Death Songs

[Falkekopf 50]

Isn't the UK's current no.1 'Everybody Hurts' , originally written and recorded by REM, about someone being talked out of committing suicide? I always thought this was a dubious choice as a charity single.

[Falkekopf 50]

Well, if a song's not about sex then there's a fair chance it's about death. Except for Good Enough by Dodgy. I've no idea what's that's about.

 

 

But some are about pixies in the forest who ride to the enchanted land on the back of a magic squirrel. I've heard lots of Yes and T Rex songs!

[Magere Hein 1,400]

I love The Smiths, always good for a sing-a-long.

 

Certainly:

 

And if a ten-ton truck

Kills the both of us

To die by your side

Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine

 

[Edit to add: damn, already posted -- MH]

 

and

 

Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head

 

Always cheerful.

 

regards,

Hein

Edited February 22, 2010 by Magere Hein

[Phantom 2,533]

"Suicide Isn't Painless" - Carter USM

 

Suicide isn't painless, it hurts like hell.

It's set aside for the famous, a little suicide sells.

 

Nothing lasts forever, but nothing ever did.

It's big but not that clever, and it's really not that big.

 

So no more tears, you're a big boy now.

We'll have a few more beers, we'll sort it out somehow

[Spade_Cooley 9,519]

A brace from Bobbie Gentry:

 

, complete with cloth mannequins

[Madcow 6]

Terry Jacks 'Seasons in the Sun'

 

Makes me want to top meself, anyway!

[Falkekopf 50]

'Lady D'Arbanville' by Cat Stevens was written about Patti D'Arbanville, the American model, after their relationship fell apart. He wrote it as if singing to a dead woman!

[Monoclinic 39]

As I was flicking through the available radio channels on my long drive France bound this morning to give a naff seminar for which I was ill prepared I could have thought of worse things than dying. This malaise was promptly

.

[Handrejka 1,903]

Please Mr Postman is about death isn't? The original Marvelettes version I mean, isn't that why they haven't got a letter because he's been killed fighting, or am I reading way too much into it?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nuEY6fQgzk

[honez 79]

I pulled out some old CDs last night looking for some music, and stumbled across Nick Cave's Murder Ballads. I can't believe I didn't think of this before for this thread. It should be on every Deathlister's playlist.

 

My faves are Henry Lee, featuring PJ Harvey and Where the Wild Roses Grow, featuring everyone's favourite murder-by-the-river-victim Kylie.

[Geronimo 3]

"Suicide Isn't Painless" - Carter USM

 

Suicide isn't painless, it hurts like hell.

It's set aside for the famous, a little suicide sells.

 

Nothing lasts forever, but nothing ever did.

It's big but not that clever, and it's really not that big.

 

So no more tears, you're a big boy now.

We'll have a few more beers, we'll sort it out somehow

 

 

[time 8,599]

Raised my rifle to my eye

Never stopped to wonder why.

Then I saw black,

And my face splashed in the sky.

 

 

Neil Young and Powderfinger.

.

 

Neil Young also penned this one: Ohio.

 

Then there's this one brought to mind by last weeks hoax about Gordon Lightfoot,

.

 

Finally tonight, the "ultimate crash song",

.

[Madcow 6]

I recall a song called 'Down in the Willow Garden' on an Art Garfunkel Album (my sister's, I hasten to add!)

 

The chap skewers his love and ditches her in the river.

 

On a similar vein, there is 'Hazard' by Richard Marx where he is presumed to have drowned Mary, although her body is not found.

[Gunjaman5000 30]

I pulled out some old CDs last night looking for some music, and stumbled across Nick Cave's Murder Ballads. I can't believe I didn't think of this before for this thread. It should be on every Deathlister's playlist.

 

My faves are Henry Lee, featuring PJ Harvey and Where the Wild Roses Grow, featuring everyone's favourite murder-by-the-river-victim Kylie.

I meant to post that the other day but ran out of time before I had to get to the airport. Great album, Stagger Lee gets my vote. Dark, camp, disturbing - everything a good Nick Cave track should be.

 

Now completely off topic, I found this while looking for the Murder Ballads track. Hadn't heard it in years. Brilliant.

[Phantom 2,533]

"Suicide Isn't Painless" - Carter USM

 

Suicide isn't painless, it hurts like hell.

It's set aside for the famous, a little suicide sells.

 

Nothing lasts forever, but nothing ever did.

It's big but not that clever, and it's really not that big.

 

So no more tears, you're a big boy now.

We'll have a few more beers, we'll sort it out somehow

 

 

 

The song by Carter was written in response to Kurt Cobain's suicide.

[Toast 16,137]

Dunno if this one counts, but since I am off to see Ultravox tonight in Oxford , I'm prompted to mention

 

[Madame Defarge 21]

In the 'Famous Last Words' category we have the New Orleans funeral march from Live and Let Die.

[Guest Russ]

Bitches Be Crazy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhh-MJVWwXY

[Bibliogryphon 9,573]

Kate Bush has a few songs for the morbidly inclined This Woman's Work is awesome and Moments of Pleasure was written for people she knew who had died and the entire Ninth Wave section of The Hounds of Love album is about a woman drowning.

 

However if you want a song that is mawkish and slightly tasteless is Hello, This is Joanni (The Telephone Answering Machine Song) by Paul Evans

[Bibliogryphon 9,573]

This thread got me thinking and when my ipod spewed up Kate Bush's Army Dreamers I thought this song ticks all the boxes for morbidity and potential controvosy. In some ways it is more relevent now that when it was originally written.

 

For those of you not familiar this is a song concerning the waste of young life fighting other peoples wars. Check it out.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Not exactly a death song but there's a Winterset song on the radio right now:

 

http://www.miskinradio.co.uk

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

In the 'Famous Last Words' category we have the New Orleans funeral march from Live and Let Die.

 

I'll see that and raise you the audio for the Jonestown Massacre (which is also available on a nifty two on one CD accompanied by a gospel album by the same mob).

 

[Spade_Cooley 9,519]

"You're Going To Die" ends the latest (and apparently last ever) Kunt and the Gang album, and seems a fitting track for deathlisters worldwide. Also contains presumably the first ever pop lyric to reference Beverley Allitt.

[ImNotHades 207]

Does Die Young by Ke$ha count? She also has one similar, Out Alive. "No one's getting out alive" goes the lyric. Or Madonna, Die Another Day.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Any number of goth or punk songs. So let's combine them.

Dead And Buried - Alien Sex Fiend