apart. Except I never got off mine seems to be chronic. Ive been on Prozac, Zoloft, Depakote, and Paxil. None have really helped. And the depakote mad me crazy.