Nice to have you back Sadi.

I have the Hall & Oates tune (I have a 3 disc 'best of' of theirs), I also just picked up an ELO box set recently with that "Telephone Line" tune on it, and it seems to me we've discussed the rest on previous lists, except maybe the Terry Jacks tune, re. which, I had never thought of as a 'downer' kind of song, though obviously only because I've never paid attention to the lyrics lol.

Funny how artists can couch dark lyrics with uplifting music and vice versa. Kinda perverse when you think about it lol. I always think of how "Every Breath You Take" by The Police is taken by many folks as a love song when in fact it's a creepy song about a stalker. Interesting how music can mask the message of a song rather than enhance it's meaning.

hey Steve and thank you..... things have settled down now my other 'thing' is being pain today... (epil. read Here Wear This Stigma etc etc...) so i'm having hard time typing. I have a few songs by Hall an Oates but i like some of their stuff a lot... tho i admit it IS a bit on the poor me side, that much is undeniable i think...

Terry Jacks you never though of a downer???!!! wow! how could you not!! the lyrics pretty much ring out true to me but then, who knows maybe i'm being a real cold hearted pain in arse and he or someone close really was dying or something. I mean, it just sounds that way but my sense is that it's not that way... i could be dead wrong tho so who knows.. in any event, this guy is really done for in every way and if he is dying, he doesn't seem to be doing it with dignity. I think there is even a line ....

" goodbye papa it's hard to die/
when all the birds are singing in the sky/
now that the spring is inthisr/...."

something along those lines i believe... simple.. still, it fits the category. maybe it's not self pity so much as "depressing as hell" in whidh case this list could have gone on forever and ever....

more later... now must get some rest... ; )

nice to see you; pardon typos. i cannot see so well just well...

cheers ~~ s.

"Seasons In The Sun". yikes!!

a couple of years outa college, somebody at the office i worked at started a "worst song of all time" contest on a white board in a public area.

the "top" three:

Seasons In The Sun
Billy Don't Be A Hero
The Night Chicago Died

i voted for the latter. can't remember who "won".

Hmm, Mark, never heard of the other two you list, but given the list they were on, maybe that's just as well lol!!!

"Sugar Mice" by Marillion (from their 1987 album "Clutching At Straws") is one of the most 'downer' tunes I've heard, though it still has much to commend it musically, IMHO.

Sadi, you were talking about having themes for your List, how about happy tunes next week??? (Just wondering which ones I would pick if I could think of any right now, hmmmm....).

I love the Ryan Adams cut. It's one of my favorites by him and that is saying something.

That song by ELO used to work my nerves back in college. I don't know why. I just rememeber it grating on me. I did like "Evil Woman," though. Go figure.

Let's get those Elliott Smith songs on here for next week, though!!! I had "King's Crossing" on repeat today. One of the saddest, most bitter, and ultimately beautiful songs I have heard in years. And what a sonic adventure it is.

Sadi, You may be too young to have heard of Rod McKuen, but he was all the rage when I was growing up, a master of lovesick hooey, a veritable Thomas Kincaid of poetry, and the poet laureate of desperate housewives everywhere.

He also wrote popular songs, at least two of which -- "Seasons in the Sun" and "MacArthur Park" -- have become classics of wretched excess. He has a website, in case you're interested.

I happen to have a couple of Rod McKuen songs -

"Love's Been Good To Me" by Frank Sinatra

and I just discovered that I have this one -
"If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)" by Shirley Bassey! Sounds very European circa 1960's (naturally, her being Welsh and it being from 1967!!). "Goldfinger" is still my fave of hers, I think.

I've never heard of Elliott Smith, other than on Blogcritics here. I've heard a couple of Ryan Adams tunes, but I must confess, I doubt I would remember them if I heard them again.

Great list Sadi! I'm not sure why, but sad, depressing songs are always my favorites. And I love your Ryan Adams pick. I've only recently started to listen to him, and I thing that is a great song.

I think we talked about this before...Ne Me Quitte Pas....I haven't heard Sting's version, but I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Nina Simone's. I only understand a little bit of the song--with only 4 years of high school french...but her heartbreak is evident just through her voice.

Chantal, the only Nina Simone tune I have is "My Baby Just Cares For Me" from the mid 80's.

What album is Sting's version of that French tune on, Sadi??

hey Steve....

do yourself a favor---go out and pick up a Nina Simone cd...I think she has a few "best of.." compilations out there. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

One of my all time favorite Nina songs is "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". If you can find a cd with that song, that would be great!

hey Steve... i could only find the Sting version of Ne Me Quitte Pas live, and downloadable, tho i'm sure it's available live somewhere... look for it on allmusic or somewhere like that they are bound to have it i should think... try it out... worth a shot anyway.......

Mark S. = You are right about the three most pathetic songs... tho i think "Billy Don't Be a Hero" pretty much takes the cake for me... not the sentiment so much as the song itself and the way it is sung... ugh.... thx for the reminder (how could i have left that off.. but hey, i did ask for reminders and that is the point! thx. for that... i'm lovin that one... ~ s. Remember "What a Lonely Boy" ...

Is that Nina Simone song a cover of the Animals' hit of the same name?? I bought a Very Best Of Elvis Costello last year thinking that his version would be on it but alas, not! Thanks for the tip, Chantal.

hey Chantal ~ ! yes, the Nina Simone version is pretty great and the obvious heartbreak does come through in the lyrics, you're right... i do like Stings's version (bad accent and all) but Simone is great in her own terrific way and yes, Steve, go out and buy yourself a boxed set of Simone ASAP b/c she's pretty great ~ the more you listen, the more you love...

have you heard the song in English?

Funny thing, i never have, only in French (but i speak french so it's easy to translate well-enough but still, i'd be curious to see how it comes out in English)... to see how the translation is handled... anyone heard it...

i did a list like this a while back but not quite the same, some similar or same songs but didn't go as in depth...

Another really Stadium Self Pity song is (and you can tell by the title is) Greatest Could Have Been by the group WTT (World's Tallest Thing) same band that did "Gibraltar" which made the list a few lists ago. Check out Amazon for that, i think it's on that album they have there... the lyrics are not explicit despite labeling... not in any way that would warrant the label (i mean, if Peaches doesn't have it, then WTT certainly shouldn't have it...)

check it out and take a listen on Amazon. The title of the album is Be Prepared to Stop and the song is Greatest Could Have Been (or Always the Greatest Could Have Been)... Well worth the time...

cheers all...

s.

It's not on an album at allmusic.com, Sadi, oh well!!

I forgot to mention the only solo song I have of Andrew Gold is a cover version of "Never Let Her Slip Away" (from 1978) by Undercover (from 1992).

Sadi, my version by Shirley Bassey is in English.

Come Pick Me Up is a great choice - but then I'm known in some parts as a Ryan obsessive

Btw, 'Seasons in the Sun' is an English translation of 'Le Moribond' (The Dying Man) by the amazing Jacques Brel

Slainte !

...and Jacques Brel wrote Ne Me Quitte Pas.

Wilkagirl! wow! i had NO idea that Jacques Brel did that and we're fans here... i mean, we know most things French i should say... so it's funny we didn't know.. thanks for the information.... that's amazing....

I knew he wrote Ne Me Quitte Pas, Mike = or at least, did a version of it, that much i knew for sure, but i did not know that he did Seasons in the Sun... it all starts to make sense.

Glad you like the list Wilkagirl...that the Ryan Adams choice made sense to you - the live version especially makes sense in a screwed up but great way... not sure if this list is self pity as much as it is just songs that are sadly pathetic...

in any event....

thanks for the info both!

interesting....which is why we have such a great comments section on the List i think... such a great exchange of information...

thx again.... be well all ~

I believe he co-wrote it with the aforementioned McKuen, Mike.

Steve, Jacques Brel wrote Ne Me Quitte Pas. Ten years later McKuen worked on an English version set to Brel's tune, though the English lyric isn't a direct translation of Brel's French lyric.

Many have covered both the French and English versions.

If you search out Brel's lyric and McKuen's "translation" you'll see that they have precious little in common.

OK, Mike, thanks for clarifying, that's helpful.

Hay, Sadi, any idea when the next list might be up this week??

heya, babe.. i was just thinking of you.. weird... yes, i was thinking Wednesday or Thursday. I'm on deadlne for another piece and have a job interview as well, so it looks like later in the week... but i'll post here and keep you, uhm, posted... but feel free to ping for updates but Wed or Thursd but Wed late in the day.... not sure what will be on the list next.... we'll have to wait and see.. i mean, i know what i would put it left to own devices, tho i doubt they would be crowd pleasers... all NIck Drake, all Bob Dylan all the time...

OK, Sadi, thanks for the info. Great minds think alike eh?? Looking forward to it. Just try to mix the common with the obscure, that way everyone can get something out of it. You could include one Drake song and one Dylan one if you like (on every List even!), as long as you have a good mix of other stuff too, you will get a good response. I might even be able to comment on up to 4 Dylan songs I have that were covered by someone else in my collection.

i think i can mix it up well and a lot of people love Drake and love Dylan and even totally obscure stuff (Dylan and Drake are not obscure really at all.. i can DO obscure, but i won't).... but yes, let's mix it up a bit and see what kind of response we get and i'll put on some of our stuff that we all know and love as well.... i just don't want to get stale...

i wish i had your email...or a way to give you mine... let me see if EO can help with this... if it's ok with you... is it?

let me know..

best as ever and thx for advice,

sade

Hi Sadi. I've been downloading music and trying out new stuff. So I'm going to go through your lists - all 13 - and try out some of the songs you talk about so don't be surprised if you see some items get revived and songs' picks supported or opposed.

First up, Nina Simone...

As for Ryan Adams, I liked him in Whiskeytown and saw him play in a small club. After that when he got back and more cocky - I watched him belittle the crowd once for being too loud - I just couldn't get into him.

Oh and looking at this list I can't take Hall and Oates seriously. They sound like a combination of a cough drop and a cereal. And their music is too syrupy for me.

For self-pity I'd nominate almost any song by the Smiths or a few Replacements songs.

I'd be curious to read your thoughts on the list of the best songs about L.A.
That list is here.

Hey there Sadi, how's the next list coming?

it's coming..... prob. tomorrow... so sorry for delay... it seems i'm always a day behind... this is b/c of other pressure but it'll be out... no worries... : ) don't worry. just means it better be damn good!!!

I don't think "Come Pick Me Up" is intended to be an angry attack at the former lover, but more an ode to what he loved about her. Laughing off everything he knew she would do, and yes, a pleasure found in abuse.

Don't stress too much, Sadi. Always good to hear from you, List or no List. As long as you are well, that's the main thing.

Hard to believe another weekend is almost upon us!! Hope you're doing ok, Sadi. Let us know here when the next List is up, alright??

i'm okay... just been having some seizure issues. so list is delayed... hopefully tomorrow... today was a really bad day for me. lots of seizures and my husband had to come home etc etc You get the picture (i'm epileptic so...).. in any event... too much stress causes this too, but i DO have a good list, i think and it really just needs the filing out.

if i'm better tomorrow, which i'm really hoping, then i will get it done. i'll kee pyou posted either way...

send good health vibes my way; i could use 'em right now... thanks ~~ S.

Hope you feel better soon Sadi....

~~~~sending good health vibes your way~~~~

Take care of yourself!

~chantal :)

hey Chantal ~ another day of the same... i hope this passes soon. i can't b eon the computer like this... 'm hoping this will pass and i can get this or maybe even two lists done at once....

thanks all for your patience with this epilepsy stuff.. it really stinks...

:(

s

Thanks for keeping us updated, Sadi. You are in my prayers.

posted new list a few hours ago now so it should be up soon with the editors appoval for all who have been so very patiently waiting, i just wanted to say thank you... and to let you know that it was coming up, so look for it soon... b/c it's there... or here... It's Number 14 so you can do a search on it List of the Moment Number 14 and it should pop right up in the search box either on top or several down... let me know if any problems, but i doubt not.

And thanks all for patience and understanding during time when i've been really ill and overworked. The ill part sucked the most...

Thank you so so so very much all... I already have my next list all lined up because i had forgotten (in my haze) that i had already made a list. Thus, my job should be a little bit easier...

Thanks, Sadi. Good to hear things are better for you now.

I've dealt with very sad people before, some of whom are still with us, some are not. Terry Jacks' song 'Seasons in the Sun' is quite reminiscient of their last thoughts. I don't know if Mr. Jacks is doing just fine or not, but, like all artists, those lyrics probably come from somewhere in his soul. I hope he is okay today...